Paul Kendall is a name synonymous with innovative soundscapes, both as a composer and through his production work with iconic artists. His recent release, Boundary Macro, on Downwards, exemplifies his continued exploration of sonic boundaries (available to purchase on vinyl at boomkat). But to understand Kendall’s unique approach to sound, one must delve into his early sonic awakenings, and surprisingly, the iconic Doctor Who Theme Tune plays a pivotal role in his artistic genesis.
Kendall describes himself as a “non-musician musician,” a label born from early frustrations with traditional musical instruments. Brief childhood dalliances with the descant recorder and piano were quickly abandoned, primarily due to environmental limitations. Living in cramped council apartments made practicing any instrument, and the inevitable noise that came with it, virtually impossible.
However, necessity became the mother of invention. At their second apartment block, the family had a garage. This became Kendall’s clandestine sonic laboratory. Inside their blue Morris Marina, parked in the darkness of the closed garage, a young Kendall explored sound through a tenor saxophone. He envisioned himself channeling the freeform explorations of Evan Parker and the spiritual intensity of late Coltrane. While his neighbors likely perceived only random wailing, these garage sessions were crucial for Kendall’s development. He admits his saxophone technique remained limited due to a lack of practice, but for him, it was always about “contextual sound creation” rather than virtuosity, a principle that would define his career.
Kendall’s sonic curiosity extended beyond conventional musicality. He was drawn to the atmospheric reverb in Joe Meek’s productions and the otherworldly introduction of “Telstar” by The Tornados, captivated by the sonic textures rather than just melody and harmony. This fascination with sound design over traditional musical structures was further ignited at the tender age of nine, a mere five days after his birthday.
It was then, in 1963, that the first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast, and with it, the Doctor Who theme tune entered young Paul Kendall’s life. This wasn’t just music; it was a sonic revelation. The theme tune, crafted by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from Ron Grainer’s score, shattered Kendall’s “naive ears’” preconceptions of traditional musical timbre. It sounded, as he describes, like “music from the spheres during the Space Age.” The Doctor Who theme tune, with its pioneering electronic sounds, opened up an entirely new sonic universe for Kendall.
This newfound sonic awareness primed his ears for further unconventional sounds. He embraced the overdrive guitar of The Kinks, the psychedelic explorations of Small Faces, and the sensually visceral and stereophonically seductive sounds of Jimi Hendrix. The Doctor Who theme tune had unlocked a door, and Kendall eagerly stepped through, exploring a world of sonic possibilities beyond the traditional musical landscape.
Even Kendall’s early exposure to stereo sound had a technological, rather than purely audiophile, origin. His parents, both telecommunications professionals, met through their work. His father, a telephone engineer, and his mother, a telephonist, inadvertently facilitated his journey into stereo. Surplus telephone equipment became young Kendall’s first headphones, launching him into the world of stereophonic listening – a direct lineage from telecommunications technology to sonic exploration.
This inherent curiosity about sound and technology led him to acquire a four-track reel-to-reel tape machine, even though it wasn’t initially stereo capable. True tape experimentation had to wait until he attended the University of York Music Department. There, equipped with a VCS3 Synthesiser and Revox 2 track recorder, Kendall began to delve deeper into stereophonic space, building upon the foundations laid by the Doctor Who theme tune and his early headphone experiences.
A brief ownership of a Hohner Clavinet further fueled his sonic explorations. Played through an HH Combo Amp with the sustain switch engaged, it could mimic the sound of a “wailing feedback drenched guitar,” much to the imagined chagrin of his neighbors, who were spared the amplified sonic experiments in the non-electrified garage.
The move to analogue multitrack in 1984, and subsequently to digital audio workstations (DAWs) with his first Mac computer and Sound Tools/Digidesign software in the early 90s, marked another significant leap. Digital editing and processing, which Kendall considers “the most significant advance in audio technology since the commercially available tape recorder,” opened up vast new creative avenues. Prior to this, he had used an Atari 1040 running Creator Midi Sequencer, the precursor to Logic, further solidifying his early adoption of digital tools in music creation.
From 1985 to 1997, Kendall’s career flourished at Mute Records’ in-house studio. As an engineer, producer, and mixer, he collaborated with a diverse range of artists, both within and outside the Mute roster, including Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb, and Barry Adamson. His passion for technology led him to establish Parallel Series, a label within Mute, reflecting his interest in the convergence of classical electronic music (musique concrète) and popular music through shared tools like Pro-Tools. This echoes the pioneering spirit of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and their groundbreaking work on the Doctor Who theme tune, bridging the gap between experimental sound and popular appeal.
After leaving Mute, Kendall embraced working “in the box,” focusing on computer-based recording and mixing. This method has been central to his compositional work, evolving further with his recent exploration of iPad apps. During the 2020 lockdown, he discovered apps like Borderlands and Tardigrain, impressed by their ability to generate “an immediate new palette of sound” with tactile performance capabilities. These affordable and flexible apps rekindled his enthusiasm, leading to the creation of his vinyl album, Boundary Macro (2021), born from improvisations using voice and a Leaf Audio Microphonic Soundbox as sound sources.
Kendall’s creative process is intrinsically linked to technological innovation. Software like Generator/Reaktor and Ableton Live have been pivotal in his workflow. He highlights the transformative impact of Ableton Live, particularly its ability to manipulate percussive loops in real-time, a feature that revolutionized music production, democratizing techniques that were once time-consuming and technically demanding. This accessibility, mirroring the way the Doctor Who theme tune brought electronic sounds into living rooms across the nation, is a thread that runs through Kendall’s career – a constant push to explore and democratize sonic innovation.
Paul Kendall’s journey is a testament to the power of early sonic experiences. From the clandestine saxophone sessions in a garage to pioneering work in electronic music production, his path was significantly shaped by the groundbreaking sounds he encountered as a child. The Doctor Who theme tune, a beacon of electronic sound in the 1960s, wasn’t just a television theme; for Paul Kendall, it was the spark that ignited a lifelong exploration of sonic possibilities, making him the innovative and influential artist he is today.
For those wanting to delve deeper into Paul Kendall’s sonic world, explore his official tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also explore his diverse discography and production work to further appreciate the sonic landscape shaped by a childhood encounter with a truly revolutionary theme tune.
