TME > Audio > Tributes Discography

Internet-Generated CDs & Download-Only releases

When the first music-hosting websites began in the 1990s, offering anyone with a modem the chance to upload their songs, they often gave listeners the chance to buy CDs via mail-order as well as (or instead of) downloading them for free. Those who used mp3.com and peoplesound.com could also upload artwork for their CD covers and include special CD-only tracks not otherwise available on their sites. Hence we have a grey area of our discography: all these CDs were professionally produced and packaged, and sold at real CD prices, but contained music that was often recorded by amateur musicians and computer-users. Plus, the CDs were only created individually, subject to order - and many may have never been burned to disc at all. So are these genuine releases or not? Most Doctor Who discographers think not... we, however, disagree!

We're also listing here any downloadable singles, EPs and albums that can be purchased online from legal mp3 stores (such as iTunes and Napster). We're not crazy enough to attempt to list each and every 'podcast' (that any old Doctor Who fan can upload and have distributed for free), but since a select few have been sold as if they were commercial releases, we figure that they deserve an honourable mention.

1999 - Calling Dr Who

Raindancer: Calling Dr Who
D.A.M. (Data and Music) CD, May 1999
mp3.com 54317

1. Calling Dr Who
2. Sleepless
3. Raindance
4. Time To Go
5. No Yesterday

all tracks written by sandberg/skalin
recorded at studio create! gothenburg
produced by raindancer


--> Compilation Releases / Lyrics: Calling Dr Who / Raindance / Sleepless / Time to Go / No Yesterday

Thomas Sandberg and Erik Skalin, two Swedish musicians in their mid-twenties, formed Raindancer in the summer of 1999, after some earlier music projects fell through. The duo produce short eurodance tracks with infectious melodies, quick-fire lyrics and high levels of production. Sandberg decided that they should do a sci-fi tribute, and when Erik remembered the great melody from a Dr Who pinball machine, they set about finding as much information on the series as they could. With lyrics by Skalin and an uptempo arrangement of the theme by Sandberg, the track was recorded in two days during August 1999, and the duo were so chuffed with it that they decided to name their first album Calling Dr Who (though the other 4 tracks are not connected to the series).

Unable to find a Swedish record label interested in their work, they turned to the internet for promotion. Mp3.com offered artists a contract-free environment where they could present downloads and multimedia CDs to the world, and Raindancer, describing their work as "An upbeat dance experience" influenced by "Everything that makes the adrenaline flow", were content to remain online until a proper label recognised their talent. In September 2000 a second CD, Kicks, was released at mp3.com, and in October all 10 Raindancer tracks were compiled onto a full-length album, Inner Space, saving purchasers of both CDs a nifty $2. A club remix of the Calling Dr Who album was also proposed, but remains on hold. Although Skalin and Sandberg had played gigs together in the past, their lifestyle following the release of Calling Dr Who placed 500km between them, meaning that none of their Raindancer material was ever performed live, and with Sandberg now living in London while Skalin remains abroad, the chance to catch them live will undoubtedly be some time coming.

The release of the Inner Space compilation was stunted when the Calling Dr Who track was removed from the Raindancer site, and both CDs on which it featured made temporarily unavailable. On 16th November mp3.com confirmed that Calling Dr Who was placed on hold "pending the artist obtaining a mechanical license from the Harry Fox Agency," a formal proceedure deemed necessary for distribution of all cover songs. "They want us to arrange a license to use the lead part, that originally is from the Dr Who show," Sandberg explained on the 8th November. "We are currently working in this issue, and hope it will be cleared in a near future." Both albums were re-released, the song now authorised, in January 2001.

In early 2001 Raindancer reported that they had secured a commercial contract for the MCD "Sleepless EP" on the US label Ninthwave Records, to be released in autumn 2001; though it was January 2003 before the CD single - including Sleepless and Raindancer from the Calling Dr Who album - emerged. Ninthwave also reported that they had commissioned a full-length album from the duo, though this was ultimately sold to another US label, A Different Drum. Raindancer's pages - and the availability of the 3 D.A.M. CDs - disappeared when mp3.com closed in December 2003, and little was heard from the group until late 2004, when they launched their own website, raindancernet.com. Individual new tracks were released on A Different Drum's multi-artist compilation albums and tracks from the Sleepless MCD made available for download whilst the new album Audio was completed to everyone's satisfaction, eventually seeing release in March 2005.

Thomas Sandberg revealed to TME in 2005 that Calling Dr Who came close to being included on the new album. "I actually produced/remixed Calling Dr Who for the album, using the old vocal recording (thus so-so quality) [but] the mix [was] quite rough. We considered including the song on "Audio", but sort of run out of time in the end. That might sound strange given the fact that it took us about 2 years to put the album together. I guess both me and Eric were a bit surprised by the amount of time we had to spend until we were satisfied. In fact, The album, IMHO, is the best material we have ever produced so I am really eager to get it out to hear what people think of it." The only song to make the transition from the mp3.com days was Sleepless, which underwent a complete reinvention as a slower, more sinister track. The original mix of Calling Dr Who was included on the Woofed and Warped fanzine CD in March 2005, promoting both the new album and the new series of Doctor Who on BBC1; the remix may yet appear as a B-side to future Raindancer singles and releases. Check their official site for up-to-date details.

2000 - Subliminal Memoirs

The Empire Of Glass: Subliminal Memoirs
CD, digipack sleeve, August 2000
peoplesound.com ART8087-CD01-00

CDs purchased after April 2001 featured remastered versions of each track - including new intro/outro sequences not on the original disc. A shorter version of the album (with expanded cover art) was later available from mp3.com.

1.
An Unearthly Child
2.
Librarynth
3.
Zamper
4.
Hoova Manoova
5.
Headgames
6.
Cubes (H. F. S.)
7.
Found Out
8.
The English Way
9.
Steeples
10.
Just So Stories
11.
As Blind As That
12.
The Whistler
13.
Kursaal Life
14.
Flames
15.
The Blue Angel
16.
Bidding Adieu

According to the official Empire Of Glass website, www.megropolis1.com, the music of Subliminal Memoirs hails from "a world where all sound is music and all dreams are possible". Assisted by the Be-Vox (a colourful sound-imitating sphere), Orchestra (a harmonious ghost), Octobeat (a beat-wise octopus), the Anthropomorphic Bassbin and his pet cat, Citizen Chillum, the "ultra-eccentric hippy", has been guided by the Omneye to change the future of dance music in 16 tracks inspired by the television series Doctor Who and its excessive literary spin-off series, the New and Missing Adventures. "We hope some of our fans will be lead towards Who as a result of our music," Chillum (aka London-based musician Rob Tizzard) explained to TME in October 2000. "Our image is designed to please other fans but still not alienate anyone else. The more interest in the Doctor the better chance we have of him returning."

In the footsteps of Cybertech, Chillum uses synthesisers, samples, beats and ambiance to pay subtle homage to Doctor Who, and, like the 1995 Cybertech CD Pharos, also acknowledges the Virgin and BBC New and Missing Adventures. "Whilst not being about the books that inspired them, they are to pay homage in a similar way that the Bond themes do to the films." Tracks such as Zamper, Headgames, The English Way and The Blue Angel take their titles from original novels, while others such as Librarynth ("about the library mentioned in The Infinity Doctors as well as about what people who are not into books are missing") pay tribute in a subtler way.

A number of other tracks, including An Unearthly Child, explore what it means to be a Doctor Who fan, "and why it's hard for non-fans to understand." This track was originally based around a vocal sample lifted from the pilot episode ("not quite clear is it? I can see by your face, you're not certain, you don't understand. Ha, and I knew you wouldn't, never mind"), but when the BBC refused copyright permission the quote was replaced for the CD version. There are further Who references to be found in several other titles, including Bidding Adieu, the title of Sylvester McCoy’s 1996 BBV video diary, and Kursaal Life, a reference to the pleasure world in Peter Anghelides novel of January 1998. "The band as a whole is inspired by Doctor Who in a sort of subtle way. Our image is designed to please others fans but still not alienate anyone else."

Remastered

Chillum had always planned to release a remastered edition of the CD once permission had been granted to use samples in his tracks, but after a disappointing wave of reviews he completely remixed the album to improve sound quality and professionalism. Sadly BBC Worldwide were the only company approached who ultimately denied permission. "Having spoken to Gary Russell [of Big Finish] and Paul Griggs [of BBV], I've been advised I am fighting a losing battle," Chillum commented in February 2001. "Cybertech had similar problems apparently. Even if they did say yes, they would charge me much more than I can afford. I even suggested donating a percent of my royalties to charity but received no response. (You can be sure there will be a track on Digital Winter [the fourth Empire of Glass album] about my feelings on this.)"

Subsequently the revised instrumentals were presented to peoplesound.com in March 2001, after their announcement at the official site on 8th November 2000. They replaced the original downloads and CD tracks the following month, simultaneous with the remastered version of Divination. Both discs had new intro and outro sequences in the form of dialogue between the characters making up the band. "The intro/outro's are to make up for the loss of samples as well as to emphasize the fantasy personalities of the band. Also, as some of the songs can be quite heavy, I'm keen to get across that I don't take myself too seriously..." (Citizen Chillum, April 2001).

The remastered Cubes (H.F.S.) was reviewed by Computer Music Magazine in their July 2001 issue, and was available as a RealPlayer download from their site, www.computermusic.co.uk, for the duration of that month. "It's the rhythm section that stands out here, featuring very interesting uses of synthetic drums to create the vibe and keep the tune moving, while the widely-processed vocal hook grates the ear in some places. The artist tells us that it's based around a recurring nightmare he had as a child."

2000 - Divination

The Empire Of Glass: Divination
CD, digipack sleeve, December 2000
peoplesound.com ART8087-CD02-00

CDs purchased after April 2001 featured remastered tracks plus brand new intro and outro sketches. A shorter version of the disc with expanded sleeve art was later available from mp3.com.

1.
Snakedance
2.
Breach Of The Peace
3.
Ghost
4.
Shamanic Electronic
5.
Ankh
6.
The Taint
7.
A Renegade Phantome Pilgrimage
8.
Samhain
9.
Pharoah Way
10.
Someday
11.
Spectral Bass
12.
The Seeker
13.
Isle Of The Lost Soul
14.
Christmas On A Rational Planet
15.
Sorcerers Shadow
16.
The Dragon And The Swan-Song

--> Compilation Releases ("The Seeker" only)

Recorded shortly after Subliminal Memoirs, Rob Tizzard's second ambient dance album, Divination, contained further musical references and tributes to characters and stories from Doctor Who, though at Rob's own admission the quality in both production and composition was a huge improvement over the first.

The disc opens with a Who-related track, an instrumental recreating the atmosphere of the 1982 Peter Davison story Snakedance. The Taint (titled after Doctor Who and the Taint by Michael Collier, published by BBC Books in February 1999) "could be about the Doctor from Fitz's eyes, [though] this wasn't dominant in my mind when writing. I wrote in admiration of how Madonna handles her public image." (Citizen Chillum, speaking to TME in January 2001). As for The Seeker, "[the] entire track came from my love of the Seeker from Ribos [featured in The Ribos Operation, the first adventure in the Key To Time season of 1978]. Hopefully it will include her chants as that was my original idea." (It didn't, but we made sure the original was released here.) Christmas On A Rational Planet, a Christmas tune "about rational people so upbeat on the irrational pagany bits of xmas", takes its title from the July 1996 Lawrence Miles New Adventure, while The Dragon And The Swansong is described as "an instrumental trying to match the moods of the film Excalibur and all things Arthurian, although the title comes from an MA idea I nearly did something about a while back. An epic story taking place just prior to Time and the Rani coz even though he is a Time Lord and all that, I didn't believe a little turbulence would regenerate him and suddenly give him a Scottish twang."

The tracks Breach Of The Peace and Isle Of The Lost Soul are unrelated to the series, but borrow titles from BBV Productions released on video and audio respectively, and Pharaoh Way was originally to include some organ chords in emulation of the 1975 Tom Baker story Pyramids of Mars, but now "owes more to Stargate."

Remastered

A remastered version of the album - including a dramatically rearranged version of The Seeker - was posted to peoplesound.com in early March and replaced the original downloads and CD tracks in April. As with Subliminal Memoirs, however, the samples from TV, film and audio productions did not appear due to copyright refusal from BBC Worldwide, although special intro and outro sequences featuring the fictional members of the band were included.

2000 - The Manopticon CDs


Guitar samples taken from 'Steve Stevens Guitar Sample Collection'
All vocal 'extracts' taken from the Doctor Who TV series and the Doctor Who TV movie.
Dijitaal Lair: Manopticon 4
CD-R, 2000

1.
Doctor Who Neo Mix
2.
Doctor Who Arcalian Mix
3.
Doctor Who ? Version
4.
Plexsus Point
5.
Games Of Cards
6.
U.N.I.T. FHD - Codename: Province
7.
The March
8.
Confusion
9.
Zero Gravity
10.
Under Threat
11.
Ethereal State
12.
Omega


Dijitaal Lair: Manopticon 5
CD-R, 2000

1. Doctor Who Molotov Version
2. Doctor Who Beryllium Mix
3. Doctor Who Delta Mix

Simon Pilkington - solo guitar


The music featured during the awards, ceremonies and introductory sequences for the Manopticon 4 and 5 conventions of 1995 and 1996 was polished-off and released on homemade CD albums by their composer and producer, Craig Pilkington (aka Dijitaal Lair), in 2000. Entirely synthesised, with guitar samples from Pilkington's brother, the music paid homage to the Doctor Who theme (with 6 rearrangements of the theme over the 2 CDs), as well as other recognisable themes from the series' incidental music repertoire. Initially available on cassette, and then for download from the Dijitaal Lair site, the music proved popular enough for Pilkington to upload every track composed for the weekends (only some of which had been used) and make the music available on CD-R for those impatient or incapable of downloading. These CDs have been included in the Tributes Discography due to their status as purchasable audio merchandise relating to Doctor Who, despite their unofficial and mail-order only constraints.

Many of the tracks featured on Manopticon 4 were composed for a fan video that remains unfinished: 'U.N.I.T. FHD Codename: Province', and The March and Confusion recreate the familiar '70s incidental and '60s stock music used during UNIT battle sequences, updated with Mark-Ayres-like enthusiasm and a feel for the atmospheric. Other tracks are more evocative than musical, while the 4 or 5 tracks actually used during the weekend - primarily the theme arrangements - tend to be more upbeat. Doctor Who - Neo Mix takes after the 1987-89 Keff McCulloch titles, adding a creepy introduction, light pop-beat and extra 'verses' where the main melody becomes an improvised ramble up and down the keyboard in the style of the '70s disco recordings by Mankind and Ron Grainer. The Arcalian Mix leaves the bass-line untouched but updates the melody so that it is only recognisable to a fan audience, and ? Version appears to be an attempt to replace the Time And The Rani 1 opening titles with more subdued regeneration music and a slightly renovated version of the McCulloch theme.

The Manopticon 5 CD is a succession of dramatically rearranged versions of the Who theme, as though it were Variations On A Theme Vol. 2. The Molotov Version, believed by its composer to be "something new and unique, something that had never been attempted before," is a run-down of all eight TV Doctors, with an appropriate arrangement of the theme tune to match several carefully selected quotations from their era. Thus we have: a 19th Century harpsichord and string arrangement for Hartnell (with samples from The Dalek Invasion Of Earth); the same notation played with a mystical piano and vibraphone for Troughton (The Three Doctors / The Five Doctors); a Bond-style electric guitar theme for Pertwee (The Three Doctors); gothic church organs, bells and Bach for Tom (Pyramids Of Mars / Logopolis); '80s disco pop for Davison (Earthshock / The Five Doctors); heavy rock with screaming guitar for Colin (with angry quotes from The Trial Of A Time Lord / Caves Of Androzani); a restless orchestra and heavy atmosphere to lower the tone for McCoy (Remebrance Of The Daleks) before a rave dance mix for McGann (with samples from the TVM).

Of the remaining mixes, both of which are dance variations, the Beryllium Mix is the more enjoyable, imitating DJ Dado's dance version of The X Files theme with an independent piano motif and high, shifting chords beneath the theme melody. Neither mix retains the bass-line - "it was my intention to break away from the traditional 'mould' of 'variations' on the theme" - and the radically different beat behind the Delta Mix leaves the track sounding so fresh that it wouldn't sound out of place in a high-budget car advert set in the Alps.

The Manopticon CDs were available exclusively from the Dijitaal Lair website - until the page mysteriously disappeared forever in early 2001!

2001 - Omnicosmology

The Empire Of Glass: Omnicosmology
CD, October 2001
peoplesound.com ART8087-CD03-00

A shorter version was later available from mp3.com, with an enlarged sleeve.

1.
Intro / The Endless Ocean
2.
Molecular
3.
See Forever
4.
Father Time
5.
Liquefy
6.
The Dimension Riders
7.
Sky Pirates!
8.
Everything Freezes
9.
Infinite Requiem
10.
Omnicosmology
11.
A Matter Of Life And Death
12.
The Also People
13.
The Fractal Assassin
14.
Rippers
15.
Lords Of The Storm
16.
Compassion
17.
Endgame / Outro

The third Empire of Glass ambient dance CD, originally planned for release in May 2001 and then slightly remastered for its release at peoplesound in October, once again featured numerous lyrical, musical and thematic references to Doctor Who. Speaking to TME in March 2001, Rob Tizzard (aka Citizen Chillum) described the evolution of the album.

Like the earlier albums Subliminal Memoirs and Divination, Omnicosmology was originally recorded with samples. The Endless Ocean, for example, was planned to centre around a lengthy sample from The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, whilst Everything Freezes sampled the cries of Mr Freeze from Batman and Robin. Unlike earlier tracks, however, which sampled everything from An Unearthly Child to The Ribos Operation, Doctor Who is presented here not through pre-planned samples but through titles and characters. The Endless Ocean is about the ocean from The Taking of Planet 5; See Forever is named after a throwaway Eighth Doctor line ("... on a clear day you can see forever"); Omnicosmology centres around the idea from The Infinity Doctors about billions of universes, and initially featured the rhyme from the back cover sung over the start and end of the track; and numerous other tracks are named after BBC Books and DWM comic strips.

Chillum explains that Rippers is about "the multi-dimensional monsters from The Whoniverse as in 'The Taking of Planet 5', 'Shadow of the Scourge', that type of thing." Compassion is an ode to the Eighth Doctor's travelling companion, featuring samples of the TARDIS take-off effect. A Life of Matter and Death, whose title originates from a Doctor Who Magazine comic strip, "links to The Three Doctors, Time and the Rani and The Dark Path". The Fractal Assassin concerns "the idea of the butterfly whipping up a storm miles away," a familiar motif from the Virgin New Adventures - "Cause and effect and all that."

Although copies of the finished CD - which included intro and outro sequences to match the remastered editions of Subliminal Memoirs and Divination - were sent to friends and reviewers in March 2001, packaged in the full-colour sleeves and inlays available to download from the Empire of Glass website, the album was not finalised until early October. "I had to polish the new album again before releasing it," Chillum told TME in mid-October 2001, "on advise from some colleagues. There are many major changes (...) it's [also] a bit clearer." Peoplesound.com sold the disc in their traditional digipack cardboard sleeve, whilst mp3.com later sold a shortened version of the album in a jewell case with full artwork.

2001 - Future Investment - The Soundtrack

Peter Wicks: Future Investment - The Soundtrack
Multimedia CD, 2001
mp3.com 113671

1. Old London Suite
2. Burning Bright (Dead London)
3. New London
4. The End / "You're Boring!"

Composed, arranged and produced by Peter Wicks


The JM&KH Production Future Investment, a fan-produced Doctor Who adventure by Kevin Hiley, saw London transformed into a wasteland following a nuclear war and the second Wall Street crash, with filming and editing taking place between Summer and Christmas 1999. Based on a 25 minute audio play by the same team, the video scripts doubled the running time, and with the aid of digital editing facilities unique special effects and credit sequences were added to the shot footage. The two episodes were subsequently made available for download at www.timelord.co.uk, along with mp3s of Paul Wicks' original soundtrack music.

Wicks' www.mp3.com area, where he appeared as The Not So Amazing Magical Bus Conductor - included free downloads of assorted Doctor Who inspired tracks, including music from the Doctor Who Crossover Adventure audio stories. Four suites of music from Future Investment were also made available, and their online blurb offered the following commentaries. (Old London Suite:) "The cues in this suite are taken from the very beginning of the film, set in Victorian London." (Burning Bright:) "This track was used during the scenes of 'dead London', London after the effects of a nuclear holocaust and the explosion of the bomb. 'Orchestral' and electronic instruments used extensively." (New London:) "Composed for the scenes set in modern day London. Very synthy and ambient piece. I may arrange this into a longer piece sometime." (The End:) "In the same style as 'New London'. Upbeat and very synthy with echoes of the Doctor Who theme." The suites were compiled onto a multimedia CD in late 2001, available for sale exclusively from the site, which remained available until the closure of mp3.com in December 2003.

2003 - Return to Kendal

TMEAudio: Return to Kendal
CD-R, November 2003

1. Who is the Doctor Jon Pertwee
2. Mind's Eye Mary Whitehouse
3. Skaro Dalek ACK-Q-231
4. Billy's Song William Hartnell
5. Missing You Like Craze-y Who Gives a Toss
6. Janet Street-Porter
7. Private Universe
8. Silver Fist David Banks / Hidden Track

All songs written and performed by TMEAudio. Cover designed by Max Ellis.


--> Original Lyrics: Mind's Eye / Missing You Like Craze-y / Janet Street-Porter / Private Universe

A collection of amateur cover versions, original music and sketches, this CD-R was made available from returntokendal.co.uk in November 2003 in return for a donation to the British Heart Foundation (a minimum of £1.50 was charged per disc, which included at least 50p for the charity, and purchasers were invited to pay as much as they wished). The recording took almost 4 years, spanning karaoke clips (Skaro and Janet Street-Porter are cover-versions of What a Wonderful World and Eleanor Rigby, taken from a pan-pipes CD), ambitious band recordings (Missing You Like Craze-y uses musicians and vocalists from around the world, who emailed their parts back to Britain to assemble the finished song) and acoustic guitar tracks (covering such songs as Private Universe by Crowded House and What's Up by 4 Non Blondes), with samples from Doctor Who on television, film, radio and web casts. As you can imagine, with so many flounced copyrights, this was a very unofficial and underground release!

Prior to release, several tracks (Billy's Song, an acoustic Punch and Judy Man and Missing You Like Craze-y) were available for download from mp3.com, remaining online until the site closed in December 2003. When the official R2K website opened in November, further acoustic/demo downloads included Who is the Doctor, Mind's Eye and I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With the Go-Go's. Having researched and listened to the many dozens of Doctor Who tributes for this website, the writers of the album included many nods to earlier tributes. We wonder how many listeners actually got them?

In March 2005, the DWAS fanzine Cloister Bell gave-away a 4-track music CD showcasing a new track from the writers of R2K, Your Show, spoofing Elton John's Your Song and celebrating the return of Doctor Who to the BBC. Exclusive tracks were also contributed by Raindancer and The Empire of Glass.

2006 - Doctor Who Theme: Remixed EP

Galaxy 4: Doctor Who Theme: Remixed
Downloadable EP, sold from January 2006
(P) Odessa Mama Records

1. Doctor Who Theme - Original Radio Mix
2. Doctor Who Theme - Electro Radio Edit
3. Doctor Who Theme - Original Club Mix
4. Doctor Who Theme - Electro Club Mix

This EP collection of dance tracks has been found for sale at iTunes, priced at 79p per track - the standard rate for downloads - but, unusually, without a corresponding commercial release. Quite who put it there isn't clear - the tracks are simply credited to 'Galaxy 4', the name of a jolly good Hartnell story and a very pleasant specialist shop in East London, but not a recognisable musician!

Unfortunately the quality of the music makes it even more difficult to tell whether these are amateur or professional recordings. They are much like the dance themes released by Vonal KSZ and The Cybermen: the melody seems to have been played from memory, as half the notes are wrong and the bass line has a life of its own; and the dance beats themselves are very basic, with little differentiation. They're really nothing special... but then, neither were half the commercially released versions.

The only real differences between the 'Original' and the 'Electro' versions are the rhythm of the bass line (which is slightly funkier on the latter mix) and the synth sound playing the main melody. The club mixes feature long extended sections with just the bass line and beats.

2006 - Mutant - The Music of Empire 639



Album compiled, structured and mixed January-March 2006 using Making Waves Digital Sound Sequencer version 5.30 and Adobe Audition version 1.5 from the original soundtracks

All tracks copyright (c) 2006 Empire 639, except 'Theme for a Time Lord' which is copyright (c) 1996 Empire 639
Empire 639: Mutant - The Music of Empire 639
CD-R, April 2006
Altered Vistas Audio AVA01

1.
The Theme from The Dalek Chronicles
2.
Children of the Revolution
3.
One Moment of Peace
4.
Power Play
5.
The Amaryll Challenge
6.
Dalek Cutaway
7.
Duel of the Daleks
8.
Divine Creations
9.
Menace of the Monstrons
10.
Mechanoid Fantasia
11.
Collisions in Jazzspace
12.
Rogue Planet
13.
Theme for a Time Lord

--> Original Sleevenote

Stuart Palmer began creating 3D CGI animations based on Doctor Who in 2003, when he provided stunning animated sequences for the Loose Cannon reconstruction of The Daleks' Master Plan, and produced a feature about Terry Nation's proposed spin-off series, The Destroyers. He progressed to recording shorts and eventually feature-length CGI productions under the Altered Vistas banner, including an ambitious visualisation of the entire Century 21 comic strip The Daleks. Like the fan reconstructions, these were distributed from "dub sites" where fans could obtain copies for free, providing only the blank media and return postage. This 13-track CD - available from the same UK and international dubbing sites as the VCDs of the dramatisations themselves - included music from the first half of The Dalek Chronicles (including one episode not-yet released); the documentary Children of the Revolution; and some new compositions ('One Moment of Peace', 'Divine Creations' and 'Theme for a Time Lord'). The artwork (pictured above) could be downloaded from the Altered Vistas website, www.alteredvistas.co.uk.

Palmer's Empire 639 tag pre-dated his AV alias by many years; having been in a band in the late 80s/early 90s, he had continued to make CDs of original compositions for his own listening pleasure, and naturally recorded his own music for the Altered Vistas dramatisations. The music served a large role in the films, covering the full durations of many of them, and on CD the tracks proved to be a mixture of generic mood-music (bombastic, creepy or comedic) and homages to the various musical sounds of Doctor Who – and particularly the Daleks. There are echoes of the soundtracks to stories as diverse as Death to the Daleks, Resurrection of the Daleks and Remembrance of the Daleks, with a variety of synthesised sounds on display that are often at pains to imitate the special sounds of the 1960s Dalek serials. The most effective on CD are those that conjure images out of the instruments themselves – the echoing, rolling drum crashes familiar from orchestral soundtracks, or the sampled vocal-‘aahs’ that are played in differing pitches like a Radiophonic Workshop nightmare, both produce mental images that the repetitive crashing and fanfare of other tracks do not. Yet because the music served the purpose of single-handedly producing an atmosphere for each scene of each film, playing Mutant takes the listener on as much of a journey as watching the VCDs… or even reading the comics.