All The Best

‘Dark matter’ is a component of the universe that scientists say encompasses 80% of its makeup.

It doesn’t emit light and is therefore invisible and it cannot be detected by electromagnetic or other means.

Scientists say dark matter exists, not because they’ve encountered it but because it doesn’t make sense for the rest of the universe to exist without it. 

The students of the Master of Journalism at the University of Melbourne were tasked with creating an audio story using the term ‘dark matter’ as inspiration. As part of All the Best’s annual collaboration with these students we have chosen some of our favorites to share with you.

1 - Psilocybin

Amelia investigates Australia’s journey into legalising psychedelic assisted therapies, where MDMA and magic mushrooms could be used to treat severe PTSD and depression. 

Produced by Amelia Costigan

2 - Taboo

Our next story focuses on the idea of ‘taboo’, a term that has a long history from ancient religious societies. But despite this history are taboos still relevant in contemporary society? Or they just a way for families to maintain control?

Produced by Li Guangao

3 - New Parents

Post-natal depression and anxiety is a common issue suffered by new parents, but is rarely talked about in the mainstream. Our next story explores the toll this isolating feeling can take on the people bringing new life into the world. 

Produced by Angelina Maroulis

4 - A Light in Dark Times

Our final piece is the story of Sarah Chien. Sarah is an international student from Taiwan who used her creativity and connection to culture to create a light for herself in the darkest of times. 

Produced by Chung-Yun Hsu

Supervising production for these stories were by Sami Shah, Daniel Semo and Mell Chun.

Music: Dark Matters by Leftfield

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

All the Best's Monthly Newsletter is back! Sign up here.

Stay in the loop with all things All The Best by signing up for our monthly newsletter. On the second last Wednesday of every month, receive a rundown of the latest episodes, info on upcoming events, giveaways, competitions and free resources! 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, our final instalment from our partnership with Debris Magazine.

We began our relationship with Debris last year after featuring some of the recorded pieces from Issue #2. 

This year our relationship has expanded with All the Best pairing our volunteer sound designers with writers from the magazine. We love the result of this partnership and we hope it continues into the future. 

Julia Flaster Interview with host Madhuraa Prakash 

First, host Mads speaks to Debris co-founder and creative director Julia Flaster about the effects of bringing written pieces to the audio realm.

'Dad Odyssey' by Scott Limbrick

Then, our final debris submission from issue #3. In this piece, a young man protagonist embark on a quest to rescue his father from a spiral of military history fanaticism. 

Editing and sound design were by Reuben Ryan.

You can check out more of Scott’s writing at scottlimbrick.com

Content Warning: This story contains some swears. 

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Audio is a great medium to use for fictional storytelling. It can be used to heighten feelings of escapism or to tell a story in ways that cannot be done through video or the written word. 

It’s always a joy to share the creative contributions of our audio fiction producers, and these ones embody the oddly familiar...

And if you’re interested in producing experimental audio, keep an ear out as we may have a workshop coming up that would be perfect for you!

‘Fish’ by Cristina Marras

Sometimes an image in a dream feels important. You wake up feeling compelled to write it down before it slips away amidst your morning thoughts.

Cristina recalls a menacing fish, nightmares from when she was a child and fragments of cartoons that mix up with images of friends, lost or out of reach. She, like everybody else, tries to come to terms with a new reality that makes it impossible to move freely.

Producer: Cristina Marras

Music: ‘Last energy for the day’ by Loyalty Freak Music, ‘Creepy bell music #1’ by Magmi.Soundtra, ‘Lonely v26bb-3’ by Setuniman, ‘Haunting 2’ by joaonts.

‘Employee Concerns Hotline’ by Rowen Midello and Ollie Krusec

Strange things happen on night shifts.

In this story inspired by The Uncanny and late capitalism, a supermarket employee calls up the internal complaint hotline and is met with a cheerful automated message. But the events of the night shift are far from cheerful.

Writer: Rowen Midello

Sound designer: Ollie Krusec

Supervising producer: Ryan Pemberton

Performed by Rowen Midello, Ollie Krusec, Meg Kelly and Paul Waxman

Music: ‘Hold Music’ by Steven Combs

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

FBi Volunteer Story Call Out

Met the love of your life through a mutual love of FBi? Been listening to the station all day, every day, since 2003? 

This year for FBi’s 20th birthday, All the Best wants stories about how FBi Radio has impacted YOU. We’re looking for any kind of novel, weird or exciting experience that involves FBi. Reach out by emailing production manager Phoebe at [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An emulsion is a mixture of two liquids that are usually immiscible, that is, unable to be mixed - like oil and vinegar. An emulsion can be beautiful or functional, but at the same time slightly wrong and in some cases, like when milk is split, off putting. This week’s stories bring you this contradiction.

Dissolution

Our first story is from Jumaana Abdu, 2023 Dal Stivens Award winner and runner-up for the Peter Carey Short Story Award. In it, she presents a dark satire of love, an emulsion of aspiration and envy.

Written by Jumaana Abdu

Read by Amalia Fernandez

Sound Design by Chiara Minotto

Tahini Lentil Stew

Our second story is the sharing of a recipe. Enjoy the unexpected moments that lie in the warm embrace of a Lentil Tahini Stew. 

Produced by Snack Syndicate. A creative duo comprised of Andrew Brooks and Astrid Lorange. Find more of their work on their website snacksyndicate.net

We’re bringing you more stories from our series of audio features from Debris Magazine Issue Three, The Urge To Know. You can read these pieces and others by buying a copy at debrismag.com

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, stories of justice and power from regional Australia.

The case that transformed me

In our first story, personal injury lawyer Sally Gearin speaks about seeking justice for a client whose courage to overcome her tragedy inspires Sally to this day.

Sally originally shared this tale at SPUN, a live storytelling event from the Northern Territory. SPUN is now held at Browns Mart on Larrakia land. Since 1972, Browns mart has been championing new work and new voices through residencies, creative developments and presentations. 

You can find more SPUN stories here.

Hum - Bread, leggings, helicopters

Then we hear from Gomeroi poet, writer and law academic Alison Whittaker. 

This poem was written and read by Alison Whittaker and originally performed for ‘When Breath Meets Air,’ an event curated by Tina Huang for the Boundless Festival.

You can find Alison on Twitter @AJ_Whittaker.

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

Upcoming free audio events!

Do you want to meet and get to know fellow emerging audio makers? Join the All The Best team at The Eveleigh Hotel from 6pm on Monday June 26 to network, share ideas and — most importantly — have some fun!

If you aren’t based in Sydney, you can join us online the following night - Tuesday June 27th, for our winter pitch workshop and seminar on adapting written work to audio. 

You’ll be hearing from All the Best Editorial Manager, journalist and radio educator Mell Chun as well as award winning poet Tim Loveday. Everyone is welcome!

Go to www.allthebestradio.com to find the event details.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re bringing you stories from The Wheeler Centre's Signal Boost programme, supported by the Ian Potter Foundation. Find out more at www.wheelercentre.com/signalboost.

Daltabyo (Nostalgia)

Told from the view of five Somalis now in Australia, our first story illustrates the diversity in Somali diaspora. By sharing unique migration journeys and relationships to heritage, it’s a reminder that people from the same cultural background are not a homogeneous entity.   

Sound effects from Free Sound Dot Org and Music from Free Music Archive

Produced by Najma Sambul. Supervising producer Karishma Luthria.

I’ll Dink You Home

Then, Miks speaks with his late father Ken who was diagnosed with dementia. Together they explore the lasting impacts of memories from childhood and how sometimes the smallest stories have the most impact, as they shape and live on through family.

Produced by Michael Everitt. 

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

Upcoming free audio events!

Do you want to meet and get to know fellow emerging audio makers? Join the All The Best team at The Eveleigh Hotel from 6pm on Monday June 26 to network, share ideas and — most importantly — have some fun!

If you aren’t based in Sydney, you can join us online the following night - Tuesday June 27th, for our winter pitch workshop and seminar on adapting written work to audio. 

You’ll be hearing from All the Best Editorial Manager, journalist and radio educator Mell Chun as well as award winning poet Tim Loveday. Everyone is welcome!

Go to www.allthebestradio.com to find the event details.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bla Mela stori is a program by Katherine Regional Arts in the Northern Territory.

It’s focus is enabling young Indigenous people in remote communities to produce and share audio stories with their community. 

All The Best is partnering with Bla Mela Stori and will be playing some of the stories from the project over the next few months.

In this episode, host Mads speaks to Tom Danks from Katherine Regional Arts to learn more about the program and its impacts.

Then you'll hear one of the stories that was produced as part of the program. In this story, Tammy and Augie share the ins and outs of the card games culture in the Ngukurr Community.

Produced by Tammy Daniels and Olga Daniels.

Stories in this program were produced with the support of the Australian Federal Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand Fund (RISE).

Content Warning 

A heads up for this story, there are mentions of gambling and tobacco smoking. 

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

Upcoming free audio events!

Do you want to meet and get to know fellow emerging audio makers? Join the All The Best team at The Eveleigh Hotel from 6pm on Monday June 26 to network, share ideas and — most importantly — have some fun!

If you aren’t based in Sydney, you can join us online the following night - Tuesday June 27th, for our winter pitch workshop and seminar on adapting written work to audio. 

You’ll be hearing from All the Best Editorial Manager, journalist and radio educator Mell Chun as well as award winning poet Tim Loveday. Everyone is welcome!

Go to www.allthebestradio.com to find the event details.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last couple of years Melbourne has been experiencing a spike of heroin-related fatal overdoses. Consequently, the Victorian Government has been looking to put another safe injecting room in Melbourne CBD, with most recent talks suggesting Flinders Street Station could be the location. 

Melbourne’s first injecting room in Richmond has helped save 63 people in the last 4 years. However, despite this evidence of effectiveness, there has been significant community backlash to the idea of a safe injecting room in the heart of the city. 

That’s why this week, we wanted to share a story from the All The Best Archives. Originally airing in 2019, this story explores the community impact of the Richmond injecting room.

That story was originally made for CBAA’s 2018 National Features and Documentary Series was produced by Aoife Cook. Georgia Moodie was the supervising producer. 

Content Warning

A warning that this episode contains conversations about drug use, overdose  and addiction. 

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's story, Darcy Hytt crafts an ode to Indigeneity, the memory of their grandmother and the knowledge held in one’s body as they attempt to untether knowledge from knowing.

All the Best are collaborating with the Editors and Writers of Debris to turn their written work into audio storytelling. Debris is a story-driven literary magazine spanning Naarm to Paris where the contributors live, work, and write.

We’re featuring pieces from issue three of the mag, which includes nonfiction, fiction, poetry, reviews and even recipes. You can read and purchase the magazine on their website debrismag.com 

This piece was written and read my Darcy Hytt and recorded by Halfpenny Music Production.

Content Warning

A heads up that this week’s episode involves mention of colonial violence and generational trauma as well as mention of family members who have passed away. There are also some swears in this story.

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

Music: "Memory I" by Sophie Hutchings

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re bringing you a story from the sex workers behind the Decrim Queensland Movement. 

Just a heads up, this story contains a derogatory term for sex workers and discussions of non-consent, as well as police violence.

This story was produced by Queenie (they/them) for Decrim Qld.

You can find more of their work on the Intro Room, an online sex worker storytelling night. And you can follow Decrim Qld on @Decrim QLD on twitter and instagram.

Find out more: https://respectqld.org.au/decriminalise-sex-work/

All The Best credits:

Production Manager: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Editorial Manager: Mell Chun

Episode Mix and Compile: Phoebe Adler-Ryan

Host: Madhuraa Prakash

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.