Biography
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Born
17 January 1943
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Died
11 December 2003 (aged 60)
Malcolm Clarke (1943-2003) was a British composer, and a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 25 years from 1969 to 1994.
Clarke proved somewhat controversial when he joined the workshop, due to his views that Radiophonic music should be, in his words, "fine art," a philosophy that was not shared by other workshop members at the time. His soundtrack for the 1972 Doctor Who serial The Sea Devils - only the second score that the workshop provided for the series - was described by Mark Ayres as "striking work that…is undoubtedly some of the most uncompromising electronic music ever to feature in mainstream popular entertainment." Clarke returned to the series ten years later for the serial Earthshock, and continued to work on the series on a regular basis until 1986.
His most critically acclaimed work was probably 1976's radio piece August 4th 2026, based on a short story by Ray Bradbury.
Outside of the workshop, Clarke was an automobile enthusiast, and over a period of years built up a Bugatti from a collection of spare and scavenged parts.
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