Eurovision Song Context
A podcast where we bring in smart people. We talk about smart things, then veer into glitter, wind machines, and geopolitics. Experts. Insight. Eurovision chaos.
Displaying all 7 Episode of Eurovision Song Context with the tag “sam ryder”.
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Episode 71: Bonus: Sanremo Fashion with Donato Lospalluto
July 12th, 2025 | 8 mins 53 secs
donato lospalluto, eurovision, kate miller-heidke, sam ryder, sanremo, strauss, voyager, waltz into space
Bradley speaks with Donato Lospalluto, Ground Station Engineer and Operations Architect at the European Space Agency (ESA), about Waltz Into Space — an extraordinary project created with the Vienna Tourist Board to broadcast all 13,743 notes of Johann Strauss II’s “Blue Danube Waltz” into deep space.
They discuss how ESA converted the music into electromagnetic signals, transmitted it via a 35-meter deep space antenna in Spain, and sent it across the solar system toward Voyager 1 — correcting what the team calls a “cosmic omission” from NASA’s original Golden Record. Donato explains the physics of antennas, how ESA communicates with spacecraft millions of kilometers from Earth, and what it feels like to merge engineering, art, and human imagination.
They also talk about Strauss’s 200th birthday, Vienna’s cultural storytelling, public engagement with space science — and yes — a little Sanremo.
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Episode 70: (Part 2) Sending Strauss into Deep Space with Donato Lospalluto and the European Space Agency
July 12th, 2025 | 1 hr 3 mins
donato lospalluto, eurovision, kate miller-heidke, sam ryder, sanremo, strauss, voyager, waltz into space
Bradley speaks with Donato Lospalluto, Ground Station Engineer and Operations Architect at the European Space Agency (ESA), about Waltz Into Space — an extraordinary project created with the Vienna Tourist Board to broadcast all 13,743 notes of Johann Strauss II’s “Blue Danube Waltz” into deep space.
They discuss how ESA converted the music into electromagnetic signals, transmitted it via a 35-meter deep space antenna in Spain, and sent it across the solar system toward Voyager 1 — correcting what the team calls a “cosmic omission” from NASA’s original Golden Record. Donato explains the physics of antennas, how ESA communicates with spacecraft millions of kilometers from Earth, and what it feels like to merge engineering, art, and human imagination.
They also talk about Strauss’s 200th birthday, Vienna’s cultural storytelling, public engagement with space science — and yes — a little Sanremo.
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Episode 69: (Part 1) Sending Strauss into Deep Space with Donato Lospalluto and the European Space Agency
July 12th, 2025 | 1 hr 26 mins
donato lospalluto, eurovision, kate miller-heidke, sam ryder, sanremo, strauss, voyager, waltz into space
Bradley speaks with Donato Lospalluto, Ground Station Engineer and Operations Architect at the European Space Agency (ESA), about Waltz Into Space — an extraordinary project created with the Vienna Tourist Board to broadcast all 13,743 notes of Johann Strauss II’s “Blue Danube Waltz” into deep space.
They discuss how ESA converted the music into electromagnetic signals, transmitted it via a 35-meter deep space antenna in Spain, and sent it across the solar system toward Voyager 1 — correcting what the team calls a “cosmic omission” from NASA’s original Golden Record. Donato explains the physics of antennas, how ESA communicates with spacecraft millions of kilometers from Earth, and what it feels like to merge engineering, art, and human imagination.
They also talk about Strauss’s 200th birthday, Vienna’s cultural storytelling, public engagement with space science — and yes — a little Sanremo.
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Episode 39: (Part 2) ESC's Hidden Language: Insights from Body Language Expert Mark Bowden
April 22nd, 2024 | 47 mins 33 secs
body language, europapa, eurovision, eurovision 2024, joost klein, lena, mark bowden, sam ryder, stage presence
We’re Bradley, and Margherita, and in this episode we’re joined by one of the world’s top body language experts Mark Bowden. You may know him from the Behavior Panel on YouTube, TEDx or Truthplane. We’ll chat about the body language and stage presence of Sam Ryder, Lena, Wild Youth, and Mae Muller. We’ll also ask Mark to help Joost Klein stand out, win trust, gain credibility and WIN Eurovision 2024! See the shownotes at eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm , or by looking in the episode description. Just a note: we are using our backup audio this time around, and you’ll be joining us a bit into our conversation.
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Episode 38: (Part 1) ESC's Hidden Language: Insights from Body Language Expert Mark Bowden
April 22nd, 2024 | 46 mins 30 secs
body language, europapa, eurovision, eurovision 2024, joost klein, lena, mark bowden, sam ryder, stage presence
We’re Bradley, and Margherita, and in this episode we’re joined by one of the world’s top body language experts Mark Bowden. You may know him from the Behavior Panel on YouTube, TEDx or Truthplane. We’ll chat about the body language and stage presence of Sam Ryder, Lena, Wild Youth, and Mae Muller. We’ll also ask Mark to help Joost Klein stand out, win trust, gain credibility and WIN Eurovision 2024! See the shownotes at eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm , or by looking in the episode description. Just a note: we are using our backup audio this time around, and you’ll be joining us a bit into our conversation.
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Episode 11: (Part 2) Exploring Your Musical Profile [with Prince's Audio Engineer Susan Rogers!]
February 12th, 2023 | 49 mins 46 secs
barenaked ladies, eurovision, go-a, jendrick, kalush, netta, prince, salvador sobral, sam ryder
Do you prefer lyrics or melody? Intricate harmonies or driving rhythm? The digital tones of synthesizers or the “real” sounds of acoustic instruments? Drawing from her successful career as a music producer (engineering hits like Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Barenaked Ladies' "One Week"), professor of cognitive neuroscience Susan Rogers reveals why your favorite songs move you. Susan and I will also discuss some Eurovision "controversies", including Amar Pelos Dois, Toy, Fuego, Shum, Stefania, Out of the Embers, Spaceman... and some of the Nul Points from 2021.
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Episode 10: (Part 1) Exploring Your Musical Profile [with Prince's Audio Engineer Susan Rogers!]
February 12th, 2023 | 48 mins 37 secs
barenaked ladies, eurovision, go-a, jendrick, kalush, netta, prince, salvador sobral, sam ryder
Do you prefer lyrics or melody? Intricate harmonies or driving rhythm? The digital tones of synthesizers or the “real” sounds of acoustic instruments? Drawing from her successful career as a music producer (engineering hits like Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Barenaked Ladies' "One Week"), professor of cognitive neuroscience Susan Rogers reveals why your favorite songs move you. Susan and I will also discuss some Eurovision "controversies", including Amar Pelos Dois, Toy, Fuego, Shum, Stefania, Out of the Embers, Spaceman... and some of the Nul Points from 2021.