History, reviews worth a listen

Ecstasy: The Battle Of Rave

The BBC produced this fascinating podcast that takes listeners on a deepdive into the history of raving in Britain and how the arrival of ecstasy and acid house in Britain changed partying forever. While it’s primarily a documentary series, this podcast takes a novel approach to the story by including bonus fictional episodes in which actors play a raver, drug dealer, a DJ, a policeman, and an entrepreneur. The true joy, however, lies in the documentary episodes, which will take some listeners on an irresistible nostalgia trip back through a glorious era.

Passenger List

Fictional podcasts can be rather hitand-miss, with many weighed down by convoluted storytelling and bad voice acting. Passenger List is a rare gem that makes excellent use of the audio format to tell a gripping, addictive and truly unsettling story. Starring Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Passenger List follows a young woman, Kaitlin Le, whose brother disappears alongside 255 others on a transAtlantic flight between London and New York. No trace of the plane is discovered, and with the authorities alarmingly uninterested in uncovering the mystery, Kaitlin takes matters into her own hands. Equal strokes conspiracy thriller and family drama, Passenger List is full of heart-stopping twists and turns. Don’t worry if you have unanswered questions when you get to the end, season two is on its way this year.

By The Book

Anyone who’s ever turned to a selfhelp book for advice will know that genuinely constructive and healing books are hard to find. The genre is clogged with wishy-washy, hollow platitudes or misguided moral teachings that equate financial success with emotional fulfilment. By The Book turns a critical eye to self-help books through a hilarious and moving gimmick: hosts Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer choose a different selfhelp book each episode, live by its rules for two weeks, and report their findings back to each other. Their insights are nuanced, thoughtful and thought-provoking, but crucially not cynical. Both women are critical of the industry, but also discover some surprising and lovely tips for how to live their best lives.

2020 Archewell Audio Holiday Special

Royal fans are in for a treat with the 2020 Archewell Audio Holiday Special, which finds the Duke and Duchess of Sussex foraying into the world of podcasts (seemingly another expansion of their no doubt soon-to-beenormous media empire). Harry and Meghan break down the chaos that was 2020 in a warm, daytime-TV style, inviting guests such as Stacey Abrams, Brene Brown, Deepak Chopra,

Sir Elton John, Naomi Osaka and more to share what they learnt throughout last year and what they hope to see in 2021.