Beyond Language's Reach

About Beyond Language's Reach

Where music and the written word meet, and where we go from there. This podcast is my way of combining two passions: writing and music. otherspect.substack.com (https://otherspect.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Gaines Post

Category

fiction · music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Jan 2026

Latest episode

10 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

10 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Podcast Episode 09: The Road to Luquan

   Welcome to Episode 09 of the Beyond Language’s Reach Podcast!In this episode, I read from an old journal I kept when I was nineteen years old and exploring around southwest China by myself. This particular entry involved riding a bicycle deep into the mountains north of Kunming to get to a town I'd seen on the map called Luquan (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Luquan+Yi+and+Miao+Autonomous+County,+Kunming,+Yunnan,+China/@25.8856841,101.9255829,9z). After reading the prose, I improvise some music on a clay flute I made; the music is inspired by the memories and feelings the journal entry left me with. If you would like to watch the video versions of these podcase episodes, you can find them all here: The Beyond Language’s Reach Podcast (video version) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1AsiUwF5_0&list=PLsgpwjadwndvFdqDKPraEtdibvj4fH4cg) Thank you for listening! The Beyond Language’s Reach podcast is my attempt to combine my two passions—writing and music. Feedback is always welcome! This is a work in progress, and I’ve decided not to edit out any mistakes / bloopers / etc., so feel free to give me a piece of your mind in the comments section. Otherspect is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free subscriber (or, if you already are one, I welcome you to support me even further by upgrading to a paid subscription for only five bucks a year!). Thank you :-) Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   17 Aug 2026

   Gaines Post Transmitting from the Void

   Thank you to everyone who tuned in to our live video! And thank you, Dr. Morton (https://substack.com/@drmorton) and Christopher Gulledge (https://substack.com/@tophergulledge) of Transmissions from the Void (https://tftvoid.substack.com/), for having me! I had a great time discussing some really interesting stuff with yous during the interview :-) I look forward to doing it again sometime! Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   9 Jul 2026

   Podcast Episode 08: Franky Dyson

   Welcome to Episode 08 of the Beyond Language’s Reach Podcast! This episode, I do a couple of things a bit differently to previous episodes: Rather than read a piece of my own prose and then improvise music to it, this time I read a piece written by someone else—namely, wordsmith Franky Dyson. The original piece can be found on her Substack, here: Love Me Like It's the End of the World (https://substack.com/@FrankyDyson) I encourage you not only to check out her work, but do your soul a favour and subscribe. Her writing has me in absolute awe. Definitely worth a regular reading! The other thing I do a bit differently will be revealed later in the episode ;-) If you would like to watch the video versions of these podcase episodes, you can find them all here: The Beyond Language’s Reach Podcast (video version) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1AsiUwF5_0&list=PLsgpwjadwndvFdqDKPraEtdibvj4fH4cg) Thank you for listening! The Beyond Language’s Reach podcast is my attempt to combine my two passions—writing and music. Feedback is always welcome! This is a work in progress, and I’ve decided not to edit out any mistakes / bloopers / etc., so feel free to give me a piece of your mind in the comments section. Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

4. 

   29 May 2026

   Podcast Episode 07: More

   Welcome to Episode 07 of the Beyond Language’s Reach Podcast! In this episode, I jones for an instrument, find one in my parents’ house (I’m overseas visiting as I record this), and play out my sentimental mood along five very old but adequately faithful strings. In addition, I read a bit of romantic prose I wrote many years ago. :-) ❤️❤️ For those of you interested in watching the video version of this episode, I will be posting it on YouTube shortly, here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsgpwjadwndvFdqDKPraEtdibvj4fH4cg&si=eEfZMvtzge3BBVM5 Thank you for listening! The Beyond Language’s Reach podcast is my attempt to combine my two passions—writing and music. Feedback is always welcome! This is a work in progress, and I’ve decided not to edit out any mistakes / bloopers / etc., so feel free to give me a piece of your mind in the comments section. Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

5. 

   6 May 2026

   Podcast Episode 06: Wake Up

   Episode 06 of the “Beyond Language’s Reach” podcast: “Wake Up”. As with previous episodes, I read a piece of my writing before playing some music directly inspired by it. This time I do so on guitar, and once again the music is completely made up on the spot. When improvising, I try to get into my head and heart the feeling the piece of writing gave me, and then just run with it, see where it takes me. This one transported me right back to early 1993…. The piece of prose I read during this episode comprises a cluster of entries from a journal I kept while traveling around southeast China and eastern Tibet. I was nineteen at the time. Arya makes another cameow :-) For those of you interested in watching the video version of this episode, I have posted it on YouTube, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPEa4lYgQoI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPEa4lYgQoI) Thank you for listening! The Beyond Language’s Reach podcast is my attempt to combine my two passions—writing and music. Feedback is always welcome! This is a work in progress, and I’ve decided not to edit out any mistakes / bloopers / etc., so feel free to give me a piece of your mind in the comments section. Thanks for reading Otherspect! Subscribe for free to receive new posts & podcast episodes and join the conversation. Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

6. 

   11 Feb 2026

   Podcast Episode 05: Unthawed

   Episode 05 of the “Beyond Language’s Reach” podcast: “Unthawed”. As with previous episodes, I read a piece of my writing before playing some music directly inspired by it. This time I do so on guitar, and once again the music is completely made up on the spot. When improvising, I try to get into my head and heart the feeling the piece of writing gave me, and then just run with it, see where it takes me. “Unthawed” is a short snippet of a longer story that is yet to be published. The clan’s leader, who here is the point-of-view character, is named Crio, and as you may have guessed, there are some rather complex clan politics at play. The other main character introduced here is Crio’s granddaughter, Dalba. On the knife-edge of survival itself, they face a seemingly insurmountable series of challenges, but they are determined to greet these hardships together and with strength. In the piece of music I improvised after reading “Unthawed”, I inadvertently incorporated a small phrase, toward the end, from a tune I wrote a while back called “Mudgee”. Someday I’ll record it, and you’ll be able to hear the similarity. For those of you interested in watching the video version of this episode, I have posted it on YouTube, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVSLwBkcqeY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVSLwBkcqeY) It is worth a watch, if for no other reason than toward the end, you get to see a couple of cameows by Oreo and Arya. They are such cuties <3 And lastly, my apologies for the cat butt cameow (on the video version—you hear me talk about it in the audio version). It was not intentional! lol. Thank you for listening! The Beyond Language’s Reach podcast is my attempt to combine my two passions—writing and music. Feedback is always welcome! This is a work in progress, and I’ve decided not to edit out any mistakes / bloopers / etc., so feel free to give me a piece of your mind in the comments section. Thanks for reading Otherspect! Subscribe for free to receive new posts & podcast episodes and join the conversation. Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4)

7. 

   29 Jan 2026

   Podcast Episode 04: Community

   Welcome to Episode 04 of the Beyond Language’s Reach podcast (audio-only version)! In this episode, I read a piece of prose I wrote that explores ideas of community and solitude, who we are as humans, and what lies beyond our human world. As always, I then play a piece of music inspired by that piece of writing; this time on my old flute. The original video version of the podcast can be found on YouTube by clicking here (https://youtu.be/fls3AdYWkQ0). All comments are welcome, and encouraged! This is a work in progress, and I value all of your feedback! Thank you :-) Thanks for visiting Otherspect! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and podcast episodes. Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4)

8. 

   26 Jan 2026

   Podcast Episode 03: Arvolin

   Welcome to Episode 03 of the Beyond Language’s Reach podcast (audio version)! In this episode, I introduce Arvolin, one of the main characters in an upcoming novel I am writing called Timbre. Arvolin is a Caller, and this piece of prose will give you an idea of what that means. After reading it, I improvise some music inspired by Arvolin and the creatures he encounters. This podcast is about me combining my interests in writing and music. Do you have multiple interests? Do you ever combine them? If so, how? The original video podcast episode on YouTube can be viewed by clicking here: Arvolin - Beyond Language’s Reach, Episode 03 (video podcast) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UN0MYZx3l0) Now I’m all caught up with the previously released video podcasts; I’ll be posting them simultaneously from now on, on here (Substack) and on YouTube, so you won’t be getting double emails about each episode. Sorry about that! To clarify, I am posting each podcast episode in video form on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsgpwjadwndvFdqDKPraEtdibvj4fH4cg), and in audio-only form here (https://otherspect.substack.com/podcast)on Substack; but from now on, I’ll only be notifying you once per episode. My apologies for the spam :-) Thanks for visiting Otherspect! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and podcast episodes. Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4)

9. 

   21 Jan 2026

   Podcast Episode 02: Blend

   Hi all! Welcome to Episode 02 of the Beyond Language’s Reach podcast (audio version). In this episode, I read a piece of prose I wrote a while back called “Blend”, about a boy who would love to just disappear but.. can’t.. and instead, finds another way out of his uncomfortable situation. Afterward, I play a bit of improvised music inspired by the main character’s frame of mind. Enjoy! And as always, feel free to comment / ask questions! My question for you: Have you ever felt similarly awkward or socially anxious in any way? How did you deal with it? To watch the original video version of this podcast episode on YouTube, click here: Episode 02: “Blend” - The Beyond Language’s Reach Podcast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rX_zPd6IYw) Thanks for visiting Otherspect! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and podcast episodes. Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4)

10. 

    19 Jan 2026

    Podcast Episode 01: The Eye of Hebes

    Welcome to the Beyond Language’s Reach podcast, in audio-only form! In this first episode, I introduce the podcast and read a section from a science fiction novel I wrote a long time ago. After that, I improvise a bit of music inspired by that piece of prose, on acoustic guitar. The original video podcast episode on YouTube can be viewed by clicking here: The Eye of Hebes - Beyond Language’s Reach, Episode 01 (video podcast) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=619co4DZ9AY) Thank you for listening to the Beyond Language’s Reach podcast! Subscribe to my substack for free to receive notifications of new episodes and blog posts. Get full access to Otherspect at otherspect.substack.com/subscribe (https://otherspect.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Contact Beyond Language's Reach

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.