An audio magazine featuring voices, stories and sounds from any creative community.
What is this?
Welcome to the home of the award winning audio magazine Low Orbit, created and produced by Josh Mattison.
Like a print magazine, Low Orbit features lots of different kinds of things: documentary stories, memoir, fiction stories, non-fiction pieces, poetry, music, comedy, even the odd avant-garde soundscape from time to time. It’s a highly produced, sound rich showcase of creative work from a diverse group of creators and voices.
Feel free to poke around at our archive of 50+ episodes while you’re here or just subscribe to Low Orbit into the podcast app of your choice.
Press
Time-Travel Through the Pandemic With Low Orbit‘s Blackout: Time Passes (Westword 2021)
Josh Mattison’s Low Orbit podcast has been a favorite in town for years. The show won a Best of Denver award in 2017, not long after we profiled Mattison himself on the project and his work. Low Orbit tends to take on some of the most interesting audio projects in the Denver literary scene. Case in point: playwright Ellen K. Graham’s COVID-journal narrative Blackout: Time Passes.
Psst… 13 Denver Area Podcasts You Should Be Listening To (The Denver Ear 2020)
This award-winning podcast is more like an “audio-magazine” than a podcast, featuring the stories and music of local Denverites. Completely community-driven, the hosts look for stories, music, poetry, fiction pieces, comedy, odd soundscapes and more to feature. This wonderfully weird podcast has 40+ episodes banked, so if you’re looking for something to binge while you’re stuck at home, this one’s for you!
Podcast Profiles: Josh Mattison of Denver Orbit (Westword 2017)
A wide-reaching compendium of local musicians, comedians, storytellers, and other artsy types, the Denver Orbit podcast offers listeners a wide-ranging audio sampling of Denver’s thriving arts community, carefully curated by producer Josh Mattison, who co-hosts the show with his friend Ryan Connell. Mattison, a multi-hyphenate local creative who also co-hosts and produces the nostalgia-challenging film podcast The Revisitors and runs design and layout at Birdy magazine, wanted to put a spotlight on the work of his talented peers, so he opened the doors to anyone interested in contributing their songs, stories, jokes, or any other audio segments to the show.
Best podcast in Denver (Westword 2017)
Denver’s arts community is nothing if not eclectic, and Denver Orbit perfectly reflects the variety of creators who call the Mile High City home. Co-hosts Ryan Connell and Josh Mattison (who also acts as producer) are legitimate tastemakers, and their interests range far and wide, as indicated by the lineup of one recent episode: “Consent Means What Now?,” a story by Amanda EK, “Hey Man,” a song by Chella and the Charm, and “Defining Forward Momentum,” a poem by Alessandra Ragusin. The programs consistently introduce listeners to the sort of folks who make Denver a richer and more vibrant place to live.
9 Essential Denver Podcasts You Should Be Listening To. (303 Magazine 2019)
Denver Orbit is an award-winning podcast self-described as an “audio magazine.” Featuring the stories and music of local Denverites, this community-driven podcast always looks for stories, music, poetry and more. Don’t be thrown off by the automated voice that starts out each episode — there are real people telling stories after that initial intro. If you’re looking for a local, story-driven podcast for your commute, check them out.
“A Better Life?” plus five more great Colorado podcasts you should be listening to (The Denver Post 2020)
While producers describe Low Orbit (formerly Denver Orbit) as an audio magazine, we’re comfortable calling it a podcast, given its format and the range of issues it visits. Unlike most podcasts, it features documentary stories, radio plays, memoirs, music, comedy and poetry in its celebration of the local arts and culture scene.
The Show
Blackout: Time Passes | Episode Five – Spring
Low Orbit presents Blackout: Time Passes. These are the COVID diaries of Denver playwright Ellen K Graham.This is the final episode five, Spring. This is the months January to May 2021. You can see more of Ellen’s work here at Feral Assembly Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Blackout: Time Passes | Episode Four – Winter
Low Orbit presents Blackout: Time Passes. These are the COVID diaries of Denver playwright Ellen K Graham.This is episode four, Winter. This is the months November to January 2021. You can see more of Ellen’s work here at Feral Assembly Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Blackout: Time Passes | Episode Three – Fall
Low Orbit presents Blackout: Time Passes. These are the COVID times diaries of Denver playwright Ellen K Graham.This is episode three, Fall. This is the months August to November 2020. You can see more of Ellen’s work here at Feral Assembly Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Blackout: Time Passes | Episode Two – Summer
Low Orbit presents Blackout: Time Passes. These are the COVID times diaries of Denver playwright Ellen K Graham.This is episode two, Summer. This is the months June to August 2020. You can see more of Ellen’s work here at Feral Assembly Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Blackout: Time Passes | Episode One – Spring
Low Orbit presents Blackout: Time Passes. These are the COVID times diaries of Denver playwright Ellen K Graham. This is episode one, Spring. This is the months March to June 2020. You can see more of Ellen’s work here at Feral Assembly Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Long in the Making
We hear Allison Lorenzon talk about her collaboration with Midwife and their song Vale. Buy that song here. We hear Brad Mudge tell us what the pandemic got him thinking about in his essay Days Later. Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
The Sound
We visit a pre-pandemic conversation with Knower of Denver Music Tom Murphy. His website is here, instagram here and work at birdy magazine here. We hear a story from Matthew Simonson. The story first aired on the great Denver podcast Range and Slope. Listen to more here. Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
The Order of Death Episode Four: Blood and Soil
In our final episode, we explore the effects Robert Mathews and The Order have had on today’s modern white supremacist movements. Our theme is by Matthew Simonson and we had additional music this episode from Kevin Richards and Blue Dot Sessions. You can find Slate’s Standoff podcast here and Bundyville here. Be sure to check out Lost Highways from History Colorado. We …
Continue reading “The Order of Death Episode Four: Blood and Soil”
The Order of Death Episode Three: Domestic Terrorists
In this episode we see how everything ends for The Order and for Robert Mathews. We also learn what happened to the members of The Order after their capture. Our theme is by Matthew Simonson and we had additional music this episode from Kevin Richards and Blue Dot Sessions. Be sure to check out Lost Highways from History Colorado. We had additional …
Continue reading “The Order of Death Episode Three: Domestic Terrorists”
The Order of Death Episode Two: The Silent Brotherhood
In this episode, we explore the group behind Alan Berg’s murder, their ideology, and their other crimes. We also learn of their plans to overthrow the United States Government. Our theme is by Matthew Simonson and we had additional music this episode from Kevin Richards, Lee Rosevere and Blue Dot Sessions. Be sure to check out Lost Highways from History Colorado. We had …
Continue reading “The Order of Death Episode Two: The Silent Brotherhood”
The Order of Death Episode One: A Driveway in Denver
Talk radio host Alan Berg was gunned down in his driveway in Denver in the summer of 1984. This is a series exploring his murder and the people and ideology responsible for his death. This episode focuses on Berg’s life and rise in the shock jock scene. Our theme is by Matthew Simonson and we …
Continue reading “The Order of Death Episode One: A Driveway in Denver”
Self-Titled
Things about Low Orbit this time: Ethan Siegel talks to us about Elon Musk’s Starlink project. Find more of his writing here. Sarah Scoles Talks about why people believe in UFOs. Her book is called They Are Already Here. Buy it here or any local bookstore. Find more of her work here. Our man Graham …
The Backyard Sessions
It’s work created and shared out in the open air this time. A couple of monologues from John Cotter A few poems from Elissa Gabbert And a few poems from Michael Joseph Walsh Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Halloween 2020
Halloween 2020 sounds like a horror movie doesn’t it? And it kind of is! That’s the easiest joke to make. Anyway… This episode features a piece from artist/illustrator Cori Redford. What’d I Miss is here. Here work at Suspect Press is here. Andrew Watson is shopping around a couple of novels. You can reach him …
Pure Love
Stories of love in all it’s complicated purity. Amanda EK has an excerpt from her book about purity culture. You can find Suspect Press here, her instagram here, here patreon for her book here, and website with her writing here. Find more of Ellen K Graham’s work here, Feral Assembly is here. Music in today’s …
Some Old Tunes
This episode is a (gasp) rerun. Of a sort. We’ve searched through the archives and found some stories about music. Mike Colletta tells us a tale of Norwegian Black Metal. His blog is called The Black Meddler and is here. Paul Epstein from Twist and Shout records talks about the nostalgia and the need to …
An Adjustment
Three stories in this one: The Last One by Jenny-Lynn Ellis. You can find her writing here. The Visit. Rae Solomon’s work at KUNC is here. Listen to range and slope here. Listen to Matthew Simonson’s work at NPR’s 1A here and The Untold Story: Policing here. Berry’s website Podcasts in Color is here, her …
Place
Today we feature the life, death, and rebirth of the Cinderella City Mall. The story was told by Josh Goldstein of the Cinderella City Project. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram. You can download the Cinderella City Mall simulation here at Github – v0.5.4 on Github. Call and share your story at 724-648-8968 Josh Goldstein …
Shimmer Aquarium
Today we have just one story – Shimmer Aquarium by John Cotter. The piece was performed by Lindsey Pierce at Stories on Stage. Contact Low Orbit – Email | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter