Appropriately enough everything about this account of a well-known cave diving incident in the Yorkshire Dales in 1978 chills the blood. The divers talk about near panic in a void of darkness, the disappearance of one of their number and an agonising choice: leave him to a horrible, lonely deathor continue searching, thereby running the risk of being left with too little air themselves. Martyn Farr, whose book, The Darkness Beckons’ is in its third edition, is involved, as is Geoff Yeadon, who led the expedition. You will find it hard to tear yourself away from this nightmare. A haunting, specially composed score adds to the almost unbearable tension.
David McGillivray, Radio Times.
Absolutely delighted to have provided the original score to Leo Hornak’s frankly terrifying documentary exploring the dark and murky depths of the cave diving community with an original Howlround score, which I’m going to christen as the first outing of a brand new genre I’ve decided to call ‘CLAUSTROPHONICS’ – and also my first namecheck in The Radio Times! It’s a tough listen for anyone with even a hint of an active imagintion, so tune in here – then go for a nice walk somewhere very bright and spacious!
Between the Ears descends into the pitch-black underworld of Britain’s ancient, flooded limestone caves. On a cold day in 1978, three experienced cave divers entered an underwater tunnel at Keld Head, in the Yorkshire Dales. Hours later, one of them had disappeared, seemingly without a trace. With first-hand testimony from cave diver Geoff Yeadon, who led the expedition, and a specially commissioned soundtrack by analogue tape composer Howlround, Dead Man’s Handshake is a haunting voyage into the depths, where rescue is almost impossible. As diver Michael Thomas warns: “If you play this game long enough in places where humans aren’t adapted to live, you will meet trouble. And soon the Grim Reaper is sitting on your shoulder, having a little chat.”
Robin The Fog 