Symbiosis Episode 35 – Simon Whetham

Simon Whetham has been capturing and composing with field recordings since taklng part in a research trip to Iceland in 2005.

Since then he has been gaining a steadily increasing profile: exhibiting in Iceland; recording in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil; performing at various festivals and events, both nationally and internationally; having a large amount of work accepted for release by labels such as Trente Oiseaux, Entr’acte, Lens and Gruenrekorder; commissioned by Creative Labs to build a surround sound installation to demonstrate their equipment and software; and invited to participate in two residencies at the Art Container in Tallinn, Estonia, the second to compose new work, collaborate with other artists using sound and run deep listening, field recording and compostion workshops.

Simon is currently organizing and curating ‘Active Crossover’, a touring exhibition and exchange project which has just run for two weeks at the Arnolfini in Bristol, incorporating a large scale sound installation, performances by Simon, John Grzinich, Iris Garrelfs, Jez riley French, Maksim Shentelev and Douglas Benford and four days of presentations and workshops.

The piece Simon has composed for Symbiosis uses material from a number of projects which was presented at the ‘Future of Sound’ event at the Arnolfini, Bristol, 25th April 2009. He has returned to the material for this composition, feeling it indicates his current working methods, includes unheard recordings, but also incorporates older material, almost being a retrospective. Recordings from extremely differing environments and locations are juxtaposed but create a complementary whole.

www.simonwhetham.co.uk
www.myspace.com/simonwhetham
www.activecrossover.co.uk

 

 Symbiosis Episode 35 - Simon Whetham: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (634)

Jason Kahn joins us this week with a piece especially for Symbiosis. Jason is touring Australia this month as part of the Liquid Architecture festival. Celebrating its tenth consecutive year, the Liquid Architecture sound festival runs for four weeks and goes to seven cities across Australia, presenting an exciting program of contemporary sound arts.

Jason Kahn’s work includes sound installation, performance and composition. He was born in New York in 1960, grew up in Los Angeles and relocated to Europe in 1990. He currently lives in Zürich. He composes for electronics, acoustic instruments and environmental recordings. For larger groups of directed improvisation he has devised a system of graphical scores.

Kahn creates his sound installations for specific spaces. The focus of these primarily non-visual works lies in the perception of space through sound.

It is a true honour to host Jason’s work again on Symbiosis (I did a feature on his label, Cut, for the Symbiosis Label Focus when the show was on Triple R).

Symbiosis on overlap – Episode 15 – Jason Kahn – “Nodar”

“In May this year i had a residency in Nodar, a small village (of around 20 people) in Portugal. More information about the residency here:

http://www.binauralmedia.org/en/en_residency.html

My project was to set up mobile sound installations in the hills around Nodar, using portable amplifiers, speakers, and self-made piezo-microphones used to amplify the wind blowing through grass, trees, bushes, etc. each of these installations was recorded.

You can see some photos of the installation work here:

http://tiny.pl/3l61

But what I also discovered, quite by accident, was that by placing the piezo microphones atop the speakers I was able to generate feedback, which was modulated by the wind blowing through the piezo-microphones.

So, in addition to setting up my proposed installations for the residency, I also had these feedback systems running outside. I recorded these as well, and not only did the wind modulate the rate of feedback by interfering with the microphones placed atop the speakers, but in recording the wind also tended to sway the sonic field, swirling, pushing and pulling it across the space I was recording in.

Some pictures of the feedback systems:

http://tiny.pl/3l6p

(this installation shown in the photos here was at around 1,800 meters altitude)

I used these recordings of the feedback systems for the composition “Nodar.”

None of the recordings were processed in any way (no equalization, compression, effects, etc). I used four different recordings and set these to each other. I was interested in the beats occurring between the different rates of oscillation, as well as all the peripheral sounds one experiences while recording outside (you will hear lots of low rumbles, which is the wind).

I think the piece is hypnotic; it really creates a space for itself, an almost physical entity in the room. I would recommend listening to this over speakers, and not headphones, if possible.”

Get in touch, leave your comments and shout about overlap to the world…
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/symbiosisradio
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHampson
Email: simon[at]symbiosis.com.au
MSN: simon640[at]gmail.com
AIM: aujinga
Skype: simonhampson
Next week: Simon/off
I first heard Simon/off’s work on Distance’s Rinse FM new talent section. Suffice to say this producer is going to go far.. don’t miss this one!
Coming up: Ieva / Kuma / Sines / Pacheko

Drop me a line if you have got an artist you want to see featured or if you want to submit something to Symbiosis.
Peace,

Simon

 

 Symbiosis on overlap - Episode 15 - Jason Kahn - "Nodar" [26:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (364)