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forgive the intrusion of this ‘progress report’, but it’s essential that i find a way to garner some response. after more than a year we are still only 73% of the way to out minimum support goal. until we at least reach that goal, i think i need to keep this progress at the forefront of all framework communications. i’m open to feedback about this – please tell me if you find this too intrusive, or if you have other, better ideas for how i can raise active support. i would prefer never to have to ask for support on the air, or in the playlist, but until some basic level is reliably established, please understand that i have to try something.
but on to the show – this edition of framework:afield has been curated by iris garrelfs, and features extracts from field recording based compositions created by her phonography students at goldsmiths, university of london. each extract encapsulates the student’s individual approach to exploring some of issues encountered within field recording and soundscape composition practices. for more information on iris’ work, and the course itself, see:
http://irisgarrelfs.com
https://www.gold.ac.uk/ug/bmus-music/
https://www.gold.ac.uk/ug/bmus-popular-music/
the students and their work are, in order of appearance:
Christos Filppidis
untitled
For this composition I have composed a soundscape composition based on the concept of reinventing the soundscape of my country of origin, Cyprus, in the country that I currently live in, the UK. It is based on sounds that are nostalgic to my memory. London provides easy adjustment for people because of its incredible multiculturalism, thus it is understandable for anyone to feel like home. But the sonic environment of London can sometimes be one of the reasons why people feel nostalgic. “The soundscape of a country is its signature, and accordingly, every place has its own resonant signature” (Christidis and Quinton, 2016). This was one of my main obstacles in attempting to picture a country through the soundscape of another.
Sergio Ronchetti – Carrete
Untitled
Like Pierre Schaeffer´s “etude aux chemins de fer”, this composition explores the sound of trains. For me this brings with it ideas of travel but also of actual past experiences. So some sounds have been manipulated beyond what is purely realistic. In recording sounds of journeys in London, the city becomes an instrument, and the piece becomes also a sound track to those journeys.
Kirsty Black
Loch Lomond
At the foot of the Scottish Highlands and the north western edge of the countries Central Belt lies Loch Lomond. This composition focuses on the Loch’s physical internal and external environment and anthropomorphised emotional states. The composition includes field recordings which I have collected and collated, alongside a spoken word piece that somehow characterises the Loch. It also is engaged with how we treat our environment.
Jemil Payet
untitled
The idea for this composition was to sonically follow an object from first use to disposal. I thought that it would be interesting to follow this as I interact with it, while recording ‘ the experience of moving through a space’ (Westerkamp in Lane and Carlyle, 2016). After some consideration I settled on a piece of tinfoil, used in cooking until is discarded in the bin.
Miles Simpson
Railton Road
My piece is a soundscape that sonically explores the juxtaposition between the 1981 Brixton riots and modern day Brixton. Within this, I have focused particularly on Railton Road in central Brixton. My initial aim was to sonically document the social and environmental shifts that have taken place since the riots chronologically, starting from just before the riots started. Embedded in this is a soundwalk from the start of Railton Road to the very bottom where it meets with Atlantic Road.
Lilian Nuthall
A South East Love Story
This composition presents a soundscape of South East London, shaped by what I deem to be the essential part, the communities of people. Cultural diversity, and authenticity, for me, is what makes London so special. In an age of gentrification and extreme commercialisation of our high streets and communities, I felt I wanted to celebrate the neighbourhoods and groups fighting against this and maintaining traditional practices. For me this was through the exploration of family businesses, local independent shops, and market stalls. Peckham is a fantastic example of this and hence where I did a lot of my sound recording.
Dominic Lee
A Tale of Two Cites
This composition aims to show different aspects of my hometown, Rochester, on one of the busiest periods of the year, when the city holds its annual ‘Christmas Dickens Festival’. As well as documenting the soundscape of the festival this piece also explores the idea of sound memory with my relationship with my hometown being questioned throughout the recording process as I now experience the festivities as an adult. This piece was entitled ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ as I feel it perfectly illustrates how the soundscape of Rochester has changed for me, and generally, overtime, as represented from the cathedral bell. It also links to Charles Dickens’ connection with the city as a resident of the city of Rochester, with ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ being one of his most famous works.
Maddy Smyth
soundwalk through the subconscious mind
This takes on themes of sleep, the unconscious mind, reminiscence and longing as a soundwalk through the subconscious mind. It explores the concepts of sound romance and soundscape, using found sounds of specific situations and places, such as a sleeping person and environments like the beach or a church
Alice Western
Flaneur
With this composition I set out to create a piece of phonographic art that explored and embodied certain aspects of the Mark Auge concept of ‘non-place’, and the term flaneur coined by Charles Baudelaire. I wanted to examine the theories and apply them to a post- postmodern society and millennial way of life, and explore my opinions and findings through sound art. I wanted to create soundscapes that encapsulated and questioned the characteristics of non-space and flaneur. Urban places that allow us to mentally drift and ‘flaneur’ are becoming increasingly rare in the hyper-capitalised cities of our globalised world. I find such places comforting, and will often visit one when I need some mental space or I just simply wish to exist without purpose for a few hours.
Elliot Greenfield
South Circular
When working on this composition “South Circular” I set out with a very clear aim to explore the environment in which I live in and the busy road connecting London. I looked at the relationship between the communities which live on this busy section of road in Catford, how it impacts their life living within this busy thoroughfare
Audrey McIlwain
The Winter Wonderland
In “Acoustic Territories: Sound culture and everyday life”, Brandon Labelle writes that “the sidewalk is a volatile stage where the individual body takes a step, then another, to ultimately negotiate the movements of others as they shuttle pass” (Labelle, 2010: 87) and this description of the sound of sidewalks is very much captured and embodied in my composition as it explores the Christmas shopping period on Oxford Street, London. You can hear the machine elements, the traffic, the cars, the buses screeching along, and you can also hear the natural sound which is the sound of the human beings talking and passing through, and maybe subtle hints of the winter breeze; the clacking of high heels and pushing of buggies as well as ever present x-mas playlists are the sounding of manmade elements in the audible synthesis.
Edgar Ndazi
Walking to Freedom
This composition is based on the idea freedom to express myself musically in an academic setting, and the career freedom that I hope obtaining a music degree will provide. It is based upon a journey, beginning in my flat, walking along New Cross Road, before heading into Goldsmiths, finally ending up in the music department.