Tattered Kaylor mix on The Field Reporter

I am very happy to have completed a 2013 mix of the Field Recordings I collected during the In-Habit Residency 2011, for David Valez's, 'The Field Reporter'. These sounds include a previously unreleased (in any capacity) recording of buskers at an annual festival in the small township of Bruere Allichamps.

Find more details about the sounds, have a listen and download the mix HERE. 

Many Thanks to Cheryl Tipp for inviting me to such an opportunity.

Enjoy,

T

Bringing it together....

:: 1st Surround recording in le abbaye Noirlac ::

This weekend is the only opportunity I have within the remaining time, to gather surround recordings at le abbaye Noirlac. Last night was my first attempt and tonight will be my last. I actually enjoy the fact that time is so limited as it means my work methods, ideas and process's have no room for 'whatif's' and 'maybe's'. I am working with what I feel are my absolutes and am not questioning my instincts. 

The planning and development of the concept behind this work has been the hardest process to rush (how can you rush thought, reflection, conscious and unconscious realisation?) The trick for myself has been to not think too much rather just do and then reflect on the creation or sound gathering afterwards (making the unconscious conscious).

Using these methods the final work I hope to present to Paul Fournier, Geneviève Hollemaert and Fabienne Taranne will consist of two installations that portray the world as viewed from within Noirlac. Both pieces will be site specific with the sounds mixed specifically for the selected spaces and utilizing systems that have been configured accordingly.  The first space would be the Refectory (where I have been working) and the second, would be the Cloister - a garden at the centre of the abbey.

Thoughts and discoveries that have led me to these developments include the realisation that both the abbey and the township of Bruere Allichamps exist and have existed in the past in their own pleasant individual worlds. The two are obviously connected (the abbey is actually within Bruere Allichamps boundaries) and yet they remain as two very separate entities living peacefully side by side in comfortable silence.

When I then look at the life that the monks of the abbey use to live, it too was one contained within a bubble. In keeping with their Cistercian beliefs, the monks were not allowed to leave the abbey's boundaries and despite their surroundings of dense wilderness - well worth an adventure - they remained within the confines each and everyday and night. And so - on this thought, I decided that the work that entailed bringing the 'Outside' within the walls of Noirlac, should also include the opposite - bringing the sounds of Noirlac to the 'Outside' (hence, two installations).

The first installation would be the 'Outside In' (sounds of the outside such as bird calls, wind, markets etc) to be installed within the abbey, in the refectory. The second would be  the 'In Within' (sounds from within the abbey Noirlac) to be installed still within the abbey, but, at it's Cloister (centre garden). I like the idea that inverting these sounds is creating a breathing space for each world, within it's opposite other - allowing their presence to be felt where it has been forbidden in the past.

To be cont'd

The Sounds of le abbaye Noirlac are available for you

- nearly forgot to mention

All my recordings that I have completed are available for you to download, listen to and comment on. 

You can access them HERE on the Freesound website.

Any comments would be most appreciated and please feel free to use the sounds for your own work providing you credit me where appropriate.

Enjoy,

:: Recording Crickets along the Cher River between le abbaye Noirlac and Bruere Allichamps ::

Discovering Bruere Allichamps and workingworkingworking (9 days left)

:: One of the characterful houses of Bruere Allichamps ::

I've fallen in love with the houses of Bruere Allichamps. The above, is one of my favourites to date but there are so many more...... Majority (perhaps even all?) of the buildings within the town are of the same age. Some have been restored and/or maintained in their authenticity whereas others (like the one above) are yet to be tended to. The day I stumbled across this home the washing had just been done and an old radio was playing music not unlike Edith Piaf. From the street I could faintly hear a voice joining in for the chorus - was a little overcome with how perfect the world was then and there.

Fences and towering walls down alleyways bend and curve in towards you then out again seemingly defying physics and architecture by remaining standing and strong. Lamp posts are exactly that, and on route to the local bakery in the morning (two blocks) you will pass a number grandpa like figures in their day to day cap and well-worn shirt with a baguette or bannette under their arm. 

Sunday past was a great day. The town shutdown it's side roads and opened up as one big flea market (with a few food and carny stalls scattered around). I managed to gather a few sound recordings and was interested at peoples response. Some were understandably wary of me and would ask what I was doing. It was actually a perfect way to start conversations with others without feeling like you are imposing on their day. I had no negative response - most were happy to hear of my interest in the town and what I hope to use the sounds for. 

Night times are spent within the walls of le abbaye Noirlac. Light's are shut down at night so I bring in my own lantern and wander around in the dark a lot. The atmosphere is quite charged to say the least with bats keeping me company and following me as I move room to room. At this stage I have just begun introducing the field recordings to the refectory and listening. I plan to start tailoring the speaker configuration tonight to create a site specific system as well as begin working compositionally.

There is so little time.....

  :: Night time work in le abbaye Noirlac :: 

Finding sounds and space

  :: Temporary sound studio at Noirlac ::

I have never had a studio quite like this to work in.... The space which has been assigned to me is the refectory - the sound in this space is quite unique in that the arched ceiling in twice the height of usual cistercian architecture. In the past, it was used for communal meals (in silence) and now, for a brief period I am able to work within it's bubble (not so silent). The space is incredibly live. One word echoes, bounces, reverberates and delays - to the point that I am reconsidering how I will work with such acoustics. At this stage I have six speakers setup in a standard circular configuration. The pillars are an obvious distraction but not a large problem sonically. Because of the nature of the space I am more inspired to place speakers unconventionally. Sounds move with a mind of their own within the refectory and I would like to explore this moreso than the perfect 360˚ representation.

The struggles I have been having finding outdoor sonic environments less prone to traffic and machine noise have not abated (please see image + details below), leading me to the proposition of recording moreso within the abbey and yet - I was working with the intent of bringing the outside within it's walls, allowing those sounds to become part of it's immersive environment. In contrast, if I now record the sounds of the abbey and re-release them into their original environment to react with the space yet again, I will be causing a type of feedback loop - folding the room in on itself (as well as initiating the first step of Alvin Luciers piece, 'Sitting in A Room'). This would greatly change the intent of my work........

decisions, decisions, decisions.........

 :: Recording alonside the Cher in the morning in Bruere Allichamps::

I have managed to somewhat decipher the numerous industrial sounds that surround Noirlac.

#1 is the obvious - Traffic. Noirlac is beside a freeway

#2 is the trainline. This carries remarkably far - right into the forrest.

#3 would be the local porcelain factory that emits a general humm not unlike a large airconditioner

#4 Is the hors d'oeuvre factory (i'm pretty sure that's what it is) next to the porcelain factory. This too emits it's own constant drone 

#5 Lucky last would be the planes that pass overhead - it appears we are relatively close to a flight path.

The biggest struggle is that the underlying drone the permeates the air does not stop. It carries on through the night into the morning. At times it is louder but it will never cease. The field recordings I have gathered so far have this drone but can used if they are not at a loud volume, and with some severe filtering. I was imagining gathering pristine outdoor recordings but this will not be the case. Within the walls of Noirlac however, the drone is somewhat held at bay...

I hope to start uploading sounds to Freesound soon  and am a little worried about how they will be received - never the less - the show must go on...

Hunting for 'The Quiet'

I will never cease to be amazed by just how far traffic sounds can carry. You may walk for hours - direction - away from the roads and engines only to find that the sound is infact somewhat amplified by terrain that has unravelled between yourself and the offending noise. Yesterday I began the search for those perfect recording spots. My instinct was to head into the nearby forestry that is an arms throw away from Noirlac. What I found (as many other field recordists have discovered before me) was that the deeper I went into the woods, the more the sounds of the traffic seemed to resonate in the air. While it's detail may have been lost, it's thrumm became more prominent, destroying the fragile sonic ecosystem nature had already provided. 

Solution????

I will be using tried and true (ish) methods such as high pass filters, recording extremely early in the morning/through the night as well as continuing to hunt for a sheltered area. This morning I managed to gather some birdcalls by the Cher River. There was undoubtedly traffic noise present but I am wondering if I am able to work with them regardless. The last minute pinch to purchase a DPA 4017 shotgun mic definitely helped to no end. It's hyper cardioid capsule blocking out excess side and rear drone but also the beautiful reverb and echo moving up and down the river, I don't think the recordings would have been even possibly useful otherwise.

Seeing the countryside by bike and on foot has helped pick up on sound environments that I would miss from the enclosure of a car. I also notice pretty quickly if the humm of traffic dissipates. The downside to this is the fact that finding these 'safe' areas will take time. I had expected to be well on my way with sounds by this point in my residency and am feeling the pressure of falling behind....

The plus side is that I have the perfect excuse to discover critters such as wild deer, giant orange sluggs and thoroughly acquaint myself with French countryside!