artist: DALLAS SIMPSON
title: For Alderney
catalog number: and/14
release year: 2004
format: CDR
status: sold out
title: For Alderney
catalog number: and/14
release year: 2004
format: CDR
status: sold out
Here are two of a series of binaural continuous single-take field recordings known
as "The Alderney Sessions" made at Alderney (the third largest of the Channel
Islands located off the Northern coast of France) during the Summer
of 2000. Apart from the mostly quiet and sometimes ghostly environment,
unrehearsed intuitive improvisations play a part, using only materials found
on location.
Track 1: For Alderney - Invasion, Occupation, Liberation, Reconstruction,
and Incantation.
"This work is dedicated to the liberation of Alderney from the German Forces
during WW2. For this work, I performed live on location using (among many found
items) an abandoned sentry box, metal barrier, train rails, mine shaft (entrance
and detritus), derelict rail crane, and abandoned trucks. The drone
of a nearby foghorn, which started spontaneously during the performance, created
an exceptionally mournful accompaniment to this work."
(Dallas Simpson)
Track 2: Piping In The Reeds With Windscape.
"The abandoned drainpipe used in this work was observed earlier in the day at
Braye Harbour. In the evening, the 3m long, 15 cm diameter pipe was collected
and carried to Longis Common in preparation for the improvisation. Percussing
the open end of the pipe produced a single resonant fundamental note. At one
point, a duck appeared to be responding to the sound, which was exciting, but the
main impetus of the work was to explore the inherent 'resonance' between the
concept and reality of 'reeds' and 'wind'. This was followed by an extensive natural
windscape with crickets." (Dallas Simpson)
as "The Alderney Sessions" made at Alderney (the third largest of the Channel
Islands located off the Northern coast of France) during the Summer
of 2000. Apart from the mostly quiet and sometimes ghostly environment,
unrehearsed intuitive improvisations play a part, using only materials found
on location.
Track 1: For Alderney - Invasion, Occupation, Liberation, Reconstruction,
and Incantation.
"This work is dedicated to the liberation of Alderney from the German Forces
during WW2. For this work, I performed live on location using (among many found
items) an abandoned sentry box, metal barrier, train rails, mine shaft (entrance
and detritus), derelict rail crane, and abandoned trucks. The drone
of a nearby foghorn, which started spontaneously during the performance, created
an exceptionally mournful accompaniment to this work."
(Dallas Simpson)
Track 2: Piping In The Reeds With Windscape.
"The abandoned drainpipe used in this work was observed earlier in the day at
Braye Harbour. In the evening, the 3m long, 15 cm diameter pipe was collected
and carried to Longis Common in preparation for the improvisation. Percussing
the open end of the pipe produced a single resonant fundamental note. At one
point, a duck appeared to be responding to the sound, which was exciting, but the
main impetus of the work was to explore the inherent 'resonance' between the
concept and reality of 'reeds' and 'wind'. This was followed by an extensive natural
windscape with crickets." (Dallas Simpson)
script language="JavaScript" src="http://and-oar.org/audio/audio-player.js">
EAR / RATIONAL (AUGUST 2004)
Wow, talk about a quiet intro. Several minutes in, and only the slightest of rumbles
from wind and a couple of scratches have been heard. As devices are found, they
are brought up and hauntingly recall the past. This sounds like a difficult area -
lots of metal and scrapings, not the sound of flowers rustling, but the sound of a
past war. The notes along with this CD state that this area was held by the German
Nazis in WWII - and by proclaiming this, it brings a darkness to the emotions. I feel
the hurt and ghosts of the area here, as if poltergeists are doing the work here and
all Dallas is doing is holding the microphone. (Don Poe)
Wow, talk about a quiet intro. Several minutes in, and only the slightest of rumbles
from wind and a couple of scratches have been heard. As devices are found, they
are brought up and hauntingly recall the past. This sounds like a difficult area -
lots of metal and scrapings, not the sound of flowers rustling, but the sound of a
past war. The notes along with this CD state that this area was held by the German
Nazis in WWII - and by proclaiming this, it brings a darkness to the emotions. I feel
the hurt and ghosts of the area here, as if poltergeists are doing the work here and
all Dallas is doing is holding the microphone. (Don Poe)
E / I (WINTER / SPRING 2006)
Using a custom binaural recording headset to capture his own heard experiences,
Dallas Simpson records "unprepared" interactions with various environments,
including improvisations based on found objects. All recordings are performances
in real time with no manipulation, sampling or overdubbing. In contrast to their
natural ambient origins, the results are expressionist, un-suggestive of common
tasks, absent of narrative hierarchy. Interrupting the typically representational logic
of acoustic preservation, these playful, curious and oft-times rhythmic pieces are,
like untrained dancing, scribbles that point and by extension declare only their
own spark. A work dedicated to the liberation of Alderney from German
occupation, For Alderney metaphorically liberates field sounds from contexts of
use and direct signification, and is as exciting a phonographic piece as I have
possibly heard ever. Not quite concrete, not quite field recording, not blatantly
transformative, these are free, hopeful sounds. (William S. Fields)
Using a custom binaural recording headset to capture his own heard experiences,
Dallas Simpson records "unprepared" interactions with various environments,
including improvisations based on found objects. All recordings are performances
in real time with no manipulation, sampling or overdubbing. In contrast to their
natural ambient origins, the results are expressionist, un-suggestive of common
tasks, absent of narrative hierarchy. Interrupting the typically representational logic
of acoustic preservation, these playful, curious and oft-times rhythmic pieces are,
like untrained dancing, scribbles that point and by extension declare only their
own spark. A work dedicated to the liberation of Alderney from German
occupation, For Alderney metaphorically liberates field sounds from contexts of
use and direct signification, and is as exciting a phonographic piece as I have
possibly heard ever. Not quite concrete, not quite field recording, not blatantly
transformative, these are free, hopeful sounds. (William S. Fields)
