pop_and

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)

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)

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)