I particularly enjoyed this weeks guest lecture, I think because his work was quite accessible compared to other sound art which can get quite esoteric (not a bad thing). One theme that I saw thread through all his work was that of memory.
He started by talking about as he studied a sound engineering course in Bristol rather than a BA he needed a creative outlet which was how he got into making sound collages inspired by a particular album every week or month for broadcast on a friend next doors radio station. He mentioned before this he was into sampling and plundering – interrogating sounds that have already been made. Inspired by artists ranging from Madlib, Sun Ra, Delia Derbyshire.
Another quote that stood out to was that he “wanted to pack more information into sound and music”
He showed us a collaboration with filmmaker, Hope Strickland called ‘I’ll Be Back’ which I particularly loved. It was a short film about a mythical Haitian slave that turns into a fly at their execution – a little magical realism. For his sound for screen works he talked of influences such as Steve Reich, Maryanne Amacher and Johnny Greenwood particularly their use of randomised cycles to create different pulsing effects in their work. I liked that he showed a first draft of his score then the finished product, discussing initial critiques like how it’s easier to make ominous, brooding and melancholic sounds compared to light, soft, uplifting. I found the finished work mesmerising, capturing the transformation and escape in sound beautifully not too literal.
The final project he talked about was his community work in Croydon with a group of Windrush generation locals. With a couple members of the Chineke! orchestra they created and recorded some songs including ‘Coming Home’ the one he played for us in the lecture. It was particularly cozy and intimate using question and answer musical phrases, melodies and lyrics evoking the old spiritual. This really evoked a sense of painting through memories and feeling