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Re: Very quiet recordings

Subject: Re: Very quiet recordings
From: "Jez" tempjez
Date: Mon Jun 4, 2012 12:53 pm ((PDT))
'it probably has to do
with how quiet spaces throw you back on yourself. They function like mirror=
s,
somehow. Because there's "nothing" to escape in or hide behind, you're left=
 with
yourself. Unlike, say, a piece of music, or bird song, or dawn chorus, ther=
e's
simply "nothing" and as far as I'm concerned that's massively overwhelming =
and
powerful'

it's interesting how opposite individual impressions of similar things can =
be - for me its the total opposite. Far from their being 'nothing', in plac=
es of quietude there is a wealth of sound to be heard - its just on (not ju=
st at) a different level. I also perceive the sense of self totally differe=
ntly, feeling less aware of myself than in loud environments.

Its a very old discussion I know but there is no such thing as silence & th=
ere's never an environment with 'nothing'. For me this is why the term 'qui=
etude' is more appropriate than 'silence'.



--- In  404 <> wrote:
>
> hi Tony (and Jez and Mark)
>
> I'm obsessed with quietness as well. To find a really silent space and ju=
st sit and listen never tires me. If I try to rationalise it, it probably h=
as to do with how quiet spaces throw you back on yourself. They function li=
ke mirrors, somehow. Because there's "nothing" to escape in or hide behind,=
 you're left with yourself. Unlike, say, a piece of music, or bird song, or=
 dawn chorus, there's simply "nothing" and as far as I'm concerned that's m=
assively overwhelming and powerful.
> I've been actively seeking out empty and quiet spaces. A search that took=
 me all the way to the Australian outback and desert, where I experienced n=
ear silence. I put together an album with some of my recordings. If you're =
interested, it's here: http://surface-noise.bandcamp.com/album/stills-postc=
ards-from-the-centre.
> The last 4 tracks are recordings of these spaces. Now obviously, experien=
cing a quiet space is one thing, and recording it something else. It doesn'=
t take much before we hear the microphone rather than the space. But then a=
gain, I find that kind of "failure" artistically very interesting, but that=
's food for another thread.
>
> Peter
>
>
>
> On 04 Jun 2012, at 11:02, Mark wrote:
>
> > Hi Jez,
> >
> > I lived with a deaf family for several years during university. It's a =
common misbelief that the deaf cannot hear anything, but on average they ar=
e living a world of soft booms faint, clicks and muffled voices. While I wo=
uldn't wish deafness on my worst enemy, I feel that the lack of distraction=
 helps in developing exceptional skills in listening and the intuition of s=
ubtle energies.
> >
> > just a few distracted thoughts ^__~
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > On Jun 4, 2012, at 6:24 AM, "Jez" <> wrote:
> >
> > > very quiet recordings (quietudes) have been something of an obsession=
 of mine for many years. I spend a lot of time recording stillness in build=
ings for example. When there are just small sounds to hear we have to micro=
/macro listen & that draws you in, closer.
> > >
> > > --- In  "soundings23" <tony.whitehea=
d2332@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hi All, just for interest here are two very quiet recordings I uplo=
aded to Soundcloud this morning. Both are hydrophone recordings taken yeste=
rday near where I live.
> > > >
> > > > http://soundcloud.com/tonywhitehead/pond-at-chudleigh-knighton
> > > > http://soundcloud.com/tonywhitehead/fish-shoal-little-bradley
> > > >
> > > > I was in two minds whether to upload them, because they are so quie=
t. But, I was fascinated because they are so full of tiny detail, especiall=
y the pond at Chudleigh. I also found that I enjoyed listening to them with=
out excessively turning up the gain - which just seemed to increase the noi=
se of my Edirol's pre-amp.
> > > >
> > > > As I said on the soundcloud page, they make me think of sound work =
by the like's of Francisco Lopez, Radu Malfati and Bernhard Gunter .
> > > >
> > > > Ages ago there was a review of this sort of quietness in Ed Pinset'=
s Sound Projector magazine where, reviewing Lopez's "Untitled 74" he said
> > > >
> > > > "There's something going on there all right, but what is it? How is=
 it possible to record and produce sounds so remote and tiny that you're on=
ly dimly aware of them? ... No point turning up the volume - that'll only c=
ause more damage - these are fugitive spirits, like fairies of the air whic=
h will vanish if you draw to near to them."
> > > >
> > > > I like that. And I like what the hydrophone reveals of these tiny s=
ound worlds.
> > > >
> > > > BTW, while writing this, I felt like I was reviewing my own recordi=
ngs - which would be odd and not a little arrogant - but I don't feel these=
 are my recordings, I simply dropped the hydrophone in a pond, hit record, =
and listened - so I'm reviewing and sharing thoughts what I heard rather th=
an what I did with what I recorded.
> > > >
> > > > Be glad of any thoughts on very quiet sounds, or links to anything =
similar?
> > > >
> > > > Tony
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>








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