Name: non-linear feedback excerpt by a hired state / phil williams
Duration: 6 min 27 s
Description: excerpt from AV installation work from the exhibition "Digital Decoupage" at FirstDraft gallery in 2003, a group show with Andrew Gadow, Tim Ryan & Mel Donat

"Regrowth" is an electro-acoustic track for pre-recorded string ensemble. The piece was written inspired by the beautiful scene of our Australian forests regrowing after the catastrophic bushfires of 2019-20. Seeing our forests stripped bare as far as the eye could see was immensely disturbing. And in stark contrast, only one month later, seeing how strong the force of nature really is as greenery began to emerge from the blackness was truly astonishing. Not only did this catastrophic event highlight the strength of nature, but the strength of humanity. In hardship, communities came together, people of all backgrounds helping each other, showing immense courage and compassion. But even more astounding, was as nature rebuilt, so did the people. People whose land had been burnt to nothing told inspiring stories of birds, pythons and kangaroos returning to their habitats, of the beauty they saw as nature rebuilt itself and of how grateful they were to live in their country and community. 

Using my string instruments, I tried to re-create the sounds and atmosphere of a forest rebuilding itself; rain falling, wood cracking, birds returning and leaves growing. The track begins imitating the organic sound of rain. I did this by recording the wood of my bow tapping on the strings (colegno) of my violin and viola. I layered about 15 different recordings of this sound, time stretching half at random to produce more chaotic rhythms. As melodic lines gradually emerge, the ‘randomicity’ of the rain sounds become progressively more and more organised, and as rhythms emerge, so does harmony, melody and structure. This represents our forests complex eco systems rebuilding and hopefully embodies the incredible resilience of our Australian people, Flora and Fauna,

Regrowth

Snippet of track Wolf by Leigh Ivin and Inga Liljeström

Wolf

excerpt from AV installation work from the exhibition "Digital Decoupage" at FirstDraft gallery in 2003, a group show with Andrew Gadow, Tim Ryan & Mel Donat

non-linear feedback excerpt

DCL Main Title / Passage Theme I

The sounds of a pine tree recorded with a contact microphone. Lots of low frequency content so best enjoyed with good headphones. 
I am pretty sure that the low droning sound most evident in the second half of the recording is not caused by the wind but is actually the  vibration of the tree trunk acting as an antenna and capturing the sound of an aeroplane passing by. Is that possible, what do you think?
Another interesting thing is that even if the sound is captured with a single microphone it still represents some sense of space and size - some sounds appear to be close, some - farther away. Is this due to the internal acoustics of the tree trunk or it's just that the higher frequencies naturally appear closer, probably both, right?

They are silent only when we watch (23-07-22-017)

Using sounds recorded in Caen, I decided to trust the machine to determine the order. I feel that sometimes I overwork the field recording — fighting the figure in it and trying to make it say more than it wants to. Recorded in different places and situations around Caen I let the machine decide the order and the overlaps, creating new scenarios and collisions. Gradually I begin to shift the figurative nature of the sounds, sending them en masse through effects chains, and then the effects chains through the effects chains, until we are in a total feedback loop of effects/affects.

Random Field: Caen

At Your Feet

To help celebrate the life and times of Ben Johnston heres some tracks from an album he was on" Midnight Sun " with george and julie for newmarket records shortly before he left for ireland.Band includes myself, Andy ross, Lin Wallis, Steve Grant with George washingmachine and Julie Ohara. Donald Duck intro on Blues in the night by Lin Wallis.

03 Midnight Sun

Created for @naviar-records Haiku Music Challenge No.335 - https://www.naviarrecords.com/2020/06/03/naviarhaiku335-spring-breeze/

Cover image adapted from a photograph by Svetlana Gumerova - https://unsplash.com/photos/W6aiqP4brhU

There Are Bells In The Mountains [naviarhaiku335]

Created for @naviar-records Haiku Music Challenge No.336 - 
https://www.naviarrecords.com/2020/06/10/naviarhaiku336-thought-i-the-fallen-flowers/

Cover image adapted from a photograph by Masaaki Komori - https://unsplash.com/photos/XH5J9v9V1QA

There Is Joy In Shapeshifting [naviarhaiku336]

some people are just never happy

part time sound & video artist, part time audio engineer, part time voice over artist, full time corporate tech/producer

non-linear feedback excerpt

a hired state / phil williams

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