Wolf Notes Wolf Notes. New Music Publication2

7/28/2019 Wolf Notes Wolf Notes. New Music Publication2

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WolfNotesVolume1,Number2,June 2011

MichaelPisaroJasonKahn

SimonReynellAdamSonderberg

JephJerman


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Published by Compost and HeightPlease do not reproduce content without prior permission from contributors.


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wolfnotes

Contents

MichaelPisaro6-11PreparedPiano(sketchbook)

JasonKahn.12-32NotesonUnheardDelhi

AdamSonderberg.3336TickMarkStudies:Ramones-Ramones(Sire,1976)

SimonReynell...37-40Thoughtsonnotbeingamusician

FantasticalZoology.4142ByJephJerman

CoverImage..43

TrevorSimmons

Howcanweoutsmartthesenseofcontinuity

Thateludesourstepsasitpreparesus

Forultimatewishfulthinkingoncethemindhas

ended

Sincethislastthoughtbothconfinesanduplifts

us?JohnAshbery

Anobject,a space, an infinitenumber of

measurements. WolfNotes is an attempt

atanopenplatform,eachindividualisfree

to refashion the composition devised in

our approach, we initiate, they initiate.

Foundinjuxtaposition,inharmony,atthe

baseandsummitofpotentiality.

An openness is inescapable within any

media,itistobeembraced,toberealised.

All and any degree of interpretation will

fallwithinmyriadroomsofdisposition.So

to inhale and exhale, tomove towards a

positivesenseofproduction,WolfNotesin

its totality is hope to the impossibility of

maximumopenness.

This work, and the works contained, are

not objective fact, they are in a constant

flux of interpretation, of feedback andfeedforward, we respond by not

respondingbyresponding.

PatrickFarmer

Image: Trevor Simmons


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PreparedPiano(sketchbook)MichaelPisaro(19972000)

1.Prepareapiano.

2.Theyfoundthepointintheroommostdistantfromthepiano.

3a.Theinsideofthepiano.

3b.Theoutsideofthepiano.

4. The piano mirrors the clouds moving above.We watched the blue-white film

projectedonthepolishedblackscreen.

5.A birchtree, splitlong ago, as it fansoutlikeacrookedwhiteVwritten on the

shoreline,demarkingthesky.

6.Weopenthelidandthencloseit,repeatingasnecessary.

7.Irolledadie,andstayedsilentlyatt hepianoforthenumberofunitsindicated.

8.Shevisitedthepianoofafriend onaneveninghewasnotpresent.

9.Theyselect,usingsomeprocedure,90sounds.Afterarrangingthesesoundsinarandomorderandnumberingthem,theyplayanumberedso undwhenindicatedwithadot,donotplayitwhenindicatedbyaspace,keepingapulseof30seconds.

! " # $ % & ' ( ) !*

+ + + +

!! !" !# !$ !% !& !' !( !) "*

+ + + + + + + +

"! "" "# "$ "% "& "' "( ") #*

+ +

#! #" ## #$ #% #& #' #( #) $*

+ + + + + + + +

$! $" $# $$ $% $& $' $( $) %*

+ + + + +

%! %" %# %$ %% %& %' %( %) &*

+ + + +

&! &" &$ &% && &' &( &) '*

+ + + +

'! '" '# '$ '% '& '' '( ') (*

+ + + + +

(! (" (# ($ (% (& (' (( () )*

+ + +


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10.Thepianistrecitesintothepiano,atapulseof5secondspernumber,allofthe

numbersinhisaddressbook.

11.Asoundisselectedandplayedonthepiano84timesinarow.Thisisdoneoncea

dayatthesametime,fromDecember12toMarch5(March4inaleapyear).

12.Alongropehangsstraightdownfromtheceiling,directlyabovethepiano.

(Itdoesnotmove.)

13.FiveRoomsCeilingbyTurrell.

WallsbyMauser.

MirrorsbyReinhardt.

SpacebyMartin.

PianobyLewitt.

14.Arepertoire:

EmbryonsDesschsbySatie(played4timesdaily) .Onepageselectedeachdayatrandomfromthe FitzwilliamVirginalBook.

BeethovenStringQuartets;or,onceinawhile,aBagatelle. JohnCagesSonatasandInterludes (playedwithoutpreparation). ImaKingBee. PoemsbyRobertCreeley.

SonatasbyDomenicoScarlatti.

TheGoldbergVariations.

TheCooCooBird.

15.Theyfindanold,deadpiano,andclearouttheinsides.Theyfillthebodywith

evergreenneedles, continuing to replace theneedleswith fresh onesas they turnfromgreentobrown.

16a.MainStreet.

16b.TheVillageGreen.

16c.TheLibrary.

16d.TheTrainStation.

16e.TheSchool.

16f.ShopWindows.

16g.Lights.

16h.Yourstreet.

16i.Yourhouse.

16j.Yourroom.16k.Goodnight.

17. Thewoundstrings,removedfromthepianoandunwound,arestrungtogether,

thedirectionofthelinechangingeachtimeanewwindingisaddedthisisapath

throughthecity.

18.Shewillhavedisabledonehammerinthecentraloctaveofthepianoandthen

playedtheentireWell-TemperedClavierI&II.


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19.WehavefoundawaytoaddonetonebetweenEandF.(Notamicrotone.)

20.Awhite roomfourwalls,aceiling,afloor.Noshadows;lightfillingthespace.Inthisroomisacompletelywhitepiano oftheexactdimensionsoftheroom.

21.Zither.

22.Threepianosarelinedupsidebyside. (Thesecondismissing. )

23.Usingyourfingernail,youlightlyscrapethelowestpianostring,startingattheendofthestringfarthestawayfromthekeyboard,movingtowardsthekey board,onceper

second,allowingextratimetomaneuverthroughthesupports. (Pedaldown.)

24. He will have placed a microphone gently on the piano strings, turned it on,

keepingtheamplifieratlowvolume.Waiting.

25.Onemorningthedoorwaywas obstructedbyatoypiano. 26.Sheplayedoneortwopiecesatthepianoof2to5secondslengtheveryday.Most

involved twoor threenote clusters played in anascending or a descending series.

Therewasoccasionalvocalaccompaniment. (forCocoa)

27.Thepianoimaginesagreaterorfinalpiano.Itbelievesthatinthefuturetherewill

beapianothatexceedsthepotentialofpresentdaypianos.Allonehearsnowisfaintsinging.Somedaytherewillbeapianoofpuresinging,thepianosideaofitself.

28.A film of ap iano, projected on a pinkish-white screen. Themusic comes frombehindthescreen. ShownattheChamps-lysestheatrewiththelightson,thefilmisbarelyvisible.Themusic,playedonabrokenviolin,isbarelyaudible.Someoneleavesin disgust: This isnot a piano. As reported in the Paris papers the next day, theshowingwasattendedbyatleast100people,14,ornooneatall.Ariotdidordidnotensue.Refreshmentswereorwerenotserved.

29.Onenoteplayedonapianowiththepedaldown.Alltheotherstringsresonateinproportiontotheirproximitytotheoriginal.

30.Theyimagine,inasmuchdetailaspossible,thenotesEbandE,asplayedonthe

piano. After five minutes, they play these tones. They repeat this until they cananticipateeverysoundtobeheard.

31.Twopianosareinpreciselythesameplaceatthesametime.Inthenextmoment,theyaregone,andthereisnothingbutashimmeringoftheair.

32. Thevery sophisticatedmachineryperceivesexactlywhen thechordbeginsand

exactlywhenthechordends. Nowordswillhavebeenusedtodescribetheprecise

duration.

33.We livein thedistancebetweenthebeginningof thesoundand thehearingof

thesound,saysAntoine.


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34a.Allpianos.

34b.ThepianosofAmerica.

34c.Thispiano.

34d.Notasinglepiano.

34e.(blank)Itisnotyetnamed,butisalwaysthere.

35.Thepianoisasinglematerial,whichforitsuserequiresdivisionintosecondary

materials.Itssoundsarethose ofmaterialunfoldingintime. Timeonlycarriesthem

tothefullextensionofthematerial.Beyondthisliesanareaun countedbytime.

36.(Materials)

Sound1 Sound2 Sound3 Sound4 Sounds1and2 Sounds1and3 Sounds1and4 Sounds2and3 Sounds2and4 Sounds3and4 Sounds1,2and3 Sounds1,2and4 Sounds1,3and4 Sounds2,3and4 Sounds1,2,3and4

37.From88possible:

!" #$ %$ &' !' !% !$ (& "& ($ )(

(! $# ( %% "$ "* !& )( $# "% ##

!( #% %* ( )& $" "& $# &$ (( !!

#$ $% !! &! $( ($ ## #' $( #" $'

"& #* (* (# $# (! #( "( #& #" %#

%* ($ (' (" & #$ %* )# !( $( %)

%# &) %& "$ $) $# !" (! %# "# %#

() !# ") #* "# &$ $) #) "! #) "!


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38.Lefthand:F,Gb,B,e.Righthand:g,b

b,g

b1,a

b1.(Oranyothersound.)

39.Apianoissomethingtotouch.( toJohn)

MichaelPisaroisacomposerandguitarist,amemberoftheWandelweiserComposersEnsembleand

founderanddirectoroftheExperimentalMusicWorkshop.

SeveralCDsofhisworkhavebeenreleasedbysuchlabelsasEditionWandelweiserRecords,Compost

and Height, confront, Another Timbre, Cathnor, Nine Winds and others, including mostrecently

"transparent city,volumes14", anunrhymedchord, hearingmetal1, AWaveandWaves and

"harmonyseries(1116)".

HehasperformedmanyofhisownworksandthoseofcloseassociatesAntoineBeuger,KunsuShim,Jrg

FreyandManfredWerder,andworksfromtheexperimentaltradition,especiallyJohnCage,Christian

Wolff,JamesTenneyandGeorgeBrecht.


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NotesonUnheardDelhiByJasonKahn

ForthemonthofNovember2010IwasanartistinresidenceinDelhiwiththeSwissArtsCouncilProHelvetiaandthemediaresearchcenterSarai.Oneofmyproposedprojectsforthisresidency

wasacontinuationofmyUnheardCitiesseriesofworks,which I'vebeenrealizingsince2002.

UnheardCitiesexploreshowweperceiveurbansoundenvironmentsintheformofinstallations,

musicalperformancesand, inthecaseof UnheardDelhi,worksforradio. InUnheardDelhiI

interviewedeightpeoplewiththequestion,Whatisyourfavoritesoundorsoundenvironmentin

Delhi?Irecordedalltheanswersandthenwentoutinthecityandrecordedthecorresponding

sounds.The resultingrecordingsandinterviewswerethenmixedtogetherforanapproximately

60-minute long audio portrait of thecity. I produced anearlierversionof thispiece,UnheardZrich,in2007.

Thepieceworksonseverallevels,perhapsthefirstbeingthattheintervieweescometoreflectonthesoundenvironmentsofthecityinwhichtheylive.ManyofthepeopleIinterviewedhadgreat

difficultyinansweringthequestion.Theideaof afavoritesound,letaloneanysoundatall,is

fairlyalienasthisseemstobeatopicmostpeopledon'tthinkabout,especiallyinDelhiwherethe

sheerdensityandvolumeofsoundoftenmakesignoringthesurroundingsoundsaprerequisitefor

gettingthroughtheday.Ifsomeonedoesthinkaboutthesoundsoftheircitythenitisinevitably

thesoundswhichdisturbthatcometomind.Askingaboutthesoundswhichpleaseisthereforea

doublechallenge.On anotherlevel, theanswersprovidedbythe interviewees createsakindof

sonicmapformetofindmywaythroughthecitywith.Thesepeoples'soundsleadmethroughthe

city,insearchofwherethesesoundsoccurandonthewayIquitenaturallyencounterothersound


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environments which I otherwise might have never come across. Finally, the sound of the

interviewees' voices provides another image of the city in which they live. Not only do the

recordingsofthe soundstheydesignatedbut theirvoicesthemselves lendasonicmirrorto the

greaterurbansoundscapeinwhichtheylive.Myhopeisthatpeoplehearingthesepieceswillalso

cometo reflect onthe sounds oftheplaces inwhich they live, and not just the sounds which

disturbthembutalsothesoundsinwhichtheyfindsolace,shelterorjoy.

As a side note, it occurred to me much later after finishing the piece that the word saraitranslates in Hindi to An enclosed space in a city or beside a highway. Where travelers andcaravans can find shelter, companionship and sustenance.A tavern, a public house, ameeting

place.Adestinationandapointofdeparture.Aplacetorestinthemiddleofajourney.Formany

ofthepeopleIintervieweditwascleartomethatthesoundstheychosecreatedforthemaspace

of shelter, a senseof companionshiporevena placeof destination,where theywould go for

enjoymentorrest.Inthissense,UnheardDelhiisnotjustaboutsoundsbutaboutsocialspacesandhowsoundcontributestothecreationofthesespaces.

Inthe followingtextsI givethenameof each interviewee, theirvocation,an excerptfromtheir

interviewandnotesabouthowtherecordingsoftheirsoundsweremade.Thesetexts followthe

orderofthefinalversionofUnheardDelhi.


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1.Alankar(student)

People coming out on the streets marching together, trying to bring out a collective voice,

sound.Alankar'ssounddesignatedacollectivespacesymbolizedbythesoundofpeopledemonstrating.As such, this meant that I had to find a demonstration in Delhi. In fact, there are often

demonstrationsinDelhibut,likemanythingsinIndia,itisnoteasytofindoutwhenorwherethey

are.AsasidenoteIshouldmentionthatIwasinDelhiwithmypartnerandthreeofmychildren

(atthat time ages threeyears, sixyearsand sevenmonths).Thismademe far lessmobile and

flexiblethanifIhadbeeninDelhialone .Weoftenalltroopedoutintothecitytogether,thewhole

familyintowbehindme,searchingforthesesounds.Anditwasoftenamatterofpureluckor

coincidence that I managed to find the sounds to be recorded. In several cases, the sounds

designated by the interviewees were already sounds I had recorded during our previous

wanderingsthroughthecity,inwhichcaseIdidn'thavetoseektheseout.Butthiswasseldomthe

case.

ButinAlankar'sanswerIwaspresentedwithaparticularchallenge.Tim ewasalsoveryshortfor

this project. Iwas only inDelhi for around onemonth and Iwas not just producing Unheard

Delhibuthadgivenaconcert (ofrecordingsmadein thecity)andexhibitedanew installation.

Someofthe interviewsweredonenear thebeginningofmystay,whichgavememoretimeto

record thesounds, butsome,likeAlankar's,weremade closerto theend,whichputme under

additional time pressure to find the sounds. I would've rather had the luxury of many more

leisurelywanderings throughthecity,butthisjustwasn'tpossible. TherecordingusedforAlankar'sanswerwasmadeonedaybeforeourdeparture,nearConnaught

PlaceinthecenterofNewDelhi.Wewereactuallyinsearchofgiftstobringbackforfamilyand

friendsandwereonourwaytoahugeemporiumfortraditionalhandcrafts.Aswecamecloserto

the emporium, I heard the soundof what seemed to bea demonstration inthedistance. The

soundwasloudestrightinfrontoftheemporiumbutnodemonstrationwasinsight, thoughpoliceinfullriotgearwithautomaticweaponsstoodateachcorneroftheintersection.Itfinallydawned

onme thatademonstration inanotherpartof thecitywas beingtransmittedata blaringloud

volumeoverloudspeakersmountedoneachcorneroftheintersection.Itwasstrangetothinkthat

thiswas thedemonstrationI hadlookedso longfor,butin fact,itwasademonstration,albeita

disembodiedone.Thepolicewerethere,thetrafficwassnarledandpeoplestoodaroundonthe

street,asifwaitingforthedemonstrationtoappeararoundthecorneranysecond.

Thebestplacetorecordthiswasrightnexttoagroupofpolice,whokepteyingmesuspiciously.

Althoughmyrecordingequipmentwasratherunobtrusive, Istillfelta senseof dread.Myworst

fearwasto bequestionedandto havemyequipmentconfiscated. Evenworsewasthe ideaof

losingthisrecordingwhichIhadsearchedsolongfor.IntheendeverythingwasOK.


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2.ShwetaUpadhyay(journalist)

During that gap betweenwakefulness and sleep you really feel like you are connected to

somethingbeyond.Thiswasacaseofmehavingalreadyrecordedasoundwhichanintervieweehadchosen.Shweta

Upadhyay respondedwith the sound of themuezzin'smorningcall toprayer. Like Alankar, her

soundconnectedher to a specificspace. In this casenot ofprotest but a senseof spirituality

infusingthatplacewhereoneisneitherawakeorasleep.

NearthebeginningofmystayIhadmadeanearlymorningtriptotheJamaMasjid,Del hi'smain

mosqueandoneofthecity'smostimportantculturalandhistoricalsites.Isatonthestepsleading

uptothemainentranceandthemuezzinbegantosing.Foranyonewhohasn'texperiencedthis,it

certainlydoeshaveanotherworldlyfeeltoit ,instantlytransportingonetoanotherplace.

DuringmytimeinDelhiIneverleftthehousewithoutmyrecorderandmicrophonesclippedtothe

collarofmyjacketorshirt.IwasconstantlyrecordingandonthismorningattheJamaMasjidIwas

abletocapturethesoundofthemuezzin,thoughIhadn'tbeenplanningonrecordingthis.

ManyofthesoundschosenbythepeopleIinterviewedhadacertainclaritytothem,theabilityto

cutthroughthedenseenvironmentofDelhi'ssoundfieldsandcreatea spaceoftheirown.The

muezzin'scallwaslikeaknife,penetratingtherelativeearlymorningstillnessofOldDelhi.Ialso

experienced this call laterduring theday and,surprisingly, it still had thesame effect, piercing

throughthecity'swallofnoi se.


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3.IramGhufran(filmmaker)

Thatdelicatecracklingkindofsound.IramGhufranwas responsible for Saraihostingmeand I spent a lot oftime speakingwithherabout her experiences with sound in Delhi. It was initially very hard to interview her as she

couldn't thinkof anysoundwhatsoeverin thecitywhichpleasedher.Her initialresponsetomy

questionwas,ThesoundofmyharddiscwhenIturnitoneachmorning,whichIcouldn'tquite

acceptasanappropriateanswerasthissoundcouldhaveoccurredanywhereintheworldwhere

shemighthavehadherharddiscwithher.Althoughanotherinterviewee(C handrikaGrover,see

below)gaveasimilarresponseaboutthesoundofwaterflowingfromhertap,Iconsideredthisas

morespecifictoDelhiandthereforepressedIramforothersounds.Intheend,sheactuallygave

memore answers than I could use. Itwasas ifonce I planted this idea, somethingwhichshe

admittedlyneverhadgivenmuchthoughtto,thetricklebecameaflood.

Herfirstanswerwasthenthesoundoffoodfryingataroadsidestand.Ilovedherdescriptionof

thissoundandhowitcreatedthissenseof intimacyandsharedexperiencewithallpeoplewho

camefromDelhi.Ijustcouldn'tforthelifeofmeimaginehowIwouldbeabletocapturethisina

recording.Asidefromthefactthatthecitywasvirtuallyalwaystooloudtorecordsomethingthis

quiet, I couldn't see getting closeenough to the frying food to record iteven ifI did bysome

miraclefindaquietplacewithafoodstand.

AfewdayslaterafterherinterviewIwasgoingthroughrecordingsIhadalreadymadeinthecity

and stumbled across the very sound she had described! This had been recorded onmy early

morningtriptotheJamaMasjidinOldDelhi(seeabove).OnmywaytothemosqueIstoppedat

oneofthesestandstodrinksomechai.Itwasstilldarkandthecitywasv eryquiet.Amanwas

preparingsamosasandpakorasinthehotoil.Idrankmychaistandingveryclosetothefryingfood

andwasthusabletorecordthissound,thoughatthetimeIrememberbeingmoreentrancedwith

thisearlymorningatmospherethanwit hthesoundofthefryingfood,whichwasinfactmorea

byproduct of thewhole recordingexperience. I think thiswasoneof myfavoriterecordings of

UnheardDelhi.


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4.ChandrikaGrover(directorofProHelvetiaNewDelhi) Whenyouturnonthetapinthemorningandwaterflowsfromit,it'ssweetmusictomyears. Chandrika'sanswerwasatonce very simpleandformevery understandable.In theshorttimelivinginDelhiwehadexperienceddailywaterproblems.Watercamefromareservoirontheroof

pumpedbyanincrediblyloudandoldwaterpump,whichmoreoftenthannotdidnotpumpor,

rather, only pumped in the mornings, but not in the afternoons. And then only one of our

bathroomsintheapartmenthadwaterflowingtothetoiletandone tothesink,andthewaterheaterwouldn'talwaysfill...andsoon.Chandrika'sanswermademorethanperfectsenseforme!

And, ofcourse,our problemspaled incomparison tothosemanypeople inDelhiwhoperhaps

didn'thaveanyrunningwateratall.

Living inZrich,wherecrystalline riversgushfromthemountainsand lakes,oneeasilytakes for

grantedthevalueofwater.ButinDelhi,eveninthemoreaffluentpartsofthecityliketheonewe

werestayingin,theavailabilityofwaterisadailyunc ertainty.

ThesoundofwaterforChandrikathereforedefinedastateofmindandaportentfortheday's

arrival.Imadethisrecordinginourapartmentonadaywhenthewaterwasinfactrunning.Ionly

hadtomakesurethewaterpumpwasoffbeforestar tingtherecorder!


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5.IshShehrawat(musician)

Youcanreallyenjoythesecompletemoments ofsilenceandcompletechaos.Ishwasoneof theintervieweeswho Ididn'thavetoprodforananswer.Maybebecauseheisa

musicianormaybebecausehewasbornandraisedinDelhi,butheseemedtohavenoproblemin

connectingwithwhatIwasafterinmyinterview.

HisfirstanswerreferredtotheparksinDelhi,whichcreatedacontextandacontrasttothecity's

magnificentchaos.Forhim,itwas importanttohavethesequietplacestoreactivatetheprocess

ofhearingagain.Thecity'sdense,churningsoundenvironmenttendstoblotthisout.ThoughI'd

have to say that, like Ish,I also found a certain senseof enjoyment inthecity'snoisiestareas.

Therewassomethingincrediblyinvigorating,whennotatthesametimeutterlytaxing,ofbeingin

the Chawri BazarRoad inOldDelhiona weekday afternoonwith the streets too full to move

through,cloggedwithrickshaws,taxis,theoddcowandthis incrediblemassofhumanityinchingitswayforwardthroughthedustandexhaustfumes.IfeltattimeslikeIwastrappedinatelevision

tunedbetweenstations,spewingwhitenoiseandan endlessflickerpatternof snowy staticand

abruptglitches.

FindingaplacetorecordIsh'ssoundprovedtobenoproblematall,asrightaroundthecorner

fromwherewelivedwastheKamlaNehruRidgeForest,ahugenationalparkfullofmonkeysand

denseclustersofscreamingbirds.BeingsomewhatofananomalyforDelhi,theparkwasoftenfull

withjoggers,hikersorpeoplepicnicking.Itwasthereforesomewhatdifficultfindingaquietspotin

theparkwhichcouldsomehowcapturewhatIshwasreferringto.Duringtherecordingthebirds

graduallygrew in intensity.Atfirstmypresence frightenedthemaway, butaftera fewminutes

theyseeminglydecidedIposednothreatandresumedtheirchorusatfullvolume.Neartheendof

therecordingyoucanhearamaninthedistancesingingonasqueakyswing.


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Theygoonmakingthesoundandit'sdyinginallthenoisethatisaroundit. InherinterviewIramdiscussedoneofthearchetypalproblemsinurbansoundenvironments:the

drowning out of small, more subtle sounds. Here she was referring to the bell on the bicyclerickshaws.Although Iwouldtendtoagreewithheringeneral aboutthesesmallsoundsgetting

drownedout,Iwouldinparticulardisagreewithherabouttherickshawwallah'sbell.Eveninthe

noisiest depths of a hopelessly traffic-clogged Old Delhi street, these bells always seemed to

magically appear, ringing clearly above the din. I began to ask myself if there perhaps wasn't

somethinginthedesignofthesebellswhichmadethemspeciallysuitedto thismosthostileof

environments.Ifanything,Ididn'thearthemdyinginallthenoisearoundthem,butrippingthis

noiseasunderinthemostsubversiveofways,almost,itseemed,workingonasubconsciouslevel.

IalwaysknewtogetoutofthewaywhenIheardtheringofarickshawwallah'sbell.

Aswithmany of therecordings in UnheardDelhi, recordinga rickshawwallah's bell posed anumberofproblems.Icouldn'timaginejustrecordingthisonthestreet,evenifitwaspractically

alwaysgoingon.Registeringthisonapsychologicallevelwasonething,butsomehowtransferringthis experienceto a recordingwas another.AndI didn'tfeelrightjustwalkingup toa rickshaw

wallahandtryingtoexplainthatIwantedtorecordhisbell.EvenifIdidfeelrightaboutthisIstill

probablycouldn'thavedoneitasmostofthesedriver'sdon'tspeakmuchEnglishandIfiguredit

wouldbeneartoimpossibletogetmypointacross.

Intheend,Ihituponaveryelegantsolution.Everymorningd ifferentvendorsvisitedthecourtyard

ofourapartmentcomplex.Therewasamansellingbread,anothermancamewiththemilk,and

yetanotherwhobroughtvegetables.Thevegetablevendorarrivedonalargeflatbedbicycle,piled

highwithallkindsofvegetables.Andhehadabell,thesamebellthatalltherickshawwallahshad.

Wehadalreadygottentoknoweachotherovertheseveralweeksthatwehadbeenlivingatthe

apartment. I just cameoutonemorningwithmymicrophones andrecorderand askedhim if I

could ringhisbell a few times.Heseemedtounderstand,or atleastnot care, and Imadethe

recording.AndthenIboughtourvegetablesforthedayplusatipforhisbell.


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7.PriyaSen(filmmaker)

Itbecomeslikethislittlecommunalspace.Priya Sen'sanswer really hit uponmy idea of sounddefining a social space. She chosenot an

uniquesoundbutthesoundofaplace,asmallroundaboutnearherhouseinJongpurExtension,aquietresidentialneighborhoodinsouthernNew Delhi.Itwashereatthisrotundaplacedinthe

intersectionoffourstreetsthatpeopleinherneighborhoodmettoselltheirwares,washanddry

theirclothesortojustrelaxandtalkwiththeneighbors.

The idea of recordingan entire environment, asopposed to going for one particular soundor

eventreallyappealedtome.ThetrekouttoherhouseprovedtobeanotherofourDelhiodysseys,

consistingofalongtrainride,averylongwalkandacoupleeatingstopsontheway.Whenwe

finally found the roundabout I was a bit disappointed. There was nobody there! No women

washing,nopeoplesellinganything,notevenanyonesittingthere.Wewalkedabit furtherand

found a smallplaygroundand let the kids relax and play forawhile. I gave the situationsome

thoughtanddecidedtogobacktotheroundaboutandmakearecording.Maybesomeonewould

arrivewhileIwasthere,maybeweweretooearly.

Ileftmyfamilyattheplaygroundandwentbacktotheroundabout.ItwasstillemptybutIwent

aheadand tooka seat and started the recorder. Almost as if bymagic the vendors started to

appearfromdifferentdirections,circlingtherotundaandcallin gouttheirwares.Neighborswalked

by,staringatmecuriously.Apackofstaydogsapproachedmecautiouslyandsniffedatmyshoes.

Nobody actually entered the rotunda but I did get the sense that it was the heart of this

neighborhood,thatsoonerorlatereveryoneconvergedhere.ThesoundsIrecordedrepresented

thevortexofthissmallcommunityandIfeltthattherecording,evenifitdidn'tcapturePriya's

precisedescription,didimpartthatsenseofthisparticularplace.


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8.SajidAkbar(musician)

Likeaconcentratedwaveofsoundofthesepeoplejustenjoyingtheserides. SajidAkbarcontactedmeoutofthebluewhileIwasinDelhi.He'dbeentomyinstallationatthe

BhutaGalleryintheCraftsMuseumandhadafewquestionsaboutthis.I askedifhewouldbeinterestedindoingan interviewforUnheardDelhi, towhichhereadilyagreed. Ionlymention

this here as one of the great problems facingme in producing this piece was finding enough

peopletointerview,especiallywhenworkingundersuchpressingtimeconstraints.Ihad,infact,interviewedseveralotherpeoplefor thepiecebut someof theiranswers, thoughperhaps very

interesting,forvariousreasonscouldn'tberecorded.Forexample,onepersonlikedthesound ofaspecific truck horn that had actually recently been outlawed in Delhi and which therefore no

longerexisted.Or somepeoplegavethesamesoundasothers.Thesoundof trains,eithertheir

hornsoroftheactualtrainpassingby,orofbirdssinging,weresoundsseveralpeoplementioned.And then, some sounds I just couldn't track down. So, themore people I could interview, the

better.Butitwasdifficulttofindenoughpeopleandto findthetimeto interviewthem.Delhiis

huge and it sometimes took me well over an hour to meet someone to make a five-minute

interview.I couldn'tverywellexpectpeopletotaketimeoutof theirdayandcometome.Idid

manage tomake several of theinterviewswhich finallyended upon thepieceatSarai,which,

luckilyenough,wasjustaten -minutewalkfromourapartment.

Sajid'sanswerreferredtotheWorldofWonders,anamusementparkoutontheabsolutenether

reachesofDelhi,inanareadevoidofname,onlydesignatedasSector18.Whichallsoundedvery

mysterioustome.Thetrainrideouttherewasreallylong,passingthroughvastswathesofDelhi

slums,anincrediblydenselandscapeoftightlyclusteredapartmentbuildingsandnarrowstreets

packedsolidwithpeople.WhenwereachedtheSector18metro stationthesceneoutsidewaslike

a riotwith this fantastically loud wall of traffic noise echoing between the road and the train

stationabove.Ittookusaroundtenminutesjusttocrossthestreettostartonourwaytothe

amusementpark.AnytimewetriedtocrossaroadinDelhiwithouttrafficlightswewerevirtually

likesittingducks,butwemiraculouslyalwaysmangedtoavoidcalamity.

We continued on through what seemed like an endless area of shopping plazas and came to

anotherperilousroadc rossingtoahuge,evenbyWesternstandardshuge,shoppingmall.Ifeltlike

IwassuddenlybackinLosAngeles.TheonlydifferencewasthatinLosAngelestheywouldnever

haveallowedsuchmassivesoundleakage fromthemall'sventilationsystem.Twoten-meterair

ventsexhaledspentairfromthemall'sventilationsystem.Itfeltliketwojetengineswarmingup

fortakeoff,thoughthesounditselfwasmuchmuchdeeper,fairlyrumblingmystomachwithits

vibrations.

WemovedonandfinallycametotheWorldofWonderswhich,asonemightexpect,wasfarfrom

that. Itwasa rathersadaffair. Something like anabandoned carnival attraction ina JGBallard

novel,re-animatedbyasmallgroupofpeoplewhohadsurvivedsomeunspeakablecalamityand,

yearningforaconnectiontotheirdecimatedworld,managedtogetsomeridesandasemblance

ofwonderrunningagain.

Duetolackofvisitors,manyoftherideswerenotrunning.Luckilyenough,though,onependulum -

likeaffairwasworkingandpeoplewererid ingit,yellingandscreaminginernst.Thisprovideda


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greatrecording,withtheirpealsoflaughterpanningbackandforthacrossthestereofield.Icould

verywellimagineSajid'samusementatpassingthisrideeachdayonhiswaytowork,whichwas

perhapsthegreatestwonderofthissadamusementpark.


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Asoundwhichisreallyexciting,funandjustveryvibrant.November isthemonth forweddings inDelhiandthereis probablyno biggercelebration for a

familythanhavingit'ssonordaughterjoinedinholymatrimony.Iramrefersheretothebaraatprocession, which iswhen thebridegroomtravels ona horse to theweddingceremony at the

bride'shouse,accompaniedbyhisfriendsandfamilyandatroopofdrummers.

Ithoughttomyself,Great,thiswillbeanamazingrecordingbutwherewillI findthis?WhenI

askedaroundtheinevitableanswerwas,Oh,everywhere.Novemberisthemonthofweddings.

ButeverywherewasformenowhereinDelhi,asIcouldn'tfindmyselftraipsingaroundthecity

onanendlesssearchforaweddingprocession.Butthen,aswasoftenthecaseduringourstayin

Delhi,theanswercamealmostasifbymagic.SomeonefromSaraitoldmethedayafterIram's

interviewthattherewouldbe aweddingrightnextdoorthatevening.Incredible! Thingsstartedtogetgoingaroundnightfall.IwentbacktoSaraiwithmydaughterJosephineand

we stood outside the bride's house trying to record the music, whichdidn't really seem to be

happening yet. Suddenly, a huge roarofdrumseruptedand the procession spilled out on the

streetwithhorses,athrongofpeopleinalltheirfineryandseveralmenbringingupthebackwith

generatorsintowtopowerallthelights.

Westoodbythesideoftheroadandrecordedtheprocessionasitmeanderedbackandforth

betweenthebride'shouseandaHindutemplenotfaraway.Thedrumspannedbackandforth,

recededinthebackground,pushedtotheforeground.Itwasapulsingma ssofbuzzing,snapping

snaredrumssupportedbydeepertuneddholdrums.AsIramstated,justvibrant.


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10.IshShehrawat(musician)

Allthetrainsgoingby,takingoutdifferentintervals.It'salmostlikeasong.IfounditinterestinghowIshtunedintoenvironmentalsoundsasmusicalstatements.Itprobablyshould have comeasnosurprise to me, as Ish isamusician, but then, I seem toknowmany

musicianswhowouldn'tconsiderthesesoundsasmusical.Forme,though,Delhiprovedtobeone

ofthemostmusicalcitiesI'deverspenttimein.AndhereIshcameupwithagoodexampleofa

soundenvironmentwhichprobablyonlyexistsinDelhi.Hehadlivednearatrainstationforsome

time andbecameentrancedwith the incoming andoutgoing trainstooting their airhorns.The

descriptionsoundedgreatbutIcouldn'treallyimaginewhatthisactuallycouldsoundlikenorhow

Iwouldbeabletofindthis.I'dalreadybeenattheOldDelhitrainstationand,thoughthere wereinfacttrainssoundingtheirhornsthere,itlackedthedensityandclarityofIsh'sdescription.

Several days before going home to Zrich, wemade our way to one of Delhi's classic tourist

destinations,Humayun'sTomb,theso-calledlittlebrotheroftheTajMahal.Afterhavingalookat

thetomb,wewentdowntothesurroundingparktoflysomekiteswe'dboughtforthekidsona

triptoVaranasi.Itwasawarmandwindyday.Itookabreakfromkiteflyingandwentovertositin

theshadetocooloff.SuddenlyI heardin thedistancewhatsoundedlikea trainhorn.Andthenanother.IrealizedthatthiswasthesoundIshhadbeenreferringto.Thewindcarriedthesoundof

thesehorns over fromtheNazratNizamuddinrailway station, aboutninekilometers awayfrom

Humayun'sTomb.Itwasinfactabeautifulsound,likeasongandabitmournful.PerhapsIhad

beenreflectingonthefactthatwewouldsoonbeleavingDelhi,acitywhichcouldinequalparts

driveonecrazyandbeutterlycaptivatingatthesametime.

This was another case speaking for never leaving thehouse withoutmy recordingequipment.

Given the time constraints I was working under, Imost certainlywouldhave never found this

soundnomatterhowhardIhadtried.


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Everybellislikesomebodypraying,somebodyaskingforsomething. IramansweredherewithoneofthemostubiquitoussoundstobeheardinIndia:templebells.Inan intensely spiritually conscious country like India, there are temples everywhereandmost of

them have bells. Even in thecourtyardof ourapartment building theneighbors haderected a

smallHindutemple,completewithitsownpriestwhospentthedaysthere,sittinginaspacenot

muchlargerthanhimself.

Andhereagain,an answerwhereasoundisappreciatednotjustforthepleasureof itinandof

itself,butasasymbolofsomethingelse.AsinShwetaUpadhyay'slinktothemuezzin'smorning

calltofeelingyouareconnectedtosomethingbeyond,sotoodotheso undofthesetemplebells

represent a connection to a place or force beyond, something all powerful, benevolent and

nurturing.

ThoughinherinterviewIramreferencedthissoundtoaparknearherhouse,I feltthattherealissueherewasthesoundofthebellsandwhattheyrepresented,nottheparknearIram'shousewhereshesometimesheardthese.AndforthisreasonIdecidedtomaketherecordingataHindu

templenearourapartment.OnceagainI wasamazedathowmanyofthe soundsrecordedfor

UnheardDelhiwereeitherfoundin theneighborhoodwherewewerestayingorfromsounds

whichI'dalreadyrecordedbeforetheactualinterviewshadbeenmade.


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12.SadafRaza(projectsorganizer,ProHelvetiaNewDelhi)

Youcanhearwhenthecityisstillnotupandawakebutitslowlyiswakingup.Andthat'swhen

youheardifferentsounds.SadafRazawasinfactthefirstpersonIinterviewedforUnheardDelhi,andthiswhenshewasinZrich ona tripfor theNewDelhiofficeofthe SwissArts Council Pro Helvetia. I felt that this

recording would be a goodway to end the piece, in stark contrast to its beginning with the

stormingsoundofpeopledemonstrating.Sadafchosenota specificsoundbut,rather,a timeof

daywhereonecouldheardifferentsoundsatall.MuchasIshspokeaboutbeingabletoreactivate

theprocessoflisteningbyvisitingparksinDelhi,sotoodidSadaffindsolaceintheearlymorning

hours,whentheshopswerejustopeningandthedayhadyettofallintothevortexofDelhi'smass

ofnearly17,000,000peopletryingtonavigateitswaythroughthecity.

SittinghereinZrichas Iwritethis,the ideaofbeingabletoheardifferentsoundsseemslike

nothing remarkable. I can hear the wind blowing through the trees, kids playing down in the

courtyard,astreetcarrollingby,thechurchbellringingoutthetimeofdayandbirdssinging.But

then I thinkback to Delhi, to ConnaughtPlace, whichis the areaSadaf gave for beingable to

experiencethisearlymorningsilence.AndIremembernowthat,really,asidefromtheoccasional

rickshawbellorthepiercing,snarlingbuzzofmotorcyclehorns,allIreallycanrecallofthisplaceis

a dense wave of traffic winding around and around a hub of seven major thoroughfares, all

convergingonacircleofupscalerestaurants,boutiquesandtouristtraps.Iliketothinkofmyselfas

atrainedlistener,whichmeansI'vedevelopedasensibilitytolisteningthroughyearsofpractice,

butinDelhi,andperhapslikenoothercityI'vespenttimein,myso -called trainedearsoften

cameupempty,tryasImight.Perhaps,though,empty isthewrongword.Maybeoverloaded

wouldbemore accurate, as the density of this city's soundenvironmentwas like noother I'd

experienced,justin termsof thesheeramountof differentsoundspotentiallyhappeningatany

onemoment.Ofcourse,thereareplacesoflesssoundsorquietersounds,liketheparks,butthese

arefewandfarbetween.Whenonewantstohearmorethen,asSadafsoastutelysummedup,onemustbeupatthecrackofdawn.

Still,IfoundConnaughtPlaceearlyinthemorningnotasshedescribedit.PerhapsIwasn'tthere

earlyenough,orperhapsthecityhasalreadyoutgrownhermemoriesofit.Inanycase, Idecided

tomakearecordingofthisearlymorningenvironmentnotfarfromtheSisganjGurudwara,alarge

SikhTempleinOldDelhionChandniChowk.Ihadtomakeseveraltripstothisareabeforefinding

therighttimeandplacetocapturewhatIthoughtbestrepresentedSadaf'swordsofbeingableto

heardifferentsounds,butwhenIfinallydidmaketherecordingIknewthatperhapsmorethan

anythingelseI'dheardinDelhithiswasthebest.Normally,duringthedaythisknotofwinding

alleywaysandnarrowstreetsisahighpressurezoneofeveryconceivablesound,allatseemingly

fullvolume.Yetintheearlymorningitalmostfeltlikeanabandonedcity.Thiswasthetimeofthe

day whenthe cowswandered listlessly through thestreets and thesnapof door locks clicking

openandstoreshuttersbeingrolledupthunderedlikeexplosions,sodistinctdidtheysoundoutin

contrasttotheslowlywakingcityaroundthem.Andpreciselytheseweresomeoftheunheard

soundsofUnheardDelhiwhichIhadbeenlookingfor.


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JasonKahn.Born1960,NewYork,USA.Composition,installations,percussion,electronics.BasedinZrich,Switzerland. Exhibitionsand concerts inmuseums, galleries, art spaces, festivals and clubs throughoutEurope, NorthandSouth

America, Australia, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon,Malaysia,Mexico, New Zealand, Russia,

Singapore,TurkeyandSouthAfrica.Soundpiecesforfilm,danceandradio.

http://jasonkahn.net


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TickMarkStudiesRamonesRamones(Sire,1976)ByAdamSonderberg

Thealbumswelovehaveiteasy.Iftheyrewithinearshottheycanluxuriateinthe

praisebeitham-fisted,needlesslyabstractorrecklesslypassionateheapedupon

them.Itsarelationshipcomplicatedprimarily,ifatall,byextra-musicalassociations:

variousandsundryhormone-and/oradrenaline-churningexperiencesinvolvinglove,loss,theft,success,orabjectfailure.

IcantrememberwhenIfirstheardtheRamonesdebutalbum,butmyrelationship

with these fourteen songs is doubtlessly mirrored in the lives of countless otherlistenersofallages,therebyrenderingarhapsodicappreciationofitspowertoexcite,

inspire, and transform largely superfluous (and also outside the purview ofWolf

Notes).

TheTickMarkStudiescameaboutasanattempttofrustratemyexperiencewiththis

andotherbelovedrecords.Intheprocess,Ihopedtointerrogatemylisteninghabits

and,asaresult,cultivateanewformofactivelistening.Thefollowingpagesconsist

of two attempts to graphically represent all of the single snare hits present on

Ramones. My idea of active listening consists of a passive body (usually sitting

comfortablyorrecumbent)andactivemind.Bytranscribingtheactivityofthesnare

drum,mybodyplayedanactiveroleinlistening,andthismadeforaphysicallytense

hour.Theresultingdocumentdraws inspirationfrom,and is indebted to, thevisualaestheticsofMinimalism; it attempts to transcribe, embody, andacknowledge the

aural and visual rigor that comprised the foundation of the Ramonesmasterfully

executedcraft.


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Adam Sonderberg is a composer, one-third of Haptic, and former co-director of the DroppEnsemble. He is the author of the recently published American Hours with German Efficiency(Entracte)andmaintainsablogbythesamename.


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ThoughtsonNotBeingaMusician

BySimonReynell

Theresanoteonthestairs:Thingsarenotverygood.Herefusestoeatbecauseof

diarrheasojuice,coffee,tea(inredcanister).MymothersgonetoarehearsalforanEasterperformanceoftheSt.MatthewPassion,andIvecomebacktothehouse

whereI grewupinBradfordtolookaftermy fatherforthehourswhileshesaway.

Hes93andhasbeensubjecttodebilitatinginfectionsformuchofthepastyear.Hes

hadtroubleswallowingforsometime,andfromhisbedroomupstairsIhearanugly,

phlegmycougheveryminuteorsoashetriestoclearhiswindpipe.Hisbalanceis

poor, and several falls haveleft his skinmarkedwith countless dark bruiseswhich

refusetoheal.Intellectuallyhesstillprettymuchthere,andhelistenseverydayto

thenewsinFrenchandGermanaswellasEnglish,buttheconstantailmentsmake

himmiserableandhesreadytodie.

Inmy late teenage years I hated him and we had furious futile arguments about

politics.ButbythetimeIstartedtohavechildren,wedlearnedtosteproundour

ideologicaldifferences.Heretiredfromhisjobasaca rdiologistandmellowed,andI

managedtocontrolmyOedipalrages. Soformychildrenastheygrewuphewasa

lovelygranddad:kind,supportive,non -judgmentalandquietlyloving.

[Ive just been up to check on him, and hes asleep now, curled up with only his

wrinkled face and unruly grey hair poking out of the covers, lookingwizened and

horriblyvulnerable]

Mymother is still active, playing viola in several amateurorchestras and chamber

groups.Forher80thbirthdayafewweeksback16ofhermusicalfriendscameand

spentthedayplayingchambermusicinvarious formationsinfourroomsroundthe

house.WhenIwasyoungshewasjustahousewife,butmyfatherssister whowasan inspirational music teacher encouraged her to take up music again, and itbecamefirstapassionatehobby,thenameansofearninganindependentincomeasshestartedteachingviolinandpianoatalocalschool.

Culture and academic achievement were the two most highly valued things inmy

parents house, and classical musicwas the constant soundtrack aswe grew up -Radio3inthekitchen,andrecordsonthegramophoneinthelivingroom.Andthere

wasalwaysapianointhecornerfirstanupright,thenlateraratherbeautifulbabygrand.Yetneither Inormytwobrotherseverlearnedtoplay.Myfathersbeliefwas


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that ifwereallywanted todo something,weddo itanyway. Im sure that ifwed

asked for lessons,hed have happily paid for them,but none ofuseverdid, even

thoughasteenagerswe spentmostofourpocketmoneyonLPsandlistenedtomusichardandseriously.Ioftensaythatnotlearningtoplaythepianoisthebiggestregret

ofmylife,butIstillstruggletounderstandwhyIdidnt.

** ***

When my father had a stroke about 10 years ago, he knew exactly what was

happening ashe fell to the floorand startedvomiting, but hedidnt know ifhed

recover,beparalysedordie. Infactheregainedvirtuallyallhismobilityremarkably

quickly.Mymotherrangmeandmybrotherstoinformustendayslater,whenhe

was out ofhospitaland itwas clearhe was goingto be alright. For tendaysshe

hadntrungbecauseshedidntwanttoworryusandmakeasonganddanceabout

somethingthatmightturnouttobenothing.

Shesamusician,butshedoesntliketomakeasonganddance.Idontknowif its

just our family, or typical of a subsection of the middle class of my parents

generation, ora featureof social life in a northern industrial citywhereMethodist

attitudeslingerevenamongstnon -believers,butyoudontwanttomakeafussorrisk

lookingstupidbyover-dramatisingthings.Yougetonwithlife,whichusuallyinvolves

serving other peoples needs whether as doctor, teacher or musician. And you

instinctivelydistrustpeoplewhoareshowyorhavepretensions.

Mymother plays music every day, but she hasnt ever composed anything. Shes

contenttoplayotherpeoplescompositions,organiseconcertsandwriteprogrammenotes about the works of great composers. Creativity is for other people aprivilegedfewwhoyourevere,butwithoutbeingfoolishenoughtoimaginethatyou

mighteverbecomeoneofthem.TheyexistsomewhereelseLondonperhaps,ParisorBerlinorVienna,butnotBradford.Andtheyliveanotherkindofexistence:riskier,

moreprecarious, andmoreproneto tragedy. Itsapost-Romantic vision that Ican

critiqueintellectually,butisactuallyquitehardtoshakeoff.Iamafterallmyparentschild;IrunaCDlabel,recordingandproducingdiscsofimprovisedandcuttingedge

contemporarymusic,butIleavethecreativitytoothers,notwantingtomakeasong

anddance-orafoolof-myself.

Singinganddancing:Iprettymuchstoppedsingingattheageof12whenIdecidedI

wasan atheist. Thereafter I stood throughthe hymnsatschoolassemblywithmy

mouthfirmlyanddefiantlyshut.Aftermyvoicebroke,IfoundthatIcouldnolonger

hitthe rightnote,so I stoppedsingingaltogetherfor fearofsoundingstupid. And

dancing.well, I sometimes wonder if part of the reason I embraced avant garde

musicsoferventlyinmylateteenswassothatIw ouldnthavetogotodiscosand

eitherbeawallflowerhanging round theedges, orelse embarrassmyselfwithmy

ungainlyarrhythmicstumblingonthedancefloor.


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FordecadesIvetoldmyselfthatIveleftstartingtoolate.HowcanIenvisageplaying

thepianowithouthavingalready done yearsofpractice? Myhandswillneverbe

suppleenough.InmyMethodist -infusedconsciousness,music likeeverythingelseworthwhile -shouldbetheproductofhardworkandstudiedapplication.Andthefact that I like atonal music shouldnt exempt me from many hours of practicingscales.

ButwithsomeofthemusicIlove,instrumentalvirtuosityisnolongerimportant,let

aloneessential.Anyonecanmakeinterestingsoundswithdigitalelectronics.Thenit

becomesevenmoreterrifying,because theresnolongeranexcuse tohidebehind.

Whats to stop me composing a great piece of electronic music except my own

mediocrity?I fearthatIllbe foundoutandjustconfirmthatImnotcreativeatall,

forallmysecrethopesandpretensions. Self-consciousnessandtimidity aremixed

withsharpself-criticism;Iwasahighachieveracademically,soIcanquicklypickholes

inanddismissanycreativeprojectthatItentativelytrymyhandat.

[Hes woken and has stumbled to the toilet. Incontinence would be the ultimatehumiliationforamanwhosalwaysbeenproudlyindependent,andwould,Imsure,

prompthimtotakethepillsthatwouldenditwhilemymothersawayplayingmusic.

Thatswhyshewantsmehere,soIcanrefillhisglassofgrapefruitjuice,andkeephim

listeningtotheradioandthetickingofhisbedsideclockuntilshesbacktocontinue

thevigil]

**** **

Soam I stuck? Condemned toendlessly serve other peoples creativity insteadofexploringmyown?Itsalltooeasytoblamemyparentsforthewaytheybroughtme

up.Anditsalsotooeasytochastisemyselfin apatternofself-criticismthat doesnothingtobreakthecircle.

Myfathersdyingisinevitablyatimeforself-reflection,andperhapsthatsthejoltI

needtostartdoingaswellasserving.Imalready55andtheclockkeepsticking.Imsure that at first my voice will warble embarrassingly, and my early steps will be

gaucheandclumsy,butperhapsitstimeatlasttoriskmakingasonganddance.

March,2011

SimonReynellhasworkedintelevisionfor25years,mostlyoverthepast12yearsasadocumentary

soundrecordist,in2007hefoundedAnotherTimbreRecords andin2009curatedtheUnnamedMusicfestivalinLondonandLeeds.


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FantasticalZoologybyJephJerman

Iwouldpostulateananimalthatlivesatthefarreachesoftheatmosphere,"hanging"

in space and moving by electric/mechanical energy originating in its thought

processes. Doesn't need to eat, as it exists in a state of not quite becoming, a

nebulous almost-form caught at the transition stage between consciousness and

form. Very difficult to see, but occasionally they do dip closer to us and can be

witnessedwithinfra-redcamerasorgoggles.Whenseen,theyresembl eslightlyjelly

fish without trailing tentaclesormore accurately giant cells that constantlychange

shape, as the edges are continually shifting back and forth between thought and

energy.Theycanbecalleddownbyattractingattentiontooneself.

JephJermanisanAmericansoundartistwhohasrecordedunderthename HandsToandasamemberofmanygroupsincludingAnimistOrchestraandHisMastersVoice.


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Coverimage:TrevorSimmons

TrevorSimmons isbasedinSouthLondon,hasastudioinCamberwell.

Moreofhisworkcanbeseenatwww.okya.co.uk/trevor_simmonsRecentsketchbookworkatwww.mountainofsign.blogspot.com/


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www.compostandheight.com

Wolf Notes Wolf Notes. New Music Publication2

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