day 01 – hello

Hi!

It is a pleasure to introduce myself, my work and what I will be doing for the next two weeks as an artist in residence at Magnet Studios, Coburg, Melbourne.

I am currently recording the sound of my typing, which is taking place in a very small room at the far end of the large, former mushroom farm which makes up Magnet Studios. The room I am in is pictured below. It has been treated with foam wedges to lessen reverberation. I believe it is known as ‘the cave’ ‘the cupboard’, which makes sense given it is very small.

As I write, and record, and think about what to say here, I am also listening to how each letter of these words, each keystroke sounds. For example, letter ‘p’ on this keyboard is a bit sticky. It requires significantly more ppppppppppppppressure. It even sounds different though the microphone. Via my headphones the sounds of these words, as they are travel from my mind, through my fingers, into a Text Edit document, is pleasing. Rhythmic and crispy. Within the text document I have the ability to go back, to edit, add, rearrange, correct, qualify, however the microphone captures any and all revisions and amendments I make. What is records is a stream of consciousness, warts and all. Thinking and listening intently to what I am doing, especially with the distance created by the microphone and headphones, is accompanied by an odd, grounding sensation. 

Now, already, after only a few hours, I am finding my time here an interesting experience.

For a long time I have been interested in how sounds sound differently when heard via a microphone; how the apparatus of recording leaves a mark on those moments it preserves, which are always already forever altered. Distinct. Not what they might have been, or would have been had the microphone not been ‘listening in’.

I am at this stage unsure of how many of these messages I will be writing. For now, I hope these thoughts are an appropriate introduction to my work, and to some of the ideas informing it. For the next fortnight, I will be here, at Magnet, preparing two pieces for live performance over 4 channels. This will take place on the 21st July.