Acoustical Illusions (mix)

“Acoustical Illusions”, a part of the “Hum in the Room-trilogy” (2005), is dedicated to the environmental sounds that sound like distant choirs or orchestras.

Sometimes when you listen to sounds in your environmental background, they may vaguely sound like a full string orchestra, or like soft whispering voices.
An orchestra tuning? Cars passing on the highway?Sound that sound different from what they really are – Acoustical Illusions.

Like the other wo mixes in this set (“Mantra of Walls and Wiring” and “The Hum in the Room“) this is a very minimal, drone-oriented mix.

And probably, you’ll also hear some sounds that aren’t even in it!

Mantra of Walls and Wiring (mix)


Wire

Mantra of Walls and Wiring” is the first of a set of three one hour mixes created in 2005.
The other two are “The Hum in the Room” and “Acoustical Illusion” (will follow later).

As you can read from the titles, these mixes thematically deal with the sound you can hear in your living environment; the ‘everyday hum‘ surrounding you.

I got inspired for this theme when I listened to a slowly fading ambient-cd…and finally realised the cd had already stopped for quite a while and I was obviously listening to (and enjoying) the hum of my own refrigerator!
Since then the household environmental sounds do not disturb me anymore…they became part of the music I’m playing.

Starting point of these programs is the text Paul Simon wrote for Philip Glass‘s ‘Changing Opinion’ (‘Songs from Liquid Days’), featured here in an extremely ‘deconstructed’ version (full text below).

Compared to the previous mixes these mixes are less accessible for listeners not used to ‘ambient drone music’.
These are the most ‘minimal’ mixes, containing some very strange combinations: the David Darling recording with the Wulu Bunun for example (which may give the feeling you are lifted into the sky) flowing into the sound of eternal rest of Eliane Radigue, followed by Herbert‘s sound of home-cooking bringing you back to your own private home.

As in all mixes, there are some dark and tense parts. This is not meant to be ‘new age happiness’ at all.
But in fact its serene timelessness never fails to amaze me.

*More* Reactions

Deze man maakt zulke mooie soundscapes/ambient etc…al jaren, dat er in mijn vriendenkring en zeker daar buiten een aardige “hype” is ontstaan. Of het nu “folio” is of “supplement” maakt niet uit. Voor iedereen die een PC heeft is dit uniek. Er wordt veel gemailed in de trant van “heb…

The Hum in the Room (mix)

“The Hum in the Room” the final part of the three-part mix dedicated to … the hum in your room

The buzz that you suddenly notice, that appears to have been there forever but unnoticed – until this moment.
The sound that will be there forever from now.
The hum that appears to come from the inside of your head, and that keeps changing when you turn your head or walk through the room.
The noise that can irritate as well as fascinate.

Or, to quote John Cage from a 1937 lecture: “Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it fascinating. The sound of a truck at 50 m.p.h. Static between the stations. Rain. We want to capture and control these sounds, to use them, not as sound effects, but as musical instruments.