Stench V
December 2009
Come down to The Independent Art Centre on Humberstone Gate on Saturday 12 December 9pm- 2am
Click here for further information on Stench V
PVC & Stench presents…
Stench V – A night of live electronics to rewire your mind.
A sonic line up from some of the UKs finest electronic labels:
Mrs Jynx [planet mu]
Threep [bathysphere]
Myoptik [ping-discs/pvc/centrifuge]
Roy Of The Ravers [centrifuge]
Wassim [centrifuge]
Felis [Kontakt]
Only £5 for a night of spectacular visuals, fine sonics and interactive multimedia at The Arts Organisation Leicester.
68-70 Humberstone Gate, Leicester, LE1 3PL.
www.stench.org.uk
www.thecentrifuge.co.uk
www.planet-mu.com
Another opportunity to loan a pair of headphones and MP3 player to listen to the binaural audio recording made especially for Humberstone Gate! Sit on one of the benches opposite the Independent Art Centre and have a listen…
Humberstone Gate IAC recording
October 2009
The Independent Art Centre (based in Leicester on Humberstone Gate) will create an opportunity for the introduction of the arts to the community with gallery spaces, a stage, cafe, studio, office and workshop spaces. The building has recently been refurbished and is due to open Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October. The opening will coincide with Oxjam Leicester, a national music festival, with the aim to raise money and awareness for Oxfam. As part of Oxjam Leicester, artist led forum Stench (performance, experimental music and digital art based in Leicester) will host a day of experimental and electronic music featuring Stench members at The Independent Art Centre.
I was asked to contribute to the day and have produced a site specific binaural audio recording in response to The Independent Art Centre and the surrounding environment. The soundscape should be listened to whilst sat on one of the benches facing the Independent Art Centre through stereo headphones and is available to download.
Please listen to Humberstone Gate IAC here via stereo headphones or you can pick up a pair of headphones and mp3 player at The Independent Art Centre on Sunday 24 October 4pm- 11pm.
Panoramic view of Humberstone Gate
The Independent Art Centre
Other businesses surrounding The Independent Art centre
Research and recordings for Humberstone Gate Soundscape
September- October 2009
The final soundscape was composed using binaural audio recordings taken from a bench opposite the Independent Art Centre. Recordings were also taken in the shops next to the Independent Art Centre, including the taxi rank and my journey to and from Humberstone Gate via bus and taxi. The building that now hosts the IAC used to be a Walkabout club, therefore recordings from the Walkabout based on Granby Street were added in to reflect past events and previous usage of the building. Observations of the environment, its inhabitants, passersby were noted (whilst sat on a bench opposite the IAC) and the opinions of local businesses and discussions surrounding the opening of the IAC collated, some of which were added to the final soundscape.
Recording at Walkabout bar, Granby Street, Leicester
River Soundscapes
August- October 2009
My journey to work takes me past the canal in Leicester and the River Trent in Nottingham. Binaural audio recordings have been taken from each river, a sample soundscape has been produced from Leicester Canal with the intention of comparing and contrasting it to a sample from the River Trent. Binaural Media have recently announced the opportunity for 12 artists to work as part of the Nodar residency programme in Portugal to undertake a 2-week project using the Paiva River as a source for inspiration.
For more information of River Soundscapes please click on the link www.riversoundscapes.blogspot.com
Please listen to Leicester Canal (sample) via stereo headphones. Approx 40 secs.
Looking over Trent bridge- I see him everyday on my way to work.
Walk With Me
April- June 2009
Nottingham castle has a turbulent history- dating back to 1068 when the castle was built out of wood by William the conqueror, it has been re-made in stone, been host to royal residents, turned into a mansion, damaged by the civil war and burnt down during riots in 1831.
The ‘castle’ is now a museum and art gallery open to visitors all year round, hosting contemporary exhibitions, events and outdoor theatre.
I have been commissioned to produce a binaural audio walk for the grounds of the castle for visitors to access during Spring 2009. Please visit the link below for further information. www.castlewalkwithme.blogspot.com
Walk With Me is a site specific binaural audio walk for the grounds of Nottingham Museum and Gallery. Please listen to Walk With Me via stereo headphones. Approx 11 mins.
Walk With Me in the grounds of Nottingham Museum and Art Gallery
Annual
December 2008- January 2009
The Collection (gallery and museum) based in Lincoln, invited me to produce work as part of their ongoing artist in residence programme for a month.
I produced Annual, a binaural audio installation for the studio space of The Collection by capturing audio from around the city, including the Christmas fair and Lincoln Cathedral.
For more information on the Annual residency please visit www.lucythecollectionstudio.blogspot.com
Annual was a site specific binaural audio installation based at The Collection studio space. Please listen to Annual via stereo headphones. Approx 2 mins 30 secs.
The Christmas Market based at Lincoln Castle was a site specific recording to be listened to at Lincoln Castle. Please listen to via stereo headphones. Approx 1 min 30 secs.
Christmas Eve at Lincoln Cathedral was a site specific recording to be listened to at Lincoln Cathedral. Please listen to via stereo headphones. Approx 3 mins 30 secs.
Annual installation in The Collection studio space
Producing a soundtrack for Gold soundz
September 2008
The context for the artwork produced for the Gold Soundz exhibition is based on inspirational music.
I was introduced to the work of Amon Tobin, a Brazilian musician, DJ, and producer of sample-based music by a friend and DJ (Dez), who partly collaborated with me to produce the soundtrack for the exhibition.
The structure of the track was based on simple drum beats created by Dez and mixed together with binaural audio recordings taken from inside the gallery, including the upstairs studio areas, workshop space and kitchen and the outside area of the gallery. The window design using hazard tape was designed by Geoff Litherland (curator and artist for Gold Soundz).
Gold Soundz was a window space binaural audio installation, produced as part of a group exhibition for Southwell Artspace. Please listen to Untitled (Southwell Artspace) via stereo headphones. Approx 2 mins 30 secs
Lucy listening to soundscape
Dez listening to soundscape
Gold Soundz
August 2008
Curated by Geoff Diego Litherland, an exhibition which contains artwork inspired by music , especially music played with guitars often quite loudly.
Opening Saturday 27 September, the exhibition is an electic mix of drawings, paintings, sculpture, videos, print, books, music and sound installations and contains a FREE animation activity for groups of children, young people and families.
-Frances and Alison, Southwell Artspace, Nottinghamshire
Gold- Soundz flyer
Rome
June 2008
A short trip to Rome was a great opportunity to gather some unusual audio.
The audio taken from Santa Maria della Concezione and the crypt (below the church) was a surreal experience. As I walked into the church the blarring sound of the traffic disappeared behind me. I could hear the faint sound of people shuffling in their seats and the church bell chiming. I got up to walk to the front area and just as I did the people right at the front started to pray and chant, I quickly went back to my seat because I didnt want to intrude, but still sat to listen.
The crypt below the church presented a very uncomfortable and sad environment. The cold atmosphere and poignant music really affected its visitors, including myself- making me feel anxious and as if I were intruding. I managed to pick up the sound of the church bells and other visitors comments as they walked past me.
*Please listen to Santa Maria della Concezione and crypt via stereo headphones. Approx 3.30 minutes
View from our hotel in Rome
The Crypt below Santa Maria della Concezione
Singing waiters in Rome
The Big Session, Leicester
June 2008
The Big Session is a music folk festival based in Leicester.
The recorded binaural audio has captured many features of the festival including the bands, singer/song writers, the audience cheering and clapping, people talking, joking, laughing and sharing gossip.
The level of volume from the music and crowds of people reveals the change in ambience as the listener is taken on a journey around the festival.
Please listen to The Big Session 2008 via stereo headphones. Approx 3 mins
The Big Session 2008 flyer
Craft and food stalls at The Big Session
Main stage
Big Kids workshop assistants
Wollaton Hall Gardens and Deer park, Nottingham
May 2008
The binaural audio recorded at this site includes the environment inside Wollaton Hall, including the staff and visitors and sounds from the park area, including people playing games and traffic.
When recording binaural audio, it can be frustrating when great sounds are not recorded and documented, for example: an elderly couple arguing as they walked towards me and a couple shouting at a dog who had stolen part of their picnic! However, for me the whole process of recording binaural audio is about trying to silently observe the surrounding environment, but this can be a challenge when you desperately want to comment on your surroundings, laugh or sneeze!
Please listen to Wollaton Hall and Deer Park via stereo headphones. Approx 2 minutes
Stuffed animal heads inside Wollaton Hall
Wollaton Hall
Monkey Forest
April 2008
Trentham in Stoke-on-Trent has a monkey reserve containing one hundred and forty Barbary Macaque monkeys.
The binaural recording was a little disappointing because the monkeys didn’t make any sounds at all, although I did capture the tour guide giving a talk, as well as a video explaining how the monkeys survive the harsh British winters and the general ambiance of the place (birds singing and rivers flowing). With this soundscape I believe the best part of the audio to describe the experience was from the gasps and shouts of excitement from the children.
*Please listen to Monkey Forest via stereo headphones. Approx 3 mins
Monkey Forest, Stoke on Trent
My practice
April 2008
During the MA in Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University between 2006- 2007, I discovered Binaural audio, a technique which records audio using in-ear microphones. Artist Janet Cardiff has been using binaural audio for over 10 years to produce contemporary audio walks and soundscapes. Her binaural audio walks are site specific and guide the listener through a space with directional instructions. After experiencing her work “Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller: Recent Works”, including Forty Part Motet at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield I became inspired to experiment with binaural audio.
At the moment I’m looking for open locations in Nottingham and Leicester to record binaural audio.
The presence of a certain location or building together with its purpose, physical presence, ambience, character, history and the individuals that occupy it are the starting point to produce any audio walk or installation.
Conscious Void
Binaural Audio Installation and Textile Hanging, December 2007.
The Upstairs Gallery, The City Gallery, Leicester.
Collaboration with Cat Preston
MA Fine Art Nottingham Trent University graduates Lucy Stevens and Cat Preston collaborated on a five- day exhibition at the Upstairs Gallery of The City Gallery to combine traditional textiles with binaural audio recordings.
Using the Upstairs Gallery of The City Gallery as a host, the installation allows visitors to interact with the physical environment by touching the textile hanging and moving through the shadows produced by the delicate and carefully cut flower design. Preston responds to the beauty of the traditional feminine craft and its endurance of creation, creating a textile divide within the gallery space.
The space behind the textile hanging invites the visitor to listen to binaural audio via stereo headphones. The spot lights and shadows act as a enclosure putting the visitor in a position of complete physical and mental immersion. The binaural audio was gathered on site at The City Gallery and from other locations, including Bridgford Park and the Nine Ladies Stone Circle to give a sense of transportation from inside to outside and much further away, as if accessing Stevens’ different memories all at once.
- Listening to Conscious Void
- The Upstairs Gallery at The City Gallery
*Please listen to Conscious Void via stereo headphones. Approx 3 mins
Bellytastic
Binaural Audio Installation, July 2007.
MAzing group exhibition, The Arts Organisation, Nottingham
For this particular binaural audio installation I felt it was important to produce a recording that was site specific and reflected the location and the events that took place. Not only did the location cater for art lovers but also as an entertainment source. I found myself in the audience of an Arabic Shimmies and Shakes belly dancing event.
The binaural audio takes the listener on a journey through the evening, as they experience a collection of audio including jangling skirts and jewellery bouncing off dancing belly dancers, a man talking loudly on his mobile phone, people from the audience whispering, talking and helping the host remember the names of the performers and a DJ who (no matter how hard he tried) could never get the correct song to each performance much to the annoyance of the belly dancers.
- Image from Bellytastic event
- Listening to Bellytastic
- MA Fine Art flyer
*Please listen to Bellytastic via stereo headphones. Approx 5.30 mins
Unheard Sounds
Binaural Audio walk, July 2007.
Feast MA Exposition, Nottingham Trent University
Visitors to the exhibition were invited to borrow an MP3 player and go on a guided walk. With the unsettling preamble: ‘I usually only hear it at night’, the narrator takes the listener on a journey, directing them down steps, round corners, through doors, to a dark space where ‘ the air feels heavy and damp, making it hard to breathe’ and where a moving black shadow appears just at the edge of vision. The narrator’s superstitions (‘I try to avoid the white tape on the stairs’) and fears (‘we’re being followed…’) are reinforced by sinister music, strategically placed, and by the ambient sounds of accompanying footsteps, of doors opening right on cue, of drilling, banging, a gasp of fear, thunder, running water, the echo of a voice, a brief, muffled commotion and then, the narrator’s voice stops – silence – until another voice, as if over a two-way radio, announces the discovery of a dead body.
Listening to the recording, our awareness is heightened at the same time as it is bemused, disorientated: the particular qualities of binaural recording create a 360- degree experience of sound which blurs the line between fiction and reality, so that we are thrown off-balance, unsure what is ‘live sound’ and what is recorded: prey to our own imagination.
- Deborah Dean, Visual Art & Exhibitions Manager, Nottingham City Museums and Galleries
- Listening to Unheard Sounds
- Unheard Sounds exhibition space
- MA Fine Art flyer
*Unheard Sounds is a site specific binaural audio walk, to be listened to at the Bonington building at Nottingham Trent University. Please listen to Unheard Sounds via stereo headphones. Approx 5 mins
The Sounds of the Playhouse
Binaural Audio Walk, June 2007.
Offsite MA group exhibition, The Playhouse, Nottingham
The Sounds of the Playhouse is a direct response to the Playhouse Theatre and a recent showing of the mystery thriller ‘I Have Been Here Before’ by J.B. Priestly. The play was based on the Russian philosopher P.D.Ouspensky’s theory about individuals repeating their life cycle unless they can seize opportunities to free themselves from repeating past errors.
This theory informs the binaural audio walk when changes in time, space and the narrative occur, distorting the listeners reality and physical surroundings with suggestions from the past.
Visitors follow the artists directions through the Playhouse Theatre and become involved in the stories embedded in the recorded instructions and suggestions. At the end of the walk listeners find themselves in a noisy bar, a telephone rings and an edgy voice instructs the participant to ‘collect a black briefcase with a red handle’ that has been left by a man positioned outside behind the Sky Mirror sculpture, with the added warning that they ‘don’t have much time left and to be careful because everyone is listening’. However the last suggestion to collect a briefcase was just a ploy to discover how immersed the listener became in the fictional reality that had been created.
The walk uses binaural audio- a means of recording that achieves incredibly precise three- dimensional sound to create an experience of physical immediacy and complexity.
- Listening to The Sounds of the Playhouse
- Listening to The Sounds of the Playhouse
- Off Stage exhibition flyer
*Please listen to The Sounds of the Playhouse via stereo headphones. Approx 4 mins
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