FRI. FEB. 21, 11:00 – 17:00
SAT. FEB. 22, 11:00 – 17:00
Please ask for details & pre-register via email, spaces are limited:
williambilwacosta@gmail.com
Workshop will be in English.
with: William “Bilwa” Costa
soundcloud.com/bilwa | williambilwacosta.com
Un/natural Field Recordings//Natural Overdubs is a workshop which utilizes urban, architectural, and natural spaces as a source for cultivating, processing, and over-dubbing sound. This workshop is open to artists of any medium (sound art, experimental music, performance, dance, visual art, etc.) who are interested in experimenting with sound. We will work individually and collaboratively, as an entire as well as in small groups.
GOAL
The goal of the workshop is to experiment with unorthodox methods of recording and processing sound; and to create personal sound palettes which can be used for experimentation, composition, and performance.
Un/natural Field Recordings//Natural Overdubs: Workshop is based on Bilwa’s personal practice, Un/natural Fields, in which he cultivates human-made, digital, analogue, and mechanical sounds, as well as many other incidental sounds which make up a city’s soundscape. Bilwa has recorded on metros and other indoor and outside public spaces, throughout Europe, N. America, and E. Asia.
These found sounds, which are referred to as un/natural field recordings, are over-dubbed (played back and re-recorded) in different locations, with various sonic qualities following time-based or site relative scores. This technique offers a means of effecting, or processing, the original recordings as well as combining sounds which are unique to the different locations.
The result is a palette of complex sounds which contain various qualities as well as cultural references, combined by both choice and chance.
These recording are arranged in multi-track sound palettes which, combined with sine-tones, are used for experimental compositions; employing techniques associated with
Musique Concrète, electronic music, generative music, and auditory illusion including: phasing, oscillation,
binaural beating, cancellation, etc. Using no plug-in effects, sound processing is achieved by multi-track playback and spatialization.
Un/natural Field Recordings Audio recordings comprised of man-made, digital, analogue, and mechanical sounds, as well as many other incidental sounds, which make up a city’s soundscape in public spaces. This process can be done systematically, intentionally, or at random; using various quality levels of recording devices.
During the workshop we will create and execute scores, structures, and choreographies for recording.
Natural Overdubs Recordings are played back, in the same space as the original recording and/or in various spaces with different sound qualities, using the recording device, phones, and portable speakers; essentially “overdubbing” the recording with the sound event happening in the current space. We will experiment with recorder – speaker relationships, alternating the foreground and background sounds; as well as utilizing a spaces sound qualities(reverberation, reflection, echo, noise, etc.). This process can be looked at as a sound intervention/concert and/or a recording session which utilizes public spaces.
DAY 1: RECORDING
We will:
– travel on public transportation to various locations around Berlin
– record a series of Unnatural Field Recordings according to time and space-related scores and structures
– record a series of Unnatural Field Recordings using sine-tones from smart phones
– record a series of Natural Overdubs in spaces with interesting acoustic qualities and incidental sounds
WHAT TO BRING:
– METRO PASS day / week / or month pass for Berlin AB is required
– AUDIO RECORDER / Accessories /windscreen/small tripod/ sd card/etc)
– BATTERIES
– HEADPHONES (preferably over-ear, but if you only have earbuds, please bring them)
– METRO PASS day/week/or month pass for Berlin AB
– SMART PHONE / sound generator app (sine waves)
– BOOK sketchbook /graph paper/ pens
To share (if possible): extra recorder, extra over-ear headphones, and batteries.
NOTE: We will spend most of the time traveling, so please bring ONLY what you need need in a small rucksack.
You will NOT need laptops, controllers, etc. on DAY 1.
DAY 2: PALETTES AND SCORES
We will:
– share recordings and create a personal sound palette of recordings
– each build our “instrument”, or means of playing back the recordings in real-time
– experiment with playback options through loudspeakers, hand held speakers, phones, etc.
– create scores (graphic, time-based, thematic, etc.) based on research during the workshop
– experiment with ways of utilizing individual sound palettes to perform these scores
– Bilwa will explain his personal multi-track playback technique in Ableton.
DAY 2)
– LAPTOP/TABLET / audio software (i.e – Ableton, logic, audacity, quicktime, vlz)
– ACCESSORIES to transfer recordings from recorder/phone to laptop or tablet
– EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE / SD CARD READER
– ACCESSORIES controller/sound card/ + CABLES – mini to stereo jack or jack to jack (as you need)
– HEADPHONES (preferably over-ear, but if you only have earbuds, please bring them)
– BOOK sketchbook /graph paper/ pens
– AUDIO RECORDER / Accessories (BATTERIES /windscreen/small tripod/ sd card/etc)
– HEADPHONES (preferably over-ear, but if you only have earbuds, please bring them)
– SMART PHONE / audio recording app / sound generator (sinewaves)
– BOOK sketchbook /graph paper/ pens
– To share (if possible): extra recorder, extra over-ear headphones, Batteries, mini – jack cables.
The workshop culminates in realizing scores, performed by small ensembles for the other participants, using palettes created during the process.
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Un/natural Field Recordings//Natural Overdubs: Workshop began in Kaunas, LT and has since taken place at Kirtim kult ros centras,Vilnius,LT Liepaja University, LV, and in Berlin, DE at Liebig12, Euphonia Festival, and Backsteinboot, Spandau.