The 14 Pilgrims and the Ears of an Elephant
Amanda Stuart
Magnetosphere
(2016)
In Magnetosphere, the raw audio samples of the earth’s magnetic radio waves are transformed into an evolving cosmic landscape, with unfolding harmonics, static glitches and an expanding aura of textural turmoil.
Planet Earth naturally produces electromagnetic radio waves, which can be converted to sound waves using a VLF (very low frequency) receiver allowing us to hear this “Earth Song”.
The sounds are identified as:
Sferics and Tweeks—atmospherics emitted by lightning strokes.
Whistlers—originating from thunderstorms, meteorites or after earthquakes, interacting with plasma particles in the radiation belts.
Dawn Chorus—Chorus waves generated near the magnetic equator, peaking at local dawn, sounding like birds singing and called “killer electrons” as they can cause damage to satellites and harm astronauts.
Hiss—low-frequency radio waves evolved from chorus waves which deflect speedy particles in the earth’s upper atmosphere.
Original audio samples courtesy of CARISMA (The Canadian Array for Realtime Investigations of Magnetic Activity, operated by the University of Alberta and funded by the Canadian Space Agency)
Performances include New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, SOUND/IMAGE22 Festival – Greenwich London, Earth Day Art Festival – Indianapolis
—Amanda Stuart
As Spenta Armaiti gazes down upon the cosmic Occident—our world of ephemeral accidentals—our terrestrial world—our tomb… she talks to us. The language is opaque and only few can understand her. Those few, the 14 Pilgrims of the Spirit—yeah, they know the score.
I’ve listened to Magnetosphere numerous times over the past few weeks and, through its immaculate use of dynamics and sounds inconceivable to even the biggest of those with Big Ears, a mystery it remains. To me, the secret of this pristine work of sound art may (or may not) lie in the mutually agreed shift— where I allow myself to tip the hourglass of subject/object upside down.
This music works like that. Sure, it holds its secrets close to the vest, but there are moments of disclosure. These moments of significatio passiva are gifted, not often, but occasionally, and they are extremely short lived—but lived they are. I become the object these sounds insinuate themselves into—an open, passive vessel where, for an imaginal instant, a ta’wil turn toward the horizon and, with surgical precision— plumb the depths of “me”.
Will I ever know the score, figure it all out, get all the answers?
Nah.
Those 14 Pilgrims I mentioned. They’ve developed a resonance with the sublime above all others. They’ve got the ears of an Elephant. (The thought of that makes me laugh.)
Me? I just keep listening.
—Michael Eisenberg
(Artist Note—a word on the images. After creating MAGNETOSPHERE – The acousmatic surround sound piece – I later went on to create a video using layered visualiser images. The photos are screenshots from the video.)
Amanda Stuart is a celebrated composer & multimedia artist known for crafting immersive soundscapes & audiovisual works that evoke profound emotion and drama. Amanda earned her MMUS in Creative Music Technology – Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with Distinction. “Song of the Trees” won the IAWM Pauline Oliveros International Prize for Electroacoustic Media (2015). Not Missing You received an Honorary Mention for the same prize (2014)—Boston Classical Review “As beautiful to look at as it is to hear.”
Performances include
MA/IN 2023 International Festival – Experimental Film & Video – Italy
Intermediaciones X – Video Art & Experimental Video – Medellín
ACMC – ElectroMUSE Concert Series Sydney
Videobardo Poetry Festival – Buenos Aires
Earth Day Art Model Festival – Indianapolis
New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival – New York
International Computer Music Conference – Perth
Understanding Visual Music Festival – Buenos Aires
SMC/SMAC Joint Conference – Stockholm
Amanda is a multidisciplinary artist working across composition, sound, video and digital media. To see, hear and savor her entire portfolio (including the delightfully cosmic video that pairs with this piece)—please visit her very extensive web page.
Andre Perim
Gaia
(2023)
Gaia is an Electronic/electroacoustic composition inspired by a transcendental/spiritual encounter between the East and the West musical cultures.
My electronic music production began during a very difficult time of being hospitalized, when it was impractical to produce music in the traditional way. I was forced to discover new techniques that led me to new discoveries. “Gaia” was one of the fruits of these experiences and was released as a track from my 2023 album Nomad, where I blend electronic and electroacoustic experiences with influences from ethnic music from places like Brazil, Africa, India, Jamaica, Japan, and more…
—Andre Perim
As Spenta Armaiti gazes down upon the cosmic Occident—our world of ephemeral accidentals—our terrestrial world—our tomb, she’s done talking—now… she’s revealing. The great game of show and tell has progressed to the next horizon. Our story, at least the story we are conscious of living is locked in time and our mandate is to look skyward.
Linearity advances to verticality—and verticality is the path to the eternal. In Gaia, the landscape is not so much presented, it’s not laid out—but revealed—or better yet, bequeathed. My (average size) ears tell me that the piece is a sonic recital. It glistens and shimmers in the royal light of pure luminescence. To put it another way, Gaia is a trip report where the report itself IS the trip.
The attentive, and well-intentioned listener will start to notice things. Perceptions will shatter expectations, and sound objects will become symbols. Gaia is alive, teeming with Being and your Presence is humbly requested.
So, dress to the nines and don’t forget to bring the biggest ears you can find to complete the ensemble. This is one cocktail party where the networking opportunities are endless. Just be warned: once you’ve been to this kind of party, you may find the usual small talk intolerably terrestrial. Here, even the ice cubes whisper cosmologies if you listen long enough.
—Michael Eisenberg
Andre Perim is a Multimedia Artist, Musician and Composer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, his work is focused on a critical view of the relation between technology and language in the digital era.
In 2018 released “Side Effects” produced during a long period inside a hospital due to a cancer disease treatment. In 2022, it became a Radio Show broadcasted by the RTM FM Radio, from London. Also produced “XAM”, dedicated to the indigenous Brazilian people, composed during the burning of the Amazonian rain forest in 2019 and presented at The Climate Change Conference COP 26 (2021) in Glasgow (Scotland). In 2022 released an auto-biographical book relating his experiences.
For a complete rundown of Andre’s artistic endeavors, check out his Bandcamp and web page.
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