Soft and Loud (2001)

Soft and Loud is a series of compositions based on sounds recorded in Japan between December 1999 & January 2001. Field recordings gathered in a diverse range of locations in Kanto & Kansai form the fabric of the compositions. The work attempts to piece together the plurality of sonic experiences permeating throughout the Japanese sonic landscape. Of particular interest is the cohesion in which artificially generated sounds are incorporated within the generally subdued natural acoustic environment. From the sweet call of electronic birds to the metallic blast of the neighbourhood Pachinko Parlour, from the mesmerisingly melodious pedestrian crossing to the mournful pre-recorded call of the chestnut salesman, sound is an active agent on call twenty-four hours a day. However intriguing the artificial is, the strangely muted quality of Japan is also a source of fascination. Conversations are carefully guarded, often whispered, as cars silently glide by. A massive city like Tokyo can be thunderously noisy, however it has a calmness to it that can be quite unsettling. It is the point blurring the artificial with the natural, and that of noise with silence that is of most interest to me when constructing this work.

Artist

• Samartzis, Philip

Works by Same Artist

• Transparency (2001)