| Description | : ALLUVIAL RECORDINGS A17, 2003; DER HOCHKREATIVE KLANGKONZEPTKÜNSTLER JANEK SCHAEFER MIT EINER KURIOSEN ELEKTRO-AKUSTISCHEN ARBEIT ZUM THEMA WETTER: DIESE BESTEHT AUS DIVERSEN SOUNDQUELLEN: WETTERVORHERSAGEN & ALTE MEDIENBERICHTE ÜBER WETTERPHÄNOMENE, FIELD RECORDINGS VON "WEATHER-BALLOONS" AUS LUFTIGER HÖHE, TORNADO- UND WETTERAUFNAHMEN VERSCHIEDENSTER ART... , DAS GANZE EDEL VERPACKT MIT AUFWENDIGEM FULL-COLOUR BOOKLET ! , ..MY INITIAL IDEAS WERE TO CREATE AND COLLECT NEW SOUNDS THAT WERE RELATED TO THE CONCEPT OF WEATHER IN THE BROADEST SENSE, TO DOCUMENT AND RESEARCH WEATHER IN THE MEDIA, AND TO FLOAT RECORDING EQUIPMENT UP ON WEATHER BALLOONS IN VARIOUS WAYS. THESE PROCESSES WERE INTEGRAL AS MY FOCUS WAS ON SOUND ASSOCIATED WITH THE WEATHER, IN PREFERENCE TO PRISTINE RECORDINGS OF THE WEATHER FIRST HAND. AN OBVIOUS EXCEPTION, IN MY LAST WEEK, WAS THE STORM OF 40 TORNADO WARNINGS THAT TOUCHED DOWN AROUND THE FRINGES OF THE CITY. THE WEATHER BALLOONS WERE USED IN 3 MAIN WAYS. FIRSTLY ONE ICY WINTERS MORNING I ATTACHED A MOBILE PHONE TO RECEIVE AND SEND LOW RESOLUTION SOUND, LETTING IT FLOAT AWAY FROM THE SURFACE OF A FROZEN LAKE. SECONDLY USING A DIGITAL DICTAPHONE I MADE TIME LAPSE RECORDINGS OF THE SKY BY FLOATING IT 500FT ABOVE MY LUSH METROPOLITAN NEIGHBOURHOOD. LASTLY THREE ALL AMERICAN FRIENDS AND I SET OUT TO SHOOT THE BALLOON DOWN LATE ONE JUNE AFTERNOON LEAVING THE SOUND TO PARACHUTE BACK TO EARTH. I LET THE RECORDINGS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, NO EFFECTS, NO EQ, JUST STRAIGHT CUT & SPLICE COLLAGE WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THE EDGES OF TIME. SOME OTHER SOUNDS COLLECTED INCLUDE: UNDERWATER ICE SKATERS; FLAPPING; OLD METEOROLOGICAL KIT; LEAF BLOWERS; REPAIRING WEATHER DAMAGE; VARIOUS 60'S ARCHIVE AUDIO; MELTING ICE, SKI ACROSS SNOW, MINNESOTA FORECASTS ON RADIO, IN THE CAR AND ON TV; TORNADO CHASING & TEST EQUIPMENT; SNOW FLAKES LANDING ON MIC; SQUEAKY TREE; NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALLOON LAUNCH; WALKIE TALKIE TONES FROM MY SCIENCE MUSEUM WORKSHOP ETC. OH, AND ALL TEMPERATURES IN FARENHEIGHT. THE RESULT IS A HIGHLY COMPRESSED FOUND SOUND STORY, HEARD AS A DRIFTING VOICEMAIL MESSAGE FROM THE WEATHER BALLOON. A HYBRID DOCUMENTARY COLLECTED AND EDITED OUTDOORS, WHERE IT IS DESIGNED TO BE HEARD WHILE WALKING WITH HEADPHONES....SO... GO FIND A WALKMAN! (JANEK SCHAEFER) |
