The Periphery Archives engages with the heterogeneous nature of thinking and dreaming, and the ways that they overlap. One specific avenue that I was interested in was the liminal space in our minds, between fully conscious and unconscious thought. Freud coined this area of the mind the ‘preconscious’, whereby our repressed and unconscious thoughts are still available for later recall. Through the work’s five sections, I wanted to explore the fleeting nature of this cognitive processing, specifically the way that our memories; aspirations; worries and interests regularly wrestle for attention and have the ability to blur into each other. The tension between clarity and the warped imperfections of our recall informs the relationship between the music, images and text throughout the piece.

I. Go With Me Somewhere

Around the time I was starting this piece, something that sporadically permeated my thoughts was my favourite scene in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive and the memory of my first reactions to watching it.

Interlude I. February, 16th

A short song. The words are taken from one of Franz Kafka’s diary entries.

Can’t see my way clear. As though everything I possessed had escaped me, and as though it would hardly satisfy me if it all returned.

II. In the Shadow of Ms. Lincoln

Ensemble featuring recordings of the jazz singer and civil rights activist, Abbey Lincoln, both in her songs and in interviews.

Interlude II. 9 Mementos for Siblings

Trio for viola, cello and piano featuring tape snippets that my older sister, Lily and I made on our toy recorder, aged four and eight.

III. Threads

The ensemble attempts to recall some of their preconscious thoughts while sharing some of mine.