Andy Backhouse

Biography

I record the aural landscape – both the natural and urban environment – much as a photographer would document nature and streets. These found clips and recordings become tessellations of sound. Listen to my work and hear how I move through the world – either as a disposable happenstance or as a thing of beauty.

Whether birdsong or the sounds of people slinking home from a night of indulgence, each sound becomes a texture and a colour in the presentation, every noise a synaesthesic exploration of how living creatures move through the world around us.

Having spent part of my childhood deaf, I now suffer from an unusual perception disorder. I have no clear recollection of past events – so each field recording is a document of my empirical reality, collected in a way that is both art form and science. I distinctly remember the first time I heard my mother’s voice and when I also heard birdsong for the first time. This turned my world on its head – I hope I can present the world afresh to the listeners of my work, much as this paradigm shift affected me.

I also run the label, Focused Silence. Focused Silence is an independent record label, publisher and music supervisor, releasing and licensing various electronic, folio and jazz music since 2016. What began as a playful interaction between electronic music and experimental art projects has developed over the years under the tutelage of music lovers and label entrepreneur Andy B into a multi-faceted international artists’ portfolio with an astonishing output.

I wanted to be surrounded by art - I did not want to horde art in my house so I decided to set aside the money I would have used for that and I invested it in artists - Focused Silence was born.

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Simon Godsave

Harrogate
United Kingdom