Amazonian Traces of Self

Additional Information

Through the use of field recordings, voice improvisation, electronics and text, this performance explores the intimate intersection of environmental listening and the human voice, resonating current environmental and political issues related to anthropogenic processes, the human voice and language.​

“For places are as potentially reverberant as they are reflective, and one’s embodied experiences and memories of them may dray significantly on the interplay of that resounding-ness and reflective-ness.”​

In his 1996 Waterfalls of Song, ethnomusicologist Steven Feld describes the central role of listening and reverberation in the Kaluli culture of Papua New Guinea’s rainforest. In Amazonian Traces of Self, I recall my immersive rainforest listening experiences, using both high-quality field recordings that were recorded using binaural microphones to capture a 3-dimensional sound image, as well as a unique live set-up of two condenser microphones to create spatial vocal textures and harmonies.​

The piece is comprised of two parts: the first part is a non-textual sound work combining field recordings and live voice improvisation; the second part is a text written and read by myself.​

Created as a response to my experience in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest as part of the Labverde artist residency in August 2019. Supported by the Art for the Environment (AER) programme. ​

The piece was premiered as part of the “Other Creatures, Entities and Faint Beings” event at Cafe OTO London, curated David Toop (August 28th, 2019). Also appeared at Levontin 7 (Tel-Aviv, IL), Mazkeka (Jerusalem, IL), IKLECTIK (London, UK, as part of "The Field is Not a Field" curated by Mark Peter Wright). 

 

 

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Year

Recordings

Date published
23/1/20
Date recorded
27/8/19
Performers
Yifeat Ziv
Title
Amazonian Traces os Feld live at Cafe OTO London
Venue
Cafe OTO