2019 Season
By 2019, Constellations had established itself in a weird little corner of the audio world, leading to more artists and producers making original works for us. Our third season is comprised primarily of new works made especially for Constellations. Working alongside these artists in a curatorial capacity, we continued to craft our in-between space: not quite narrative audio, not quite sound art, but solidly somewhere that people wanted to be with us.
Many of these works were created by emerging artists and producers, who had an idea to create a work outside of their comfort zone and experiment with something new. With a heavy emphasis on field recordings, many of these works were recorded outside of the studio setting, with an emphasis on place, memory, and time.
Whisper Study
Hildegard Westerkamp
July 12, 2019
"Whisper Study started out as an exercise in exploring basic tape techniques in the studio, using... "Whisper Study started out as an exercise in exploring basic tape techniques in the studio, using the whispered voice as sound material. It’s based on the sentence 'When there is no sound, hearing is most alert.'"
Point Pelee
Ayaz Kamani
June 21, 2019
"All the birds exploded to life simultaneously, like someone was conducting them. Like they were... "All the birds exploded to life simultaneously, like someone was conducting them. Like they were all conducting each other. It was beautiful, symphonic."
H:O:M:E
Amias Hanley
June 7, 2019
"I explored holding and responding. I explored the possibilities of sound as a facilitator and... "I explored holding and responding. I explored the possibilities of sound as a facilitator and communicator of memories, embodied and expressed. I explored themes of death, displacement, collective memory, and personal stories."
I/a Recording
Aidan McMahon
May 10, 2019
"This piece is about the tension between experience and the impulse to record it. The two, I... "This piece is about the tension between experience and the impulse to record it. The two, I believe, are incompatible."
EMDR
James T. Green
April 24, 2019
"Whenever I was alone, I always heard this internal monologue that was trying to take over. It... "Whenever I was alone, I always heard this internal monologue that was trying to take over. It almost was like my consciousness trying to break out."
Naka Naka Oka Aina
Tamara Montenegro
April 19, 2019
"This piece sounds unheard and repressed voices in our society. Behind the laughter of children... "This piece sounds unheard and repressed voices in our society. Behind the laughter of children playing, we can hear the solemn chanting of a lost Roma woman walking the streets of Barcelona."
And The Sea Gave Up the Dead Which Were In It
Bassel Al-Rahim
March 29, 2019
"I started making this piece in the summer of 2017. That year marked 15 years since the US... "I started making this piece in the summer of 2017. That year marked 15 years since the US invasion of Iraq. From the piece’s conception, my plan was to create a sonic eulogy commemorating this anniversary; to construct an audioverse where I could reflect on the hubris of the United States and its acolytes."
Quiet Contemplations
Ayesha Barmania
March 15, 2019
"I have been really inspired by Ad Reinhardt's 'Abstract Painting' from 1963 which depicts nine... "I have been really inspired by Ad Reinhardt's 'Abstract Painting' from 1963 which depicts nine very subtle shades of black. At first glance, the viewer sees a flat black canvas. Over time, the viewer notices the subtle tone differences - one is more red, another blue, one slightly green. The viewer wonders: which is the true black?"
The Space Between Stories
Phil Smith
February 20, 2019
“The more beautiful world my heart knows is possible is a world with a lot more pleasure: a lot... “The more beautiful world my heart knows is possible is a world with a lot more pleasure: a lot more touch, a lot more lovemaking, a lot more hugging, a lot more deep gazing into each other’s eyes, a lot more fresh-ground tortillas and just-harvested tomatoes still warm from the sun, a lot more singing, a lot more dancing, a lot more timelessness, a lot more beauty in the built environment, a lot more pristine views, a lot more water fresh from the spring."
Despojo (Dispossession)
Franco Falistoco Araya
February 15, 2019
"DESPOJO is a sound work which only uses sounds from an old vinyl record — clips and claps. I cut... "DESPOJO is a sound work which only uses sounds from an old vinyl record — clips and claps. I cut the big sound loop into fragments, creating small samples. Then I limited myself to using few processes — 1 equalizer, 1 reverb, and 1 delay."
To Slow Down Time
Janna Graham
February 1, 2019
"The process of environmental field recording is, to me, also a manner of slowing, or savoring, a... "The process of environmental field recording is, to me, also a manner of slowing, or savoring, a moment in time. I have heard stories of near-death experiences were time is hyper-slowed and the soul exits the body."