September | 2018 | nexttime studio

sounding out summer 2018

21 09 2018

This year started off with a surprise find. Hidden away just outside Wakefield centre, in the midst of a leafy street, this superb building has a welcoming lightness and such inspiring acoustics. St Austin has a calming effect with slightly subdued gentle tones, but quickly, my playing felt fluid and free.

Onto the next series, during a visit that took me from mid-Wales, near the border, to the much loved Snowdonia and the north coast.
Wigmore village church was a pleasant start, with exciting explorations of different musical territories. With each new season, i notice changes in my playing, and with each new location, new stories unfold.

The tracks presented here offer a range of buildings, each with its own architectural style, distinctive sound, and its own character. I hope the music pays tribute to the individual atmosphere of the places i visit. Perhaps some of the highlights may be the recordings from Harlech, during a lunchtime visit. A calm haven in a busy touristic area, bright and light, gently powerful. In Barmouth, a majestic presence at the top of the hill has a stilling effect. The sound is not as wide as one would expect for a building this size, but the wooden interior gives warmth and character.

And finally, it was such a pleasure to visit Gwydir Uchaf chapel again. A small humble interior with deep colours; the painted ceiling and the wooden furniture added richness, and the feel of the place snatched me from the present into a distant past.

High on my list, i really enjoyed visiting the grand, and beautiful Cathedral Cave. This time, i was there in the middle of the day. There was a very different vibe to my previous visits. There were a few people around, but i caught a quiet stretch when i could revisit the immersive feel and get lost in the palpable, thick presence of the place. Diving into the long tails and surround splashes of sounds reflected by the many facets of raw rock. Soft bounces all around, gentle mist hanging in mid air. Single tones gliding slowly across the emptiness. This place always has such a strong effect on me.

This post presents quite a range of locations, unlike others that focus on a particular area, but it is an opportunity to reflect on and listen deeply to the distinctive characters of architectural spaces. I hope you enjoy visiting them with me.