sounding out
is the practice of deep listening, a connection with the spirit of a place.
in a series of solo saxophone recordings, i connect with and explore outdoor acoustics and sacred sites, investigating the nature of space and architecture, natural topography.
drawing inspiration from the location, its environment and soundscape as well as its acoustics, the improvisations move freely between lyrical, harmonic and the more abstracted gestures of contemporary music.
both melody and extended techniques explore the way sounds resonate the space. in turn, the character of the space itself becomes instrumental in shaping the music.
more importantly, the space affects the musical content, as it were, whispering its history into the spontaneous compositions, expressing itself through my instrument.
the recordings made in-situ are documents of a point in time. they are not meant to be perfect studio recordings. they incorporate external sonic events, location sounds, interventions both outside and within the performance. the focus of this project is more on a spiritual connection with a location, and using this deep experience as a very rich catalyst for creativity.
while the music will appeal on the emotional level, the concept of the project offers many levels that will stand up to analysis. acoustics, soundscape, musical contents, the nature of the performance, the voice of the space made manifest and various interactions between all the elements make these recordings a deeply interesting and touching listening experience.
the practice of meditation has become an integral part of the process. it is a means to strengthen the connection to a sense of place, through deep listening. but also, exploring those very creative psychological dimensions, the use of meditative state, becomes an approach to performance.
links:
you will find short extracts that give a survey of the varied acoustics of many locations, where i have recorded, on soundcloud:
if you would like to listen to full tracks, this wordpress site has a section called sounding out. here, the recordings are compiled together in posts relating to specific locations or areas visited over a period of time.
my website also has a page in the field recordings section that catalogues all the spaces where i have recorded over the years.
biography:
Hervé Perez is a sound artist/composer from France, now based in Sheffield, UK.
Hervé has been composing music and performing live around Europe for over 20 years. Playing solo and in various groups, he draws from jazz, electro-acoustic, contemporary music, experimental electronics, free improvisation, immersive sound art and ancient techniques of sound therapy alike.
Hervé plays the saxophones, shakuhachi and laptop in several groups and many collaborations.
Live performances incl. Huddersfield Week of Speakers, Mantis festival in Manchester, insubordinations microfestival in Switzerland, Sheffield festival of the Mind, Mopomoso at the Vortex London, Megapolis and Dumbo Arts Festivals in New York, Jazz à Luz, Manchester Jazz festival, Marsden Jazz Festival, Out Front, etc.
Following training as a professional photographer, he completed a fine arts degree (Sheffield Hallam University) where he worked on video and sound installations.
Hervé’s research approaches sound as vibration, the relation between sound and objects or spaces, architecture and the body.
His use of field recordings and sound design is concerned with frequencies and harmonic relationships found in nature, how they relate to the physical world, and how the sounds of natural elements connect to our own resonances.
He has developed a very personal way to process and sculpt location recordings to reveal their musical features and maximise resonance with the listener and their experience of sound.
With a focus on collaboration and the immediacy of live work, Hervé has performed with artists whose practice is immersed in free improvisation and jazz, closely working with Mick Beck (sax, bassoon), Martin Archer (winds, el.), Peter Fairclough (drums), Philip Thomas (piano), Jez Riley-French (el.), Ian Simpson (el.), Charlie Collins (drums), Walt Shaw (el, perc), Constantin Popp (live processing, diffusion), Shaun Blezzard (electro), etc. in the UK
And also Michel Doneda (sop sax), Jonas Kocher (accordion), Simon Berz (dr, el.), Rodolphe Loubatiere (dr), d’Incise (el, objects), Cyril Bondi (dr), Heddy Boubaker (sax), Cia Barbet (dance), Joe Formanek (dr, el), Roger Mills (trumpet, el), Henri Herteman (p, trombone), Guy Bayssac (dr), Marin Beranger (p), Mark Alban Lotz (fl) etc. in Europe.
On acoustic instruments, hervé moves freely between abstract sounds and harmonic work, influenced by contemporary music, minimalism, noise, jazz and the practice of free improvisation.
He currently practices creative ways to develop musical narratives in improvisation. looking at both theoretical and practical approaches to music and performance, he has developed a method to weave melodic or harmonic paths in order to navigate outside of established structures, while maintaining a sense of evolving melody.
photographs for promoters:
nexttime studio 