it was a pleasure to revisit some of the locations where i played before. one of the highlights is certainly the magnificent smoo cave. this time i returned with the alto saxophone. of course, this made quite a difference.
once again, i was amazed by the feel of the place, as much as by the sound. although i moved around searching for echoes and movements created by the complex architecture of the cave, my favourite place was standing in the little stream that crosses in the middle of the main chamber. in this position, i really sensed the inspiration calming my playing down and i was nearly forced to play the quietest and gentle melodies. this is surprising for a cave beaten by the wild elements of the north of scotland. and yet, the urge was overwhelming, as if instructed by eric satie to play ‘du bout de la pensée’ – hardly voicing the notes, the sound on the verge of breaking.
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another location was a lucky find and quite a surprise. a small chapel on applecross proved to give much inspiration and a wonderful acoustic. a proof that size does not matter…
i placed the recorder on a table in the middle of the bare and simple room.
on it, i found a piece of paper with a quote. i read the lines out loud. this was my score.
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in each location, i recorded over two days. i edited the recordings and produced an album for each place, which i hope to release soon.
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clapotis
alto saxophone, 30 august 2013
smoo cave
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crystal crumble
alto saxophone, 29 august 2013
smoo cave
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cor2
alto saxophone, 27 august 2013
clachan church, applecross
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the sanctuary
alto saxophone, 26 august 2013
clachan church, applecross
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nexttime studio 