nada – live performances

nada has been a regular live stream for a while now. you can catch this on my bandcamp – follow this page so you get reminders.

gradually, i am starting to perform this set live again, in certain places of significance, ideally with great acoustics, and at times to groups of meditators, which is the main purpose of the series.

recently, i was really pleased to get an opportunity to play in sheffield cathedral, which is an amazing place, for one of the lunchtime recitals. the resonance of the place is beautiful yet subtle. the audience was spread across the very wide nave and some walked around to see the artwork on display. i noticed how attentive everyone was to the very detailed textures of my field recordings, and the ambience created by their natural resonance. there is a section where the energy in the space was really powerful: the cathedral responded brilliantly to the heart resonance and the sense of compassion and stillness were palpable.

such a pleasure to play in the cathedral. check out the recording:

 

 

previously, i performed a set in firth hall for the sound junction series of electroacoustic concerts. the sound was spatialised across 8 speakers, arranged as half circle surrounding the audience. diffusing the sound while improvising was a very exciting challenge. it was such a pleasure to perform in this really impressive space – an edwardian oak panelled hall that housed so many great performances. plus, it was really cool to hear my work on such high quality equipment. thanks to the sound junction guys for this opportunity.

here is a stereo mix of the set:

 

 

for more information on nada listening meditations, check out this presentation page.

please join my mailing list for info on future events and new releases.

 

 

Sounding Out Cathedral Cave – june 2023

a most welcome return to a spectacular location.

cathedral cave is a very unique and wonderful place both in terms of atmosphere and acoustics. this time, the weather gives a very different quality to the experience of the place. i have been walking in the area in blazing sunshine, swimming in the clear water of lakes surrounded by beautiful landscapes.

i arrive to the cave tired, warm and pretty blissed out from such stunning scenery. the cool space provides a nice shelter from the heat. and although it is still busy that late in the day, the imposing presence of this carved architecture sets a strong mood that is serene.

the name of cathedral cave is well deserved.

here, time stops.

and from the very fist notes, i enter that very special place fully.

both evenings, i play for a period of time, blending melodic passages, progressions, and overtones, taking advantage of this unique and powerful reverb. some sections play with the different effects the space offers – the interplay of tones in the sustain is fascinating… two notes linger and dance in the space and each interval a different pattern. each triad swirls a different spin.

although the space mostly inspires a gentle play of tones and melody, more angular shapes find their way in the improvisations. symmetrical structures bounce across the spectrum from one axis to the next. geometric shapes climb the raw surface of the rock. a little slack in the rope allows for smudges of movement. chromatic whirls send phases off-center. the space responds and blesses the ear with stunning sound effects.

 

 

 

the first line
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

blurred boundaries
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

the space in between
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

 

wind swept plains
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

slack bounce
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

a study of small shapes
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

Sounding Out Stoney Middleton St Martin’s 2022

i spent two days across moorland chasing after deer sounds, fawning across the fern and forests for close encounters. finally had a long and silent eye contact with the big dude. not a single sound. on the last evening, nearly out of earshot of constant distant traffic, i find antlers clashing and guttural calls… proved to be worth the wait.

for a change of scenery and ticks removed, i head down the valley to a small church in the village of stoney middleton, tucked away in the rocks. the space is open and bright, the sound welcoming. it is a quiet morning and the light filters through and gently lifts the faded colours of this interesting interior.

skylines
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

harvest
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

rolling free
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

the bell calls
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

   

Postcards from Spain [nt016][nt017][nt018]

A wonderful and varied document of social events, soundscapes, architecture and acoustics. An invitation to the practice of deep listening, this series of recordings takes us through areas of Spain during the Holy Week, a period of religious practices and processions.

Recorded on minidisk with binaural microphones, this is an active experience where each track has its own narrative, moving through spaces. The recordings are very detailed, and one can re-live the moments, immersed in the soundscapes that make up the character and atmosphere of a place, when listening back with headphones.

As we explore spaces of different acoustics, there are wonderful surprises along the way. We move from busy streets to squares and gardens with water features. Walking inside of the Cathedral, there is a mass in progress. Along busy streets with bars where flamenco music comes pouring out.
The narrative develops as we travel along sonic tableaux, each scene has its own character and sets of sound events.

There are periods of waiting amongst vast crowds, where a sea of voices develops into rhythmical patterns then quietens down while waiting for processions to arrive. There are brass bands and spontaneous spirited flamenco singing with duende. Further north, in a monastery, monks sing mass in Gregorian style.

These are unique postcards of rich places and moments frozen in time.

 

Recorded in 2008 on location, and mastered by hervé perez at nexTTime studios
©Hervé Perez 2020

nt016

nt017

nt018

released october 24th, october 30th,

and november 4th 2020

hervé perez (field recordings) [recorded on minidisk with binaural microphones]

 

 

 

 

 

Sounding Out – the Peak District

The Peak District on my doorstep, it is easy to nip out and see so much beauty. A little further afield, the limestone valleys offer a different type of landscape. i don’t often go that far and so missed the area and decided to return to known places, in the south peaks.

It was wet in wetton. Storm was on the menu, and it did not disappoint. But first, in the day, it was really hot and sunny. Walking up the hills was fairly taxing and many people were out swimming in the rivers.

By the evening, the distant lightning provided a spectacular display; with stars above, flashes lit up gorgeous cloud formations. The flashes were relentless, it was like watching fireworks and the storm being so distant, it was completely silent. Quite a surreal scene. And it took a while for the rain to arrive. And here too, it did not disappoint.

Another magic moment, in the morning, from a nearby bridge, i watched the empty and dry river bed fill up with rain water that slowly had filtered throught the limestone and started flowing, making this most amazing trickle sound, like pebbles coming to life.

But let’s rewind a little to the end of the day, after a wonderful walk in blazing sunshire, and as the weather was slowly turning, i climbed into the imposive stature of Thor’s Cave. Possibly due to the radiant weather, and also to a long period of lockdown, i found the area more busy than usual, and it was a while until there was a quiet moment. i had time to enjoy the golden glowing of slanting light that came into the cave from the side opening. Taking the time to get back in touch with the space i once knew well (a scroll through previous sounding out recordings will show many visits to this site), i could get into the vibe and ready for some improvisation.

As soon as i got the saxophone out and sounded out a few notes into the space, to warm up, the music started to flow. At the end of the session, as the light was diminishing, a single wood pigeon was singing outside the entrance of the cave. I picked up the melody and recorded one last piece.

 

 

the fifth step
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

shadow theatre
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

spin the riff
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

the wood pigeon song
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

 

After a little break, i continued on down the valley, to a tunnel of incredible property. The sound there is just outstanding. After playing in the cave, my lips were starting to tire, but i could not help sending a few notes spinning down that long tube a watch the frequencies merge. Each set of notes shimmers in its own way, creating further overtones, bending notes to align with the tunnel resonance. I could have played triads forever, just listening to the long tail slowly fade. With circular breathing, the tones eventually blend into a mass of sound that slowly modulates overtones. This place has always been a treat.

 

infinite
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

merger
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

scats o’long tails
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

dark skies ahead
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

 

On the second day, i wanted to go back to the cave and record some more, explore different textures. I am not sure if the deliberate approach was wise, in any case, i could not really force any ideas as is usually true with this project. I just had to go with the flow. And on that second day, the vibe was quite different. There were many distractions and it took quite a while for things to settle down, and even while playing, there were a few interruptions. Still, even though i found it more difficult to get into the zone, some interesting material came out. And indeed, the results were more high energy flow and abstract than the first session which was predominently melodic. In places like this, i find the vibe and the music that comes out a lot more free and raw than in churches, for obvious reasons.

 

 

another round
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

bustle in the valley
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

waltzing wood in the wind
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

Sounding Out – back to the beginning

There is something intimate about the forest. This is where Sounding Out started out. And in the current situation, accessing churches or any type of public architecture is difficult. Playing outdoors has an immediate quality. The sound of the saxophone is pure. Just dry, dead pan, as it is, no embelishment, no phase tweaking and bounce reflections. In the cool air, it is also slightly raw. Raunchy is the mood.

I’ve just had a series of powerful meditations lately, and i’ve been reflecting on a phenomena with light hitting a waterfall (see my video on reflections on a weir called moving lines). Such reflections took me back to symmetrical figures and the fractal approach to music i have been developing. After meditation, i walked out into the forest with my saxophone and continued my reflections, this time it is the instrument that leads me into similar figures i had seen. Inspired by this experience, i later returned to the same spot and recorded some improvisations.

From the open space immediate sound, i gradually step deeper into the trees and the sounds change. It comes as no surprise our ancestors believed that trees had spirits. As i play in the midst of this thick woods, the trees come alive and respond to the saxophone sounds. There’s calls in the night, shrieks and hullulations, and there’s some jazz licks too, abstract and angular, that all come out into the deep, the dark, impenetrable lush texture of trees.

 

On the return journey, after walking in Northumberland through splendid scenery and lush forests, i stopped in the well known church in Newby. This place never disappoints. The doors are always open, and the acoustics always gives. I have spent much time here, and always had such inspiration in this very quiet space.

Here again, carried by the flow, i play uninterrrupted for 45 minutes.

 

 

 

vajra light
alto saxophone, 24 july 2020
holystone forest

 

 

 

conseil des sages
alto saxophone, 26 july 2020
newby church

 

 

 

un sage conseil
alto saxophone, 26 july 2020
newby church

Postcards from Manchester [nt012]

The residency in Manchester was much shorter and we had little time to explore the soundscape that was new to all of us. This also proved rather different to the previous work we did in Walney and Lancaster. The place has a violent clash between classes and the poverty is overwhelming. The sounds I collected were certainly heavier and overall had a darker feel.

So we pointed our cameras and microphones to the hidden side, the undergrowth, and the periphery where life breathes a little amongst the buzz of busy bees.
Some of the areas we explored around the centre were the Cathedral, Piccadilly, but also ventured further to Bridgewater and Castlefield.

One thing that is sure is that you never get away from the drone of the city; from fans to traffic, and the omnipresent trams and trains.

These recordings therefore represent the soundscapes and qualities of places, with their natural resonance, as well as a present ambience brought by constant activities of this busy city.

Thanks to Full of Noises, MJF, LJF, ACE for making the work possible.

Recorded on location, and mastered by hervé perez at nexTTime studios
©Hervé Perez 2019nt012

released June 3, 2020

 

credits

 

hervé perez (field recordings) [recorded on a zoom H4n with Sennheiser MKH 416 stereo pair]

Postcards from Matera nt009

This is a document of the rich sonic identity of a place in the south of Italy. Recorded on a minidisk and with binaural microphones the album is a journey through the amazing sonic architecture of an ancient cave dwelling settlement carved into the sandstone of a canyon.

The starting point, in the very centre of the city, gives a sense of the busy bustling square, with a dramatic surround sound immersion into this incredible place that is loud and very much alive. The journey continues down into the old town, and the soundscape immediately changes. And as we wind down windy narrow passages, the resonance and acoustic shifts.

The attraction of the use of binaural microphones, when listening back through headphones, you become immersed into the scene, you become the protagonist; and this is an active journey, moving through the sonic landscape, letting the sounds swirl around your head and listening to the architecture communicate its presence and identity.

The old town of the Sassi is made of rock houses carved in natural caves. This place has a palpable vibe and a unique sound. Moving through the narrow streets and passageways shows how much the architecture filters and shapes the sounds we hear.

Churches are omnipresent and bells echo each other from across the valley. There are bursts of voices, dogs appear, old mopeds jump out, and birds flying overhead. Turn a corner and everything changes. The wind rushes around your ears as it sweeps down crags, porches and passageways. Swifts. It is summer. Time has stopped. You are there. So very present at every moment. This place has power.

The recording, made with a portable minidisk and in-ear binaural mikes is imperfect, but it is a valuable document of an incredible acoustic space in a period of change and transformation. There is a raw quality of nature in constant interaction with present signs of civilisation.
I have left the imperfections of this document to maintain the real feel, the immediacy of wind noises, voices, handling and movements which are all integral part of this active exploration of place and acoustics.

I am very pleased to share this document, and blessed to have had the chance to spend time in this place. Thanks to Harry and Antonia for the invitation and rare opportunity.

Recorded on location, and mastered by hervé perez at nexTTime studios
©Hervé Perez 2004

 

 

sounding out scotland 2019 pt 2

 

The journey through Scotland continues along the west coast in a weather that reminds you how wild this place can get. The beautiful scenery can very rapidly become threatening and one feels much exposed.

I much awaited visiting this next location again. The church in Arisaig is such a wonderful space with grand acoustics. The weather has been beating the coast and i feel my general mood is not quite making the most of this incredible place. Time will tell, perhaps the music turns out better, but at the time i felt i was not quite in tune and the flow did not quite transport me. I decided to take a break and walk around the space. The mood turned when, at the back of the church i encountered a statue that reminded me of the figurehead of boats. The woman depicted here is guided by a star and seems to be raising the spirit through turbulent water. The thought had a profound effect on me and i felt the deep sadness of families that await as waves and wild weather beat the shore, expecting the boats that never returned. Those claimed by the sea have a hidden presence along this coast. I felt it all here, and the last piece i played, at the edge of tears, starts at the back of the church, slowly moving forward with each repetition of a gentle melodic motif, interspersed with waves and runs. This incredible experience came to a stop as the church bell ominously rang on the last long note of the piece. This was it. I had touched on the story of that place and sat in silence.

Another old favourite, on Applecross, this plain chapel is all wood and gentle resonance. Inside feels like a warm(ish) shelter from the wild elements out there. This recording was made in two sessions and the second take in the morning was cut short by rising waters that threatened to take over all exits. The drive over the pass was epic with incredibly powerful torrents forcing their way under bridges and overflowing banks. But before this, we barely made it through the tracks and the road that had turned into a lake.

So this session again is tainted by turmoil and turbulent water. And this chapel has a certain quality that encourages a free flowing explosion of energy. Inspired by the rain that did not quite fall as much as headbutt the ground and the beaten rocks, the music barges and sways, turns and thrashes through a whole range of moods. There is some redemption in the madness of the elements, but the suspension is short lived. Notes splatter and crash-splash percussively then power-flow forcefully, tortured with split tones and gnarling blows forced through the saxophone. A single bird soars its pretty song and we are straight back in the maelstrom.

This place simply never disappoints – it has always been a highlight of my sonic explorations. And the music feels freer, what this place inspires is just something else.

 

 

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dusk falling on a calm sea
alto saxophone, 27 august 2019
st mary, arisaig

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slow silver sky
alto saxophone, 27 august 2019
st mary, arisaig

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as rain beats those ragged rocks
alto saxophone, 27 august 2019
st mary, arisaig

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those of the sea
alto saxophone, 27 august 2019
st mary, arisaig

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broody approach
alto saxophone, 29 august 2019
clachan church, applecross

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maelrubha and the waves
alto saxophone, 29 august 2019
clachan church, applecross

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all sails
alto saxophone, 29 august 2019
clachan church, applecross

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hail all saints
alto saxophone, 29 august 2019
clachan church, applecross

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maelrubha’s prayer
alto saxophone, 29 august 2019
clachan church, applecross

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a steady rain pulsed through the night
alto saxophone, 29 august 2019
clachan church, applecross

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sounding out scotland 2019

 

 

Sounding Out continues in summer 2019 visiting areas of Scotland. After a compulsory stop at Samye Ling, a much loved break in the trip for extended meditation and rituals, the journey continued through Dumfires and Galloway visiting areas unknown both by the sea and through forestry.

The odd explorations of stone towers with resonant cellars met my home made 2.4 shakuhachi, but the first significant experience of Sounding Out was in the artist town of Kirkcudbright where i found a small church hidden in the back streets. Its peaceful simplicity inspired a very melodic approach, gentle and elevated.

The pace picked up with the powerful energy of movement and change which i found in the area of Kilmartin. Walking along loch Awe was a wonderful experience of old pine forests and rushing water. Down in the valley, carved rocks mark an ancient spirituality and the church in the middle of the valley has retained some of the spirit. It is old and quite run down. Tourists ebb and flow, constantly drawing an energy of change and yet, there is something timeless here. In between visitors, the music flows freely to the bright resonance and spirals with the ancient art i have seen.

Moving now to the well loved scenery of the west coast, i return to Mallaig and find this lovely pink church open this time. I jump on the occasion and start playing to the background sounds of a steam train and children playing. This harbour town is simple but attractive. Well worth a visit just for the sense pleasure of freshly baked bread and a pizza lunch overlooking the water. The small chapel on the hill is similarly basic but very pretty. There is a playfulness here that inspires abstract extended techniques and angular harmonic flow. I move freely between modalities and mix sounds at times contemplative, at times firing fast.

 

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pastel prose
alto saxophone, 21 august 2019
st cuthbert, kirkcudbright

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in artist town
alto saxophone, 21 august 2019
st cuthbert, kirkcudbright

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spirals and cups
alto saxophone, 24 august 2019
kilmartin church

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amongst the peaks
alto saxophone, 24 august 2019
kilmartin church

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dance of the moving wheels
alto saxophone, 24 august 2019
kilmartin church

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a spot of pink on the cold hill
alto saxophone, 27 august 2019
st columba’s, mallaig

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steam train
alto saxophone, 27 august 2019
st columba’s, mallaig

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changing the scene
alto saxophone, 27 august 2019
st columba’s, mallaig

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