Active Crossover: Kristiansand

From left to right: Simon Whetham, Jon S. Lunde, Hilde Holsen

and an excerpt from the recording of the concert:

Hilde Holsen, Jon Lunde and Simon Whetham jam the night before the concert...

we begin the day by demonstrating contact microphones and their various applications, including showing how easy and cheap they are to make, and then go out exploring hidden sounds with them...

then we start to construct hydrophones...

... and go out exploring the very quiet waters of Kristiansand

and i had to join in too!

Thanks to Naysa Andrade Tønnesland, Mads Kristoffersen, Morten Liene and Alf Solbakken for being such great participants in the workshop, and to Agder Kunstsenter for the use of the X-Huset project space.

Unfortunately due to one broken shoulder and one demand of someone to stay in mexico for 9 more days, we had just 4 participants for the workshop - but as ever, we give them a great and enjoyable experience...

we get a little more serious with the walk outside...

then start exploring with recorders and small lavalier type mics

Venezuelan artist Naysa Andrade Tønnesland has invited me to assist her in adding, or refining, a sound element to a video piece, 'submerge'.

a video from the first session of the day... https://vimeo.com/79653473

a recording of the recordings made by the participants... https://soundcloud.com/simonwhetham/cultural-rucksack-sessions

and more photos

this is what comes into kids heads when they listen to my work...

a short video of this session: https://vimeo.com/79405891

a short video of this session: https://vimeo.com/79405059

ok, now the sessions are into their third day, i will now explain what i am doing. after a brief explanation of my work, field recording, the world of abstract music and sound art and some examples, the group then draw what they think i have recorded or am trying to portray with sounds.

we then play a game of blindfolded hide-and-seek, or blind chicken as it is known in colombia. the person who is blindfolded has to find their partner, who is trying to make a unique sound, to make it easier. in an echoey hall full of screaming teenagers, believe me, this is quite a task!

then the group explore with recorders and some with contact mic's to find a sound they would not normally notice, but they think should be heard by the rest of the group.

simon & terje filling x-house with sounds...

we were pushing ourselves and the speaker system here!

the 'classroom'

draw what you hear...

now find each other using only sounds...

soldering actually going well for once - tinning wires on cables and electret capsules

soldering done...

and wires covered in plastic. the rear of the electret capsules are sealed with epoxy also.