In September 2021 The Dark Outside had another call out for music and sounds that had not been heard anywhere in the previous years. You know, stuff that sits on your hard drive gathering dust…just in case.
The Dark Outside is part of Sanctuary Lab, a 24-hour site-specific public art laboratory and experimental space that brings together new work ranging from radio transmissions & sound installations to digital video and performance, all from the beautiful Galloway Forest Dark Skies Park.
So what to submit?…aha…something that is also very appropriate for this time of year 🎄
Tonic
Back in the day or pre-pandemic, we had a loose ritual for my birthday, which is very near Christmas – a walk along the seafront and a large gin and tonic at a local distillery.
At the beginning of the year, Tyneside Sounds had a call out for musicians and sound artists to work with some old recordings of Newcastle Civic Centre Carillon Bells on 1 Dec 1967. I chose Silent Night Reprise and created Tonic based on my favourite tipple but also with a nod to nights on the toon. I didn’t submit it as you weren’t supposed to add any extra synthesis, instruments or sounds to that already in the soundfile and so, it sat on my hard drive all this time.
As with much of my audio art I took the original sound file and stripped it down to its midi information. Using this as the basis, I built sounds of the rather large glass with gin, tonic, floating cranberries and bubbles galore. The reprise of the bells come in near the end in a drunken slur, welcoming in Christmas but the heavy rhythm at the end of the track are the midnight bells and the headache you get with too much jollity.
Ahhhh…Happy days.
In light of this, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year.
Let’s hope that 2022 get’s somewhat better for the World
Odette / Museleon
museleon 