Achill

Granuaile's Tower seemed particularly ominous the New Year's night that I visited it. The wind was blowing viciously and it was densely dark outside. Inside, the wind resonated hollowly through the small window openings in the walls, and overflowing pools of rainwater leaked through the ceiling to pelt the gravel floor.

Granuaile's Tower

The next day was spent driving around the island, with a break in the rain allowing for some recording at Keem Bay, the incoming tide winding between the rocks.

Keem

1440

The indefatigable Andrew Spitz developed this phonographic timelapse tool in Max/MSP and made it freely available on his site during the year. I finally got around to kicking myself into doing the minimal effort of setting up a mic and letting it run for 24. So here's 24 hours compressed into 1440 two hundred millisecond slices.

Listening back it is strange how it reveals the pitches of my apartment, between the fridge motors, extraction fans and traffic hums.

Release

Delighted to present my first release entitled Mausoleum on the Wyrdman netlabel. Recorded throughout 2012 in Rossmore Park, Monaghan, the piece presents the range of sounds created by the river running in the park from the Rossmore family mausoleum to the man-made Priestfield Lake.

Rossmore Dawn Chorus

Dawn chorus from May 2012, Rossmore Park, Co.Monaghan. Recorded at approximately 6am.

Even this early the hum of traffic, tractors and trucks dominate the lower frequencies, but the birds easily fill the forest with rich song.

Bragan Bog

Bragan

Bragan bog, Co.Monaghan, recorded May 2012.

One of my favourite areas to visit for quiet. Not just for the peace, but because the sonic subtleties of the landscape are revealed in the silence. It's a great vacuum to lose yourself in.