I recorded an alleyway near my house where rats often scuttle through. I used a contact mic and a parabolic mic to capture the objects they came into contact with and the overall sound of the movement. I brought that to the session but found they lacked the potency to cut through the mix, even when processed and amplified, so I added a series of recordings of me rubbing my hands together just to flesh out the sound. I bussed all these sounds to an EQ plugin, amongst others, and automated it as the track played to achieve a sharp textural variation. There are sudden spikes in the high band frequencies and then sudden cuts. This technique is used to enhance the feeling of animalistic chaos. I decided to order the piece as Intrusion, Fervour, Placidity. I knew I wanted to create a kind of thematic tension and release, and therefore chose placidity to end it with. I have been imagining how to translate this idea to a gallery setting, and I definitely want to do something that involves the audience feeling as though they’ve been physically placed in to the sound. If they have the opportunity to spatially and compositionally interact with the piece that could prove to be interesting.
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