Framework is a British podcast focused on field recordings and their employment in art. John Kannenberg, who is based in the U.S. and a not infrequent source of music and information at this website, produced the show’s most recent entry, which takes as its subject “the sounds of history that surround us — the sonic strata of cities,” in an entry titled Urban Archeology (MP3).
Kannenberg can be heard providing brief introductions to all manner of related audio, from raw recordings to manipulated source material, and ranging from empty museums and industrial sites to public markets, tunnels, and other varied locations. Reactions on the listener’s part will alternate between binaural “you are there” wonder to the more challenging consideration of abstract sonic inventions, generally ones that combine the real-world sounds with synthesized ones.
A raw recording of a street market by Japanese artist Shinichiroa is particularly evocative, as voices move past in all directions and on all sides. On the other side of the equation, the Seattle-based duo of Steve Barsotti and Perri Lynch take sonic minutiae and construct from it a mysterious amalgamation; there’s an element of backward-masked treatments in there, which might be considered a self-conscious nod to the origins of the work.
Other participants in Kannenberg’s project include Kate Carr (second mention on disquiet.com this week), Roger Mills, Richard Lainhart, and others. More on the podcast at murmerings.com/radio. It is the second in a four-part series produced in conjunction with the World Listening Project (worldlisteningproject.org).
I don’t know whether to thank you and be angry for pointing me to Framework Radio – it’s not like I don’t have enough to listen to already! ;-)
I enjoyed Krannenberg’s podcast and will be listening backwards through Framework’s podcasts as well as looking forward to Part 3.