14 December
The final day of my residency! It wasn’t as busy as previous dates, but I still had a good handful of visitors drop in and check out what I was up to.
Museum Tape Loop #6
The sound source for the sixth and final residency tape loop comprised of the ominous creaks and groans of The Crank being turned, rattling a Scolds Bridal and an assortment of iron shackles being scraped and knocked together. Clocking in a one minute and 40 seconds this was certainly one of the longer loops of the residency; a silk bobbin was utilised as a guide roller.
Over the course of the residency the Castle Dungeons have provided a wealth of interesting sonic activity, and this loop is no exception! It’s not only the objects on display down there but the acoustics of the lower dungeon rooms that have been fascinating to explore and incorporate into my work.
The three photographs below document a few of the items I recorded in the dungeons for this particular loop:
The Rational Cactus Machine
For this new work visitors were given the following instructions:
How to use:
- Use the plectrums provided or your fingers (with care) and gently pluck the cactus needles.
- You should hear the results from a nearby amplifier.
Visitors had the opportunity to explore the acoustic properties of a humble cactus; this was achieved by attaching a contact microphone (with the aid of a fold back clip) to several spines amplifying the entire plant. The work of artist/composer John Cage was a big influence on this piece, especially Child of Tree which is a composed improvisation for plant materials.
The few visitors who dropped by marveled at how the plant could be played like a musical instrument, plucking the larger spines produced pleasingly rich and varied sounds!
ROAR! Three Second Tape Loop
The sound of the lion roaring found within the Natural History gallery was recorded and transferred onto a set of three second tape loops. These delicate loops were then each housed inside a small corked glass vial, mimicking glass specimen jars and containers often utilised by museums. A visitor commented the loops had a cabinet of curiosities feel to it, which was exactly what I wanted to achieve!
These loops are for sale and can be purchased via my record label Quagga Curious Sounds.
The photographs below capture visitors interacting, listening and generally having a good time:
Also on display from previous days and for the final time was The Springrack, Ball and Chain / Squeaky Floorboards lathe cut record, Atari Punk Console, and Electromagnetic Field Box.
The final recording taken in the Maker Space was of Gawain Thomas Godwin (who works for the Norfolk Museums Service) having an extended and rather noisy jam with The Springrack!:
I’ve had a fantastic time in the Maker Space and thoroughly enjoyed the whole residency… so to everyone who helped, supported and dropped in to visit THANK YOU!! 🙂
Michael Ridge 