Borders On
Soundscape: Shapinsay, Orkney, Scotland
Shapinsay, Orkney, Scotland - a slowly undulating green pasture inhabiting a slim horizon between ever-changing seas and skies. A place where banished thieves and witches shape-shift into crying curlews and watchful seal-shadows, restlessly inhabiting storm-birthed beaches. And a place of electricity. Turbines relentlessly turning, solar panels defying clouds, capturing an invisible force from turbulent wind and untrustworthy sun. A power strung out on wires that gridreference the land.
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Borders On listen with headphones or on external speakers if possible |
A ten day retreat produced this track, field recordings and editing done entirely on the island. The sounds used are unmanipulated and were all recorded in a very small patch during a strange short time when winds seemed to be fighting to reclaim the power stretched in a particular section of one electric fence. These sounds were never heard again during that stay, despite much hoping and listening.
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Sound is about listening, being open to surroundings, and sometimes being in the right place at the right time – as in this work. Leona had gone to the island with little intention of recording. The sounds called to her and she heard, listened, and responded. This is the joy and wonder of working with sound. |
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In April 2016 Borders On was chosen as part of the sonic art exhibition accompanying the Women in Sound Women on Sound forum held at Lancaster University, UK, and was presented in the Peter Scott Gallery on the campus.
In January 2018 Borders On was selected to be played and discussed at Findings #6: Female Sound Recording Artists, a series of talks about recorded sound covering compositions including or based on field recordings. Hosted by German sound recordists and podcasters Patrick Franke and Chris Weinheimer, the discussion took place in Kapitaldruck bookstore in Leipzig, Germany.