Deep Wireless

I. Meta-Frequency Field Recording: Salt Lake City // Ensign Peak by Matthew Driggs McMurray
Ensign Peak is a prominent lookout point near downtown Salt Lake City. Per historical accounts, early settlers used this hill to survey the valley, perform religious services and receive divine messages. Matthew Driggs McMurray hiked to Ensign Peak to record whatever signals and messages were present on the same hilltop site. There are three layers to the ‘Meta-Frequency’ recording capture that he made:

Layer I: The Natural (ORTF stereo)
Layer II: The Physical (Weather radio)
Layer III: The Electromagnetic (EMF scanner)

The EMF antenna scans included 1) the open environment, 2) the electromagnetic fields created by the recording equipment itself, and 3) the artist's own body (acting as a conduit for radio signals).

II. Waiting Games And Widespread Smoke (feat. Narcy) by Andra McCartney
This piece is based on a train trip from Toronto to Vancouver that Andra McCarthy took in August 2018. In the piece she reflects on the journey, and the widespread smoke and freight delays that structured it. The way that she worked with the sounds was inspired by a quote from Dylan Robinson's curatorial score Soundings (Kingston ON 2018) "the sub-frequency of colonial labour resonates your body". Vocals are by Andra McCartney and Narcy (the Narcicyst). This piece premiered by New Adventures in Sound Art, South River, ON, in multi-channel form realized by Darren Copeland.

III. Non-predictable by Omar Reyna
“Non-predictable” is an exploration of the sounds of turbulence in nature. Do the sounds of wind hitting trees or the tonal colours of moving water have emotions that fluctuate over time? This piece is arranged in three sections that are approximately 15 minutes each.

IV. Pigeon Band by Emmie Tsumura
The multi-species Pigeon Band project began with the question: “Do pigeons like music?” Two toy synth keyboards were installed on my kitchen window sill, awaiting the daily pigeon visitors. Over several months of practice, the pigeons learned to play the keyboard as they snacked on sunflower seeds. Though each pigeon can be hard to tell apart visually, they each have their own personalities and movements. With those differences they each play a different song.

The Pigeon Band benefited from the collaboration of many artists and friends: Blunderspublik, D Badua, Julia Fenn, Charlie Glasspool, Sarah DeCarlo, Polly-Jean Vernon, Veronica Ing, The Burning Hell, Jas Nasty, Chris International, Babe Chorus, Anomalia and Charlie Petch.

The album debuted at the 27th Annual Reel Asian International Film Festival in November 2023. Produced by Emmie Tsumura. Mastered by Julia Fenn.

V. Black Poplar 86.3 MHz by Dann Disciglio
This recording of the inner vibrations of a black poplar tree (45°22'53.6"N 92°42'17.6"W) is taken from a series of land artworks in which sounds detected within the bodies of living trees are broadcast into their surrounding environments in real time. These sounds are detected by attaching industrial grade accelerometers to various sections of the tree, e.g., the trunk, branches, roots and are transmitted over FM and UHF frequency ranges. They are accessible in their environments via a radio receiver.

VI. Zand by Marieke Van de ven
ZAND is artistic research with sand grains as material, concept and sound. Viewed from different perspectives, the sand grains become a place to explore and wander. A composition of subtle grains to colossal layers of sound and back again. A movement, a duration, a route.

As a composer and sound artist, Marieke Van de ven likes to zoom in on environmental sounds. Starting with the sound of sand was a sonic adventure where texture and associations with the material were guiding the process. In search of the meaning of the ordinary under our feet and always returning to the origin of the material.