An Island of Sound
A live performance and sound experience exploring phantom islands as weather phenomenon by J. R. Carpenter and Jules Rawlinson
From the classical period through the early modern, tales abounded of distant islands inhabited by demons, devils, evil spirits, and all manner of winged creatures. The Sirens lured sailors to shipwreck with singing voices. The sprite Ariel conjures up a storm. The stories we tell ourselves to make sense of wind.
Poet J. R. Carpenter’s new digital work An Island of Sound explores this narrative via algorithmically generated texts and an assemblage of found images from the British Library’s Flickr collection. Jules Rawlinson’s sound-world for the live performance responds to, supports, and transforms Carpenter’s visual and textual imagery. Field recordings, wind synthesis, generative sample streams and data-driven sound processing are collaged and combined with spoken word to create ambiguous and shifting sonic narratives and spectral resonances.
A Q&A after the performance will be chaired by Maja Maricevic, Head of Higher Education and Science at the British Library.
This event has been organised by the British Library and is free to all MIX 2023 delegates.