Failing light
Aug 18, 2022, 03:33 PM
Composition by Caroline Grimshaw & António Sá-Dantas.
"Our piece is an audio representation of the sense of irrelevancy and obsolescence that an individual may feel in a world that no longer recognises the value associated with that individual. The sound of a manual typewriter is our point of commencement and the concept of communicating through letters a message that can have far-reaching consequences, is the narrative of the soundscape.
"The rhythm of the keys being struck and the repetitive carriage return are intertwined with alternative sounds of written communication, including handwriting with a quill and the sounds of a computer being used to convey a message. The spoken word is inspired by fragments of typewritten words, discovered by chance. ‘Two-minute warning’ and ‘failing light’ suggest impending doom and ultimate fragility.
"Using a mechanical voice gives the message a sense of dispassionate finality. Beneath the vocals and the frantic missive-making, there is a backdrop of humanity, a yearning for longevity, despite the inevitable warning that the light is failing.
"Objects and individuals are imbued with a sense of history that remains pertinent, despite the ever-changing world. Our piece suggests that, as time and technology bring transformative changes, what exists now is not worthless, just ripe for exploration and rediscovery for other purposes."
This is part of the Obsolete Sounds project, the world’s biggest collection of disappearing sounds and sounds that have become extinct – remixed and reimagined to create a brand new form of listening. Explore the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/obsolete-sounds
"Our piece is an audio representation of the sense of irrelevancy and obsolescence that an individual may feel in a world that no longer recognises the value associated with that individual. The sound of a manual typewriter is our point of commencement and the concept of communicating through letters a message that can have far-reaching consequences, is the narrative of the soundscape.
"The rhythm of the keys being struck and the repetitive carriage return are intertwined with alternative sounds of written communication, including handwriting with a quill and the sounds of a computer being used to convey a message. The spoken word is inspired by fragments of typewritten words, discovered by chance. ‘Two-minute warning’ and ‘failing light’ suggest impending doom and ultimate fragility.
"Using a mechanical voice gives the message a sense of dispassionate finality. Beneath the vocals and the frantic missive-making, there is a backdrop of humanity, a yearning for longevity, despite the inevitable warning that the light is failing.
"Objects and individuals are imbued with a sense of history that remains pertinent, despite the ever-changing world. Our piece suggests that, as time and technology bring transformative changes, what exists now is not worthless, just ripe for exploration and rediscovery for other purposes."
This is part of the Obsolete Sounds project, the world’s biggest collection of disappearing sounds and sounds that have become extinct – remixed and reimagined to create a brand new form of listening. Explore the whole project at https://citiesandmemory.com/obsolete-sounds