Artangel is a group that helps commission and produce projects by contemporary artists. In terms of sound design, there are some interesting projects.
Maria Fusco- Master Rock. This piece is a sound/spoken word piece recorded in Ben Cruachan, which is one of the highest peaks in Scotland. In the 1960's it was blasted through to build a power station which remains an important part of the national grid today.
"Fusco's repertoire for a mountain fuses sound from Cruachan power station with three spoken voices: an Irish tunnel tiger, a forgotten artist, and the voice of the 450 million year-old granite itself."This piece is interesting in terms of ambience. As it was recorded inside the mountain, all of the voices retain the ambience, the imprint of the mountain. The idea of having the voice of the mountain is also an interesting one. It is as if the artist is trying to give the mountain a point of view, a voice on the whole affair. The sense of old and new is very prevalent in this piece, and again because it is representing something from the past it is applicable with how you represent that through sound.
You can listen to the piece below, which includes an introduction by the artist:
Janet Cardiff- The Missing Voice. I am very familiar with Janet Cardiff's work, and this has been described as her most ambitious project yet. It is a detective fiction/urban guide/film noir type audio walk which starts in the Whitechapel Library. This piece was first created in 1999, but the piece still remains fairly relevant today. As described on the Artangel website
Although The Whitechapel Library closed and the building was absorbed into the neighbouring Whitechapel Gallery, it is surprising how the majority of the walk’s other landmarks – from KFC restaurants to ultra-simple news stands – remain present today, albeit with the occasional change in detail, or paint colour. The effect of this is that The Missing Voice (Case Study B) is accumulating a new kind of intrigue: as we listen to its mysterious, multi-layered tale and compare the narrator’s observations with our own, we observe the drip-drip rate of change on a certain set of London streets
I quite like the idea that because of the minimal change in the landscape since this piece's creation, you can still experience the piece in the same way. In terms of the piece itself, I find that it can inspire imagination in this way. Where does the piece end and the real world begin? Like much of her work it is like she is there with you, like a conscience by your side, whispering in your ear.
You can download this piece in three parts here: http://www.artangel.org.uk//projects/1999/the_missing_voice_case_study_b/download_and_walk/audio
Laurie Anderson & Brian Eno- Self Storage. This project is installation/sound exhibition which took users through a storage containment building that can now be walked around and looked in to. Anderson recorded some sound and told some stories based on items that were found in the storage unit. With her recording techniques and the stories she told, which were poetic but detailed, you get a real sense of history with these storage units. It is unsure from listening whether these were fabricated or genuine stories.
You can listen and see some photographs of the storage unit here: http://www.artangel.org.uk//projects/1995/self_storage/slideshow_with_sound/self_storage
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