Rob Mackay

I’ve spent a few days this month exploring the Humber estuary with poet and collaborator John Wedgwood Clarke for a new commission from Invisible Dust called ‘Offshore: Artists Explore the Sea’. We’ll be combining 3D ambisonic field recordings with photographs, charts, maps, video and text for the installation which will be showing in Hull’s Maritime Museum from 31st March – 28th August 2017 as part of Hull’s amazing City of Culture year.

It’s been fascinating and inspiring to explore this liminal zone between land and sea. Here’s a few visual impressions from Spurn Point, Fort Paull and the ABP ro-ro ferry terminal.

The call for Sound + Environment 2017 is now open! Deadline for submissions is 30th January 2017.

We are seeking proposals for papers, workshops, compositions, installations and interventions at ‘Sound + Environment 2017’ (University of Hull, 29th June – 2nd July 2017).

‘Sound + Environment 2017’ is a four day conference bringing together artists and scientists to explore the ways in which sound can deepen our understanding of environments. Confirmed keynotes so far are BAFTA award-winning sound artist and field recordist Chris Watson, and Australian sound artist Leah Barclay. The conference will see the launch of a specially commissioned surround-sound installation from Chris Watson tracing the course of the Humber River from ‘Trent Falls to Spurn Point’. A number of other sound installations and performances will be featured in collaboration with Hull UK City of Culture and the PRS New Music Biennial.

Through exploring scientific and artistic approaches together, we hope to engage with sound in order to create complementary ways of investigating, understanding, and taking action.

Please see: soundenvironment.net for further information.

I had the pleasure of presenting a solo concert of my pieces spanning nearly 20 years in the amazing Dome Room in the Bramall Building of the University of Birmingham.

I then presented a talk called ‘Composing Place’, based on my approach to the use of found sounds in composition, with particular reference to place.

Thanks to Scott Wilson for the invite, and Annie Mahtani for organising everything, and for taking the time to show me round the new studios. It was a real hive of activity!

Programme:

Resounding Mulgrave – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOEJmHDdv2E

Voicewind – https://soundcloud.com/robflute/voicewind

South Bay – https://soundcloud.com/robflute/south-bay-28th-july-2012

Environs – https://soundcloud.com/robflute/environs

Joyce’s Vision – https://soundcloud.com/robflute/joyces-vision

Living Waves – https://soundcloud.com/robflute/living-waves

http://www.beast.bham.ac.uk/events/minibeast-2015-11-18/