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Hear Cape Cod Volume 1: Sound Signals
This project takes a different approach to field recordings in that it does not strive to capture a phenomenon that most will never experience, nor does it rely on something overly conceptual. Instead, it essentially acts as an audio postcard of the Cape Cod region, both the natural surroundings as well as the people and places. These recordings then form the foundation for artists such as Loscil and FourColor, amongst others, to create their own compositions from, which makes for a very impressive compilation.
The disc of field recordings, captured by Steve Wilkes, who also curated the set, does an admirable job at capturing the sound and surroundings of the Cape Cod area, such as the recordings of waves at the various beaches and ferries that move people about the area.Fragments of conversations picked up in local eateries and grocery stores have a distinctly different sense to them, and almost a voyeuristic one, an aspect many recordings of this nature lack.
I very much enjoyed the pieces that provided the most drastic juxtapositions, such as the sparse recordings of cicadas and the sound of wind turbines, because while they could not have been more different in their sources, both result in a similar sort of sustained drone that could just as easily be the result of a synthesizer or software patch.
The second disc of this compilation sees the recordings acting as the seeds for a number of minimalist composers who often work with the sounds of nature, but each maintaining their own distinctive approach.Both Marcus Fischer and Simon Scott employ the source recordings the most overtly, with Fischer especially working with the beach recordings and some ever so slight processing.His integration of guitar and other instrumentation builds upon the natural beauty of the recordings without ever intruding on it.Scott works more electronics atop the field recordings, slowly guiding them up until reaching a rather rich musical conclusion.
Both Loscil and FourColor go much further in their contributions, making the field recordings an even less prominent aspect of their compositions.Loscil throws together synth like swells and a rhythmic like feel that leads to a taut take on ambient, while keeping the field recordings as another instrumental element rather than the specific focus.FourColor uses the source material more, but processes them nearly beyond recognition, resulting in what is initially a stuttering, sputtering outburst of sound that eventually settles into an understated sort of rhythmic surge without any distinct pedigree.
The first disc on its own is a bit of an odd release since it captures what it seeks to very well (while I have not been to Cape Cod, I have been close enough to vouch for its authenticity), but it does not go for the exotic heights an artist like Chris Watson does.It does provide a different sort of feeling though, almost like a guided tour as opposed to an ethnographic study, and at that it excels at Wilkes' hand.The second disc, however, is where this compilation shines, as the eight artists who contribute do a splendid job at working the sounds of Massachusetts into their own distinct compositions.
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