POLYTOPE by Laurent Lellouch
Polytope (several sites) : here, the idea of topos, or reference site, is linked to its original meaning, the geographical place. The word polytope refers here not only to the meaning defended by the composer Iannis Xenakis but also to the 3D set up where the audience is introduced, and the different outdoor sites where the sound material was recorded.
The project takes place at the Haute-Ile site, in the East of Paris, between the Marne river and the Chelles channel. This 65 ha site is a Natura 2000 site inhabited by a hundred bird species and includes several nesting ereas of protected species.
The project consists in recording in site the Haute-Ile soundscape with a set of four automatic recorders (Audiomoth). The soundscape is then played back inside a room with a network of loudspeakers positionned exactly in the same configuration as the outdoor recorder network. This ensures a perfect restitution of the space dynamics of the chorus so that the audience can feel the 3D dynamics of a natural soundscape.
Partnership with Cité des Arts de Montpellier 3M
BIOTA by Pablo Bolaños
The BIOTA project addresses the creation of music by exclusively utilizing sounds emitted by living organisms inhabiting a specific habitat type. Within a mature ecosystem, animals have evolved to produce sounds that avoid interference among themselves, adapting to specific positions within the acoustic space, according to the acoustic niche hypothesis proposed by Bernie Krause in 1983. Consequently, within an ecosystem, a wide variety of sounds exist, ranging from low to high frequencies, encompassing both melodic and percussive qualities. Among this diversity, the Biota project involves the selection and manipulation of sounds using samplers and synthesizers, drawing analogies to the traditional musical instruments such as bass, melodic instruments, or percussions. Whenever possible, the protagonists are identified at the species level or at a higher level, such as the family or order.
The musical style encompasses various forms of electronic music, leveraging the natural characteristics of diverse vocalizations. The sound recordings, at present, are captured in locations within Guatemala, such as Izabal, near the Bocas del Polochic protected area, El Biotopo del Quetzal in Baja Verapaz, and the Sierra de las Minas, which boasts the country’s largest cloud forest, among others.
Visit the project website and listen on soundcloud.
Adèle de Baudouin
under construction
Sébastien Gaxie
under construction
Bastien David
under construction