Having recorded various performances of my own patch on the Moog matriarch, I would like to capture some water like recordings as I feel it would share an aesthetic with the sounds I fashioned previously in the studio. I think taking the Zoom H5 and making some field recordings would be a good way to get some more natural textures to compliment the quite flat sounding raw electronic sounds. I have a few ideas for water-like sounds such as a drip from a tap that I could create various rhythms from. I also have ideas to go to Streatham Common’s Rookery where there is a beautiful waterfall stream like irrigation system that creates a calm atmosphere amongst the birds singing and rustling of the leaves in the wind. I would also like to capture some rain sounds and if possible, sounds of thunder to get different aspects of water.

I have been thinking about possibilities for the theme of the piece and I feel like the idea of thoughts or consciousness ties in well with water: running water is like our constant stream of consciousness, rain and thunder can be like our subconscious where there are thoughts and ideas brewing below the surface ready to appear into our conscious minds. The drops of the water could potentially show space and the stillness of a lake to represent when the mind is more still, and small impressions can create little thought ripples before returning to a calm. 

Another idea that comes to have naturally occurred is what my own mind can be like, days when I am not feeling so well and times when I am ecstatic and full of energy as well as the flashes of psychosis that can occur, more often on some days more than others. The composition could be a good way to capture the sonic identity of my mind on one of these good, bad, or restful days. 

I intend to work in a music concrète based practice as opposed to my usual dance or structured music workflow and concentrate less on melody, chords or musical sounds to exhibit emotionality, and instead more on every day and otherworldly noises as well as dynamics to create a piece more akin to normal life and the way the mind interacts with it (or at least how my mind does). I would consider diffusion techniques if there was a way to reintroduce the feeling through stereo systems, but I just don’t think it would make much of a difference when trying to shoe-horn the experience into two speakers. Because of this I want to focus on getting the best out of the stereo format and lean into its limitations as this always seems to be the best approach when faced with artistic “walls”.