Scottish Awards for New Music 2018

Delighted to be nominated for the Scottish New Music Awards 2018 for my composition Barkeval in the electroacoustic/sound art category.   

Barkeval is a four movement, fixed media stereo sound composition.  The composition was inspired by the geology of the Isle of Rum which features some of the oldest rocks of earth and is the site of a massive ancient volcano. Barkeval is the name of a peak on the site of the volcano. Rooted in acoustic ecology and the culture and landscape of the west coast of Scotland, the composition uses some processed sounds from volcanos (eg lava flow etc). It also features a range of sound recordings of materials evocative of volcano acoustics to give a subterranean feel.  Volcanos make a wide range of sounds from flute or voice-like sounds, to drumbeats, gliding, and even the sounds of a jet engine. Volcanic activity can range from slow lava flow, to violent eruptions.  A wide range of sound processing and programming techniques were used to deliver the composition which explores the various stages of volcanic eruptions, and the sounds they make. The composition is through-composed to tell the story, and includes some Gaelic spoken word about life in the shadow of a volcano.