Introduction
The field of experimental music is quite large and expanding with the emergence of new currents, opinions, ideas, and possibilities of realization. The work under consideration in the avant-garde soundscape is made by clipping. It is an innovative album of this experimental group (Rare Music Archive, 2020). It is not just another live recording but a bold exploration of sonic space, delving into acoustic principles and rejecting traditional recording methods.
Main Body
To fully appreciate the album’s uniqueness, it is crucial to realize the specific approach to sound recording, radically revised and altered. The microphone placement and unorthodox approach transform the concert venue into a resonating sonic canvas with astounding results. The orientation issues in creating the problem lie in the meticulous editing and synchronization process, which took an extremely long time compared to the assembly of conventional recordings. In this context, every voice, every sound, or echo becomes an instrument, and ambient noise on par with laughter and chatter contributes to forming a rich sonic adventure.
Concerning the discussion of acoustic principles, the work can point to various types of sound propagation that challenge preconceived notions of the process. Total immersion is achieved through the lack of detailed commentary on the location of this or that microphone at any given interval and the resulting slight disorientation. Often, distant and muffled sounds, completely inaudible in concert, are brought to the foreground, leaving the main volume in the background.
Conclusion
Thus, the acoustic principles of interference, diffraction, and reflection are utilized, especially in the resonance of pipes and structures. What sets the work apart is its ability to transform the concert experience into something unique, inviting the listener to actively participate in the sonic journey rather than a mere observer. It blurs the boundaries between performer and audience, music and ambient noise, expectation and surprise. It shatters what a live album can be while expanding one’s understanding of sonic space.
Reference
Rare Music Archive. (2020). clipping. with Christopher Fleeger – Double live (full album) [Video]. YouTube. Web.