Evan Lindorff-Ellery, John Collins McCormick

This recording was made June 3, 2023 near Kingston New York while standing in the Stony Kill. In part one, John and Evan improvise with and against each other and nature. The raging water is a dynamic barrier at once the audible center and distracting noise. Part two showcases audio’s ability to fool the senses, by slowing the playback speed we can challenge the figure/ground relationship.

"If there is a need for constant sound I like a creek. They are reliable, if rain-dependent. Of making sounds I think and don’t think about what I’m doing to the environment and what it does to me.

Evan brought me to the creek on the recording near Kingston NY on June 3, 2023. We hiked around a waterfall and followed the creek into the woods. I mostly played cornet with a balloon mouthpiece while walking back and forth. Evan brought a few things including a harmonica and found a few more including some branches.

I enjoy the figure/ground relationship in these recordings, similar to painting. Is slowing down a recording like zooming in on a picture? Painting has rules to forget. I never knew sound rules. Is changing the compressor in the middle of a recording like misrepresenting scale?" - John Collins McCormick