Fieldwave, Vol. 1

A 10 track ambient album (56m 4s) — released January 24th 2020 on nonclassical

Fieldwaveis the new compilation from Nonclassical that unearths new compositions with field recording at their heart. Curated by DJ and sonic adventurer Nick Luscombe (Late Junction, Musicity), it highlights a new wave of sonic artists incorporating natural sound into their work.

"There has been a boom of interest in capturing natural sounds for private listening and sharing," says Nick, "in part driven by the fact that many more people now have ready access to recording devices – their smartphones."

"There is not a single day that passes by that I don't receive a record, CD, tape or link that features elements of field recordings."

He's brought together an extraordinary collection of recordings that take us all over the world. Kate Carr introduces us to a bridge in Saskatoon, Canada, while For Now and Darren Hayman create a drama in London's Tower Hamlets. David Bamford reimagines the inside of a London bus as a slushie machine on 'Mr Slush', and Mark Vernon dips us into the Risør Harbour of South Norway. The release also features contributions from accordionist and recordist Tuuliiki Bartosik, Langham Research Centre's Iain Chambers, art duo Hojo+Kraft, and a snippet of bird song recorded by Nick Luscombe himself.

Together, they represent the full breadth of field recording as an artform, from nature recordings, to sonic collage, to site-specific performance.

And with a contribution from Nonclassical founder and Artistic Director Gabriel Prokofiev, there's field recording as reportage. On a recent trip to Hong Kong, he found himself amid the widespread protests of 2019. Taking out a pair of microphones, he captured chanting, cheers and the rattle of cans being kicked down the street – a symbolic gesture criticising the police. Coming in at 26 minutes, the track thrusts us into the heart of the year's upheaval. The track will be released exclusively on the limited edition Fieldwave cassette.

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