A los cuatro vientos

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Digital album by Félix Blume. Label: Sonic Terrain (October 2014)

“Nature is an aeolian harp, a musical instrument whose tones are the re-echo of higher strings within us.” – Novalis

In ancient civilizations, the god of wind (Eole, Aiolos, Aeolus) has an important place. He manifests himself through aeolian harps built for him. In this piece I’m presenting wind sounds being played in four different places, recorded between 2011 and 2014 in various places of America. In one case only it is an aeolian harp (Chile), built with the purpose of interacting with the wind. In other cases, there are power posts of low and high voltage (California, Chile, Mexico) or posts of an old ski lift (Bolivia). The electrical wires are the ropes; posts and steel structures are the resonant body; tubes are the organ… Are these modern buildings the aeolian harps of our times?

As R. Murray Schafer comments in “The Soundscape”, the installation of electricity in the houses at the beginning of the nineteenth century changed the rural soundscape with the high voltage power lines. Dr Philip Dickinson from the “Research Institute of Sound and Vibrations” mentions the case of a woman who attempted suicide because she continually heard a sound inaudible to others. After several tests, they discovered that some power lines resonated and produced sound between 30 and 40 Hertz. This same sound has been recorded in other places, depending on temperature, humidity and wind.

[STR 020] A los cuatro vientos, on SONIC TERRAIN

“A fantastic release by Félix Blume with sounds from different sides of America” Sonic Terrain
Rich, full, captivating sounds. Based on field recordings. Simply amazing Vuzh Music
Part of the “FUNDAMENTAL” list of 2014 by Unfathomless Label

Broadcast, live and listening sessions: Resonnance.FM (UK), Nuit de la Radio (Fr), Ruido a ciegas (Mx), Dúos en cinta con Barbara Lazara (Mx), CHOQ Radio (Ca), Radio Grenouille (Fr), Radio Canut (Fr), Les Siestes Électroniques (Fr), Meditatio Sonus (Mx), Fonoteca Nacional (Mx), La Troisième Porte à Gauche (Fr), and the whole Radia Network : *Duuu (Fr), ∏node (Fr), Diffusion (Au), JET FM (Fr), Kanal 103 (Mk), Orange 94.0 (At), Radio ARA (Lu), Radio Campus (Be), Radio Grenouille (Fr), Radio Helsinki (At), Radio One 91 FM (Nz), Radio Panik (Be), Radio Papesse (It), Radio Student (Si), radio x (De), Rádio Zero (Pt), RadioWORM (Nl), Reboot.fm (De), Resonance FM (UK), Soundart Radio (UK), TEA FM (Es), Usmaradio (SM) & Wave Farm (USA),

Exhibitions: Fonoteca Nacional (Mx),