Workshop::UnNatural Field Recordings / Natural Overdubs by William “Bilwa” Costa

16 / 17.03.2019 

Unnatural Field Recordings / Natural Overdubs is a workshop led by William “Bilwa” Costa  which utilizes urban, architectural, and natural spaces as both a source for cultivating and processing/re-recording sound.

The goal of the workshop is to create personal sound palettes which can be used for composition, experimentation, and performance.
This workshop has taken place in Kaunas, LT, as part of Matters Residency; and in Liepaja, LV, as part of the Sound Days Festival.

This workshop is based on the project Un/natural Fields, in which William “Bilwa” Costa records man-made, digital, analogue, and mechanical sounds, as well as many other incidental sounds, which make up a city’s soundscape on metros and other indoor and outside public spaces. These recordings are arranged in sound palettes which, combined with sine-tones, are used for experimental sound compositions, installations, and live performances.

Employing techniques associated with Musique Concrète, electronic music, and sound phenomena; including: multi-track phasing, oscillation, binaural beating, panning, cancellation, etc., this project uses no plug-in effects. His palettes are comprised of sounds from many cities including: Istanbul, Mexico City, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, NY, Berlin,Vienna, Prague, Kaunas, Riga, etc.

Audio Samples here: soundcloud.com/bilwa

Un/natural Field Recordings are audio recordings comprised of man-made, digital, analogue, and mechanical sounds, as well as many other incidental sounds, which make up a city’s soundscape in public spaces. This process can be done systematically, intentionally, or at random; using various quality levels of recording devices.
Natural Overdubs Un/natural Field Recordings are played back, in the same space as the original recording and/or in various spaces with different sound qualities, using portable speakers; essentially “overdubbing” the recording with the sound event happening in the current space. We will experiment with recorder – speaker relationships, alternating the foreground and background sounds; as well as utilizing a spaces sound qualities (reverberation, reflection, echo, noise, etc.)

This process can be looked at as a sound intervention/concert and/or a recording session which utilizes
public spaces.

PRACTICAL _Working in small groups, we will:
– record a series of Unnatural Field Recordings in spaces near workshop
– search locations with interesting sound qualities for playback/overdubbing
– make a series of “overdub” recordings in these locations
– create a sound palette of these recordings
– experiment with playback options through loudspeakers, hand held speakers, etc.
– create scores (graphic, time-based, thematic, etc.) based on research during the workshop
– experiment with ways of utilizing individual sound palettes to perform these scores
– perform scores created during the workshop

WHAT TO BRING (if possible)
audio recorders (digital, tape, smartphone, etc.), microphone/cable , laptop/tablets/samplers (sound
card/controller/cables), small audio mixer/cables, sketchbook/pens

ABOUT THE TUTOR
William “Bilwa” Costa is an artist who works in the performing, sound, and visual arts contexts. His work includes: performance, installation, experimental / electro-acoustic music, sound art, field recordings, real-time composition, graphic scores and conceptual structures for sound and movement.
Collaboration with other artists is essential to his work. He works internationally, generating research, labs, workshops, and performance projects, actively cultivating opportunities for artists to work together on new interdisciplinary experiments.
Currently based in Berlin, Bilwa has performed this project in duo, trio, and group ensembles, led workshops, and has lectured in N. America, UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia. williambilwacosta.com | soundcloud.com/bilwa