Operating mainly in the realm of sound installation since the early ’90s, Norwegian artist Jana Winderen has been recently busy obtaining what she calls “blind field recordings,” essentially the recovery and documentation of sounds from unseen sources. More specifically, she has come to utilize the capabilities of the hydrophone in order to expose previously submerged sounds roaring through the depths of rivers, oceans, and glacier crevasses. On October 24, 2008, Winderen presented the material captured during various field research trips in the form of a layered improvisational performance at the Super Deluxe venue in Tokyo. The subsequent recording, Heated: Live in Japan, is Winderen’s first CD release and establishes her position in the already impressive roster of Touch artists.
Although the use of environmental sound as a compositional element is now acceptable by current musical standards, there still may be a certain level of apprehension surrounding Winderen’s methods. For example, some may view field recordings as a valuable form of documentation; others may claim field recordings fail to produce a purely aural and emotional experience. In order to be effective in this latter sense, field recordings need to be heavily processed, presented alongside a visual medium, or provide textural qualities for more traditional instrumentation. What's particularly striking about Heated is its ability to challenge these criticisms. While the information surrounding Heated’s creation is intriguing and adds to its overall appreciation, there is still a peculiar quality recovered through Winderen’s techniques that results in an immersive and involving piece of music, even when experienced independently from its textual information.
An obvious (and perhaps hasty) comparison of Winderen’s work on Heated can be drawn to the works of predominant natural sound recordist and labelmate Chris Watson. In fact, Watson even explored similar source material when he featured a recording of a glacier in the Norwegian Sea on his excellent 2003 release Weather Report. However, while Watson’s recordings generally lean towards the subtle and serene, Winderen’s are far more confrontational. Indeed, there is an underlying sense of danger and unpredictability running through these recordings that virtually disregards any sense of relaxation that may be associated with the sounds of nature. As a result, Heated has much more in common with the work of dark-ambient artists such as fellow Norwegianers Svarte Greiner and Deathprod: an impressive feat for an artist working entirely with field recordings.
Heated opens with a brief spoken-word introduction by Tetsuro Yasunaga. Although this piece may have little meaning for those of us not fluent in Japanese, Yasunaga’s words still carry a sense of familiarity, and the piece’s human qualities serve as a powerful contrast after the listener is transported to the cavernous, otherworldly environment brought to the surface by Winderen. Expectedly, there are still sounds throughout these recordings that overtly signify the source material: the sound of water can be heard alternating between gentle trickling and crashing waves, while wind rushes violently through the cracking ice. But the sounds that dominate the atmosphere are indeed difficult to place, such as the swelling lo-mid frequencies, and the distant reverberations that seem to mimic the howls of a human voice.
Taken together, these elements make Heated a challenging listen that is well suited to its brief 26-minute duration. Being exposed to the intensity of these sounds for any longer would surely prove exhausting. Nonetheless, Winderen has succeeded in producing a work with a powerful impact even when removed from external associative qualities, further demonstrating the potential for the field recording as an effective form of musical expression.
1. Tetsuro Yasunaga
2. Jana Winderen
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