Just returned from the amazing and inspiring festival Sonica in Glasgow. 11 days of sonic art with a visual focus – experienced some amazing work, and met lots of inspiring people Find out more about it here. … Everything was completely brilliant  – but if pressed to refine it to a few highlights, I’d go for the awesome audio visual performances of Herman Kolgen, the stunning (with a touch of humour) performance by Speak Percussion and Robin Fox, live accompaniment to the film ‘Wings’ by Sleichim and Blindman, the moving installation ‘Before and After by Indonesian artist Jompet Kuswidananto and Wintour’s Leap’s mesmerising ‘Helmholtz’.

Above photos L-R: Speak Percussion & Robin Fox; Seismic by Herman Kolgen; Helmholtz by Wintour’s Leap

I was exhibiting Tipping Point, – an installation that uses shifting water levels to tune and de-tune audio feedback tones to create a haunting, slowly changing soundscape and light show. I also performed live with the installation 6 times over the festival, which gave me plenty of scope to develop this element of the piece and try out new ways of improvising with it.

Tipping Point photo 1 by Louise Mather, photos 2 & 3 by Kathy Hinde

I also premiered a new piece Submerge which was created specifically for Sonica with a direct focus on the city of Glasgow. Following a series of underwater sound recording workings back in June, Submerge maps the hidden waterways of Glasgow in the form of an interactive installation – including scientific data based on analysis of the water. It was shown in the Lighthouse, Glasgow’s centre of architecture and design, and, low and behold, it was a brilliant location, situated in Rennie Mackintosh’s water tower !  Read more about it here.

Submerge photo 1 by Robert McFadzean photos 2 & 3 by Alex Woodward

Sonica will be back at Kings Place in February … where I get to show Tipping Point again alongside works by the amazing Robbie Thomson, Mark Lyken, and North of X…

A video of the Sonica 2015 highlights…

Header photo of Submerge by Robert McFadzean