Distant Objects in Soft Focus

Distant Objects in Soft Focus relates to my growing interest in spatialised sound and audionarratology, the latter “a new ‘postclassical’ narratology that explores interfaces of sound, voice, music and narrative in different media and across disciplinary boundaries” (Mildorf & Kinzel, Audionarratology, De Gruyter 2016). My work in this regard explores the use of diegetic and nondiegetic sound to create narratives that lack other conventional elements, such as images, words, and so on. My intent with Distant Objects is to supply soundscapes that generate narrativity, encouraging the listener to “mobilize human experience to connect the distinct elements of the composition” (Lars Bernaerts, “Voice and Sound in the Anti-Narrative Radio Play”), while at the same time being fully aware that it is informed by these “human” elements (drawn from the listener’s experience: knowledge, memories, feelings, location, and so on) render the outcomes unpredictable. Technically, the works on this album build on practical techniques and understandings I’ve developed through making ambient and experimental music in recent years but are uniquely configured on this release: some of the sounds I’m experimenting with are entirely unprocessed (either sourced from natural environments or resulting from human behaviour, or a mix of the two) or are entirely artificial (such as those created through musical instruments or processed through a digital audio workstation). I also explored spatialisation techniques to emphasise or de-emphasise particular impressionistic textures, with the aim of guiding the listener towards certain “ideal” objectives (mood, for instance). The title of this album and the album notes reflect the joint futility and excitement of this exercise: the act of straining to bring something indistinct into focus is its own generative act. My efforts in all these regards have been positively noted in reviews. Sales-wise, the album debuted in the top three ambient titles on Bandbamp and the top ten overall and was Projekt Records’ #1 bestselling release for October, signifying a strong audience response.