Introducing sound artist Victoria Karlsson

London-based sound artist Victoria Karlsson contacted me after she read one of my blog posts about my investigations into voice-hearing. We skyped today and discussed both of our practices and found some interesting connections.

"Victoria Karlsson is interested in the emotional and subjective aspects of sound and art. Investigating sound as both an inner and outer experience, she explores how we think about, remember, dream about sounds, and how this influences our experiences of sounds in our everyday. 

She is currently undertaking a PhD Research Degree at University of the Arts, London. Her practice based research, with the working title of "Mapping experiences of inner sounds " investigates sounds in thoughts, asking if we hear sounds in our minds, what they mean to us and where they come from.


The research aims to create a body of work defining our understanding of “inner sounds” - sounds we ‘hear’ in both our conscious and unconscious mind, similar to, but different from an inner voice. While the term is positioned hypothetically at this stage, the aim of this project is to research experiences of inner sounds with a view to producing a working definition of its meaning. Through practice-based research, the project aims to investigate strategies of articulating and making inner sounds audible, and develop a language to externalise and map experiences of inner sounds. While inner experiences are often explored within artistic practice, this projects specific focus is on experiences of inner sound, where this sort of exploration has not been attempted before.

As a sound designer on several live art events, Victoria creates sound environments that evoke alternative words and explore our experience of different spaces. Working closely with the director, performers and set designers to ensure sound becomes an integral part of the performance environment."

We discussed all manner of sound-related topics including:

- whether you can ever communicate what is in your head
- we tend to hear about people having negative auditory hallucinations, but some auditory hallucinations can be helpful
- how we can attribute sounds to different emotions and states

Jez Riley French visits Newcastle and comes along to Drone Ensemble

I met field recorder and photographer Jez Riley French a couple of years ago when he came to give an artist talk at Newcastle University. We have kept in touch, and earlier this week I met up with him and a group of other artists using sound at NewBridge Studios on his latest visit to Newcastle.



"Using intuitive composition, field recording, improvisation and photography, Jez has been exploring his enjoyment of and interest in detail, simplicity and his emotive response to places and situations for over 3 decades.

Alongside performances, exhibitions, installations, he lectures and runs workshops around the world on field recording and the act and art of listening. He also curates the ‘engraved glass’ label and the ‘a quiet position’ series of online releases / forums exploring the broad ideas surrounding field recording as a primary art of sound / sound art.

In recent years he has been working extensively on recordings of surfaces and spaces (natural and man made) and developing the concept of photographic scores. Jrf is particularly associated with the development of extended recording techniques, including the recording of structural vibrations, contact microphone recording, ultrasonics, infrasonics, internal electronic signals via coil pick-up's and recordings made with hydrophones.

Amongst his key recent works are pieces capturing the sound of the dolomites dissolving, ants consuming fallen fruit, the Tate Modern building vibrating, the infrasound of domestic spaces around the world, glaciers melting in Iceland and the tonal resonances of natural and human objects in the landscape."



His visit coincided with Drone Ensemble's weekly session, and so I introduced him to Joe and the other Droners. We demonstrated our range of sound making machines, and he enjoyed having a go himself.



Jez has invited me to be included in a forthcoming edition of verdure engraved, a regular pdf arts magazine, available to view online or download for free

I will be responding to six questions that Jez has sent me, and this will form part of the interview series that runs throughout the arts magazine.

To see earlier editions please visit

http://jezrileyfrench.co.uk/verdure-engraved.php