this blog is now rarely updated, please see my main website for up to date information

https://jezrileyfrench.co.uk/

collaborations with the Icelandic ensemble, Nordic Affect - very pleasing indeed:

'score for listening # 80 - four variations' - premiere 26th October 2016 at Mengi, Reykjavik

& also, at Nordic Music Days in Iceland - also involving text from Pheobe:

H e (a) r
Soundscape connected to ecology, acoustics and embodiment; drawing on encounters and what happens in the connection.

Performers are Carina Ehrenholm, Angela Rawlings, Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir and Liv Kaastrup Vesterskov. Text score extracted from writings and digital works by Angela Rawlings (In Memory: Jökull*, Jöklar) as well as by Pauline Oliveros, R. Murray Schafer, David Suzuki, Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir, Jez Riley French, Phoebe Riley French, Bernhard Leitner, Heidi Fast and Roni Horn. H e (a) r was directed and composed by Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir and mixed by Kent Olofsson at Inter Arts Center in Malmö, Sweden. Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir

http://www.nordicmusicdays.org/nordic-affect

pleased to announce that I will be collaborating with Opera North, Jan Bang, Eivind Aarset and Arve Henriksen on Ten Worlds - a new piece that blends field recordings of the bridge itself (inside, outside & its locale - recorded by myself for this project) with orchestra, choir, electronics, guitar and trumpet, as part of Hull's Capital of Culture 2017 year.  This major new commission will involve an interactive timed, performed realisation and a longer term sound walk along the bridge.

https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/two-opera-north-commissions-for-hull-2017-uk-city-of-culture

'veer' 

numbered limited edition (25 copies) 

48 page saddle stitched book, uncoated cover, colour and b/w 

SOLD OUT 

comes with a download of realisation of the graphic score 'score for nissei theatre' by Embla Quickbeam, Catherine Kontz, Manja Ristic, Philip Thomas and Jez riley French 

digital download and pdf available here

fjallsarlon from Jez riley French on Vimeo.

this piece captures a few minutes of one heck of a day. The 6 hour drive to the glacier lagoon of Jokulsarlon was rather tiring and the be honest that lagoon does tend to get over run with tourists, though sitting by the side of it with some of the students, listening via hydrophones, still was quite an experience. Behind is Fjallsarlon, a smaller lagoon but with a richer soundscape and unknown to most tourists. That is until the week we were there when someone was building a hut to run motor boat trips on the lagoon from. Since that opened this sound, this visual experience has gone.

As readers will know I carry with me an Olympus Pen camera. I like that they're compact for one thing and I simply like how they feel to use. One thing to mention though - if you're using them, or indeed any camera with a digital screen, in very cold environments don't put them on the dashboard when you get back into the minibus with the heating on to warm up ! got a couple of cracks on the screen on one pen and someone else with a canon got one crack on theirs. It still works and as I use an attachable conventional view finder it isn't a big deal but....

 here are some photos of the day:

gunnuhver from Jez riley French on Vimeo.

JrF contact mics & hydrophones - built specially for the acoustic garden display at this years Chelsea Flower show, in collaboration with the Peter Eustance, Papworth Trust & Evelyn Glennie:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/exhibitors/2016/gardens/papworth-trust-together-we-can

digital reissue of 'estonian strings'

(nb. headphones / conventional speakers advised)

https://engravedglass.bandcamp.com/album/estonian-strings

review by Cheryl Tipp (British Library):

Estonian Strings.  Jez riley French is well known for his work exploring sounds that are normally hidden from the general listener. His recordings bring forth new life into environments that are not actively forthcoming when it comes to sharing their acoustic qualities, thereby opening up new sound environments to explore. "Estonian Strings" is the latest offering from French and takes the form of a 42 minute composition based on recordings made during his first trip to Estonia in the spring of 2009. With his constant desire to investigate new sonic sources, French applied his contact microphones to a variety of "found strings". "I found transmitter cables, long chimney support cables, disused piano wires stretched across old farm utensils, rust covered fences -- each one a surprise, a discovery and a joy to listen to." The result of this foray into the unknown is a select series of field recordings that have been patiently worked together to create a pulsating, otherworldly piece that quietly beckons to the listener. Headphones are a definite must if you want to fully appreciate the multilayered intricacies of this work. With headphones, 'Estonian Strings' takes on an almost mesmeric quality; the piece is unhurried and minimal, yet it seems almost impossible to remove oneself from this strange world. The changing tone of the work is unquestionably subtle, but there is enough happening to retain more than a passing interest in the content. With his ear for the unusual and an unflinching curiosity, French once again opens up a portal to reveal a wealth of usually concealed sounds. Just the right balance has been struck between content and composition here, making 'Estonian Strings' an intriguing and enjoyable listening experience. ct

'glen buck loch' + photographic score

0℃ exhibition, BlanClass, Yokohama, Japan
27-29 / 5 / 2016

exhibition also includes work by:
Sawako Kato
Hafdís Bjarnadóttir
Akio Suzuki
Jana Winderen
Francisco Lopez
Leah Beeferman
Yukio Fujimoto
Katie Paterson
Philip Samatzis
& more

http://blanclass.com/english/schedule/20160529

Orford Ness 

Sound Recording field trip to an internationally important coastal nature reserve, with a fascinating

20th-century history

with Chris Watson and Jez riley French

5-7th July, 2016

A unique mid-week field trip to the National Trust’s Orford Ness National Nature Reserve with access to areas normally off limits to visitors (with careful guidelines as site has fragile habitats and was used as a military testing facility) and two nights on Orford Ness! 

During the trip there will be extensive exploration of recording the Ness and its abandoned military structures with conventional microphones (inc. surround and ambisonic options), parabolic arrays, contact mics, hydrophones, ultrasonic detectors, coils and geophones.

To ensure the best experience for all we are limiting the number of places to 10 participants.

This is an amazing opportunity to explore and record one of the most historically fascinating sites in the UK important in the development of military techniques and equipment from WWI to the Atomic age. Whilst the Ness has plenty of nature to record, this particular trip is likely to also appeal strongly to those interested in architectural acoustics, psychogeography and various approaches to the use of field recording in the wider sound arts. 

For more information on the site visit:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/orford-ness-national-nature-reserve

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orford_Ness

The trip is, of course, suitable for participants interested in any aspect of field recording, sound and the act and art of listening, however due to the unique aspects of the site the trip might be of particularly interest to those working with field recording as a process in the wider arts (sound, installation, video art). Chris and Jez will be on hand to instigate discussions on the various subtle aspects of working with found sound, diffusion or recordings and interacting with environments. In addition, linking with Framework (Resonance FM's field recording based show) participants will be invited to contribute to a special edition of the show based around this trip.


Accommodation is in the ‘basic’, self-catering building on the ness itself. There are 3 bunk rooms so we will book participants based on availability in male and female rooms. Participants will need to bring their own sheets, quilt or sleeping bag and pillows + food and drink for the duration. There is no catering element to this trip so we will all have to pitch in & prepare meals together. If we can persuade the ferry operator there might be one evening trip back to the mainland so we can go to the pub for a meal.  

day one: please aim to arrive at Orford Quay at 2:00pm. We will then ferry everyone to the ness and be transported to the accommodation building to settle in. 

We’ll hold a welcome meeting, giving us all the chance to get to know each other and discuss our aims for the trip and begin exploring the ness, recording during the afternoon, evening and through the night.

day two: further exploration of the ness, including access to the various abandoned buildings + the option for playback sessions in the evening.

day three: further exploration of the ness, including access to buildings. We’ll aim to be ready to leave the ness by the ferry at 5pm or before if you wish.

Cost: £350 per person 

what’s included: 

. access to Orford Ness, including various military structures and natural 

  habitats

. accommodation for 3 days / 2 nights on Orford Ness

. parking in the public car park and ferry crossings on National Trust’s Octavia

. access to help, assistance and advice from Chris and Jez 

. two NT guides, with in-depth knowledge of the Ness and on site transport

. Chris and Jez will also bring extensive recording equipment with them, which participants will also
  be able to try alongside their own kit.

what’s not included:

. food and drink

. bed linen (please bring your own)

. travel to and from Orford

. travel / personal insurance

  nb. it is envisaged that participants will have some experience of field recording and have their own   recording equipment

suggestions of what you should bring:

. clothes for all weather conditions

. decent boots capable of coping with different weather conditions 

. bed linen or sleeping bag and pillow cases, towel, toiletries

. recording equipment inc. headphones

. batteries, chargers etc.

. camera

. food and drink for the duration  

. notebook and pen

. head torch

. laptop for editing and playback of recordings

There is some mobile signal on the ness, but it can be patchy. It is unlikely there will be any internet access on the ness.

To book a place:

1. please email Jez at: tempjez@hotmail.com to reserve your place.
2. you will then be sent a link to the NT booking process and will be required to pay in full for your place (this is because demand will be very high for places and due to the NT booking process. In the event that you have to cancel your place up to 2 months before the trip the NT will refund your payment minus a £50 cancellation fee. Cancellation after this will only trigger a refund if we can fill your place on the trip, minus the cancellation fee).
3. please also email Jez your full contact information, including mobile number, details of any flights / trains you are taking to reach the meeting point, a brief description of your areas of interest in sound, the equipment you will be bringing and any questions you have. Please also update Jez on any changes to your travel plans in the weeks prior to the trip. 

Chris Watson

Chris Watson has developed a particular and passionate interest in recording the wildlife sounds of animals, habitats and atmospheres from around the world. Most recently Watson has been exploring aspects of spatial sound through Ambisonic installations in collaboration with galleries around the world such as in The Louvre, RMIT Melbourne, Krakow Botanical Gardens, The Millennium Gallery Sheffield, Opera North in Leeds and the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. Chris can be heard regularly on BBC Radio, releases albums for the Touch label and leads workshops on field recording around the world.

www.chriswatson.net

Jez riley French

Alongside performances, exhibitions, installations, Jez lectures and runs workshops around the world on field recording and the act and art of listening. His range of JrF specialist microphones have become widely used by recordists, sound artists, musicians and cultural organisations and have had a significant influence on the development of sound culture in recent years. He also curates various other projects exploring the broad ideas surrounding field recording as a primary art of sound / sound art.

Recent work includes commissions for Tate Modern (UK), Artisphere (USA) and for organisations in Italy, Iceland, Japan, Spain and the UK. A section of his piece for Tate Modern was also chosen to be part of the ‘500 years of British Art’ series at Tate Britain.

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. Jez 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.

jezrileyfrench.co.uk

nice web archive of the workshop in Ayr with myself and Chris Watson: 

http://river.uws.io/#The+River+Issue

the 1st Source film on the subject of the links between sound and photography is now online, featuring myself, Dawn Wilson & Angus Carlyle:

the new issue of Source Photographic review is a fascinating survey of the links between sound and photography including Eve Forrest, writing about the 1980s LPs that make up the 'Photographers' gallery of music and sound', an article on recent books that include sound recordings and portfolios of work by Joséphine Michel who has been photographing birds as sound emitting objects, & myself (Jez riley French) whose photographs are designed as 'scores for listening' and Paul Gaffney whose work is a direct response to a piece of music.

Source have also commissioned a series of films & audio interviews via their website to go along with the print issue, including myself again, Angus Carlyle, Dawn Wilson, Cheryl Tip, Jon Wozencroft, Laura Pannack and Ian Rawes.

a valuable addition to the resources on this rarely covered subject - £6 + p&p from the website:

http://bit.ly/sonicphot

pleased to announce the release of 'portable music' on Touch's Touchline series - three pieces based on structural resonances, close listening to locales and geothermal ultrasonics from Iceland - featuring myself, Pheobe Law​, Sofia Miorelli​, Maria Silvano​, Maddalena Carta, Michele Spanghero​, Sandro Carta, Gabriella Ferrari​, Antonio Della Marina, the audience & villages at Topolo & its locale....

https://touchshop.org//product_info.php?products_id=726

interesting programme on BBC Radio Ulster about Jocelyn Bell Burnell - which happens to also include some of my fence recordings

http://bbc.in/20pIeI9

Fresh Yorkshire Aires Pledge Music Campaign Video 

my article on Sami yoik, featuring interviews with Ande Somby & Chris Watson + audio from Ande, Nils-Aslak Valkeapaa, Johan Ander Baer & Ulla Pirttijarvi is now online. As you can hear / read Yoik is a tradition that remains locked to the environment & some of the most powerful recorded examples were (& still are) recorded in the field:

http://www.caughtbytheriver.net/2016/01/17/yoik-jez-riley-french-chris-watson-field-recording-norway-ande-somby-nils-aslak-valkeapaa-sami-ulla-prittijarvi-johan-anders-baer/

pleased to be part of this work by Alexander Wendt exhibited at Gallerie Oscar (germany) with a soundtrack of my piece 'residences de lumiere'

 
Lit – sunshine recorder (2015) trailer from wendt on Vimeo.

nice mention on Katy Bentham's updated blog + her recording of a hedge using some JrF contact mics:

https://benthamfineart.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/audio-st-marys-recapping-lighthouses-and-field-recording/