Turbine 22, Dun Law (mp3) (flac) (right-click or option-click to download)
Turbine 22, Dun Law is assembled from recordings of a wind turbine at the Dun Law wind farm in the Scottish Borders. The recordings were made using contact microphones attached to the surface of the turbine housing, capturing the sounds of its internal workings. The recordings were then layered and processed to accentuate their resonant frequencies, emphasizing the harmonic, musical qualities of the turbine.
Wind turbines are currently highly controversial in Scotland. They are both praised as engines of environmental sustainability and criticised for being intrusive, noisy and ugly. This piece of music suggests a different way of engaging with these structures, by inviting listeners to attend to their hidden acoustics.
Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo are Michael Gallagher and Neil Simpson. Their music explores difference and detail through the use of repetition, often through site-specific practices.
Close-up of the turbine
Contact microphones taped to the turbine housing
Michael Gallagher recording the turbine
More info: www.buffalobuffalobuffalo.net
Soundscape: The Journal of Acoustic Ecology is published by the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology
This site maintained by Steven M. Miller - pubweb.csf.edu/~smill
Background photo: Sitting Bull Falls, near Carlsbad New Mexico, USA by Steven M. Miller