A Closely Woven Fabrik

“If we climbed out of the recreational vehicle and sat on the ground, we might begin to get the message that we can't afford to hear, the message that, since contact, Aborigines have never stopped transmitting. The land is the source of everything...”Germaine Greer, from White Fella Jump Up. splitrec released a CD by west head project in January 2011. For a number of years as West Head Project, we've been making site specific sound events and recordings at outdoor locations - initially these were held at West Head in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. We've gone on to play in special sites around Australia and this disc documents our work on Maria Island off the east coast of Tasmania where we were resident for 10 days, guests of 10 Days on the Island Festival and Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania. At the end of this period we guided audiences on a soundwalk, entwining our music in some unique acoustics. Heard are (amongst other things) their footsteps, vocalisations of a toddler, digital cameras and the vibrant local birdlife. This disk is as much about field recording as the performance of music - we were lucky to have Anthony Magen for the last few days to document the event. Part 1 (spruces) has Dale's automated sonic contraptions installed in an avenue of mature trees that lead from the jetty to the former convict settlement of Darlington. His tones are woven with waves from the beach, raucous Cape Barren Geese, Monika's accordion and my bamboo flute. Moving across a ridge to the next valley (roots) Dale plays on dried upended roots as my saxophone engages with the forest acoustic and a distant motorboat. We end (glade) with audience and band sitting on the ground in a grassy glade. Jim Denley 2010. dale gorfinkel - prepared trumpet, tree roots + automated sonic contraptions jim denley - bamboo + czech school flutes, balloons, alto sax monika brooks - accordion anthony magen - recording John Shand in the Sydney Morning Herald said of Jim Denley's solo recordings from the Budawang Mountains "This is music at it's most primal, enhancing the beauty of creation." Jacques Attalli says in Noise,“We are all condemned to silence unless we create our own relationship with the world and try to tie other people into the meaning we create. That is what composing is.”