Utopian Encounters by Pierre Berthet

Utopian encounters:
audio-snap-shots of/from a legendary urban musician, interpreter, composer and friend:

Pierre Berthet

Now. The idea for this album started when I noticed, Pierre is posting on social media these short video-snaps* of his various installation's elements and sound-objects. Some motorized, some activated by natural elements – sometimes orchestrated, sometimes seemingly random.

Sooo, I thought:
“Vvhat about if we would free (as liberate) these sounds from shackles of imagery? What about deleting images and keep only soundtrack? Acousmatic transfer of audio-information. Recorded via headphone output from internet. From behind the curtain.

Then my imagination went on walk.
What about creating for these “sound-creatures” some suitable, stimulating and safe sound environment? So, I started to play with various combinations and made another track. And I explored original soundtracks from various perspectives of time, constructed inter-layered form of soundlife: artificial and natural.

Then I suddenly remembered all those lovely recordings we made in stalactitecaverns: we played actually on stalactites and “draperies” with soft sticks, then in another part of caves we placed with Pierre his PVC-pipes water drums under dripping stalactites, some slow – some fast dribble …

Pierre let me record his newborn boy Mimo: rrreally close-up when he was crying and it sounded like strange frog. In “cinema for ears” ZoomSpectives is a segment when lake-frogs Rana ridubunda are in imaginary dialogue with baby cries. I still have the original recording. Hear hear.

I am very happy I met Pierre: I have so many great memories. I wish he could create sound-installation here in soundctuary, open air micro-gallery. Either coming in person - if circumstances permits - or via Pierre's instructions online …

Pierre Berthet is based in Belgium. Google-up his name, please and explore his sound-works.

Tracks:
trk1: collection of video-soundtracks of installations recorded from social media posted by Pierre.

trk2: the same collection altered slightly, mixed and interacted with by aMt (including sounds of squashing tins with hammer by James Kwi, sounds of nesting crows, Slavek Kwi playing electric fret-less 4-string guitar etc.)

trk3: trk1 evolved by aMt

trk4: tubular drums of Pierre under stalactites (slow drip) 1997

trk5: tubular drums under stalactites (fast drip) 1997

trk6: Mimo-baby starring in ZoomSpectives saga (extract, 1998)

trk7: Mimo Berthet as baby (original trk., denoised, 1998)

* I might have by accident also record sounds of Rie Nakajima with whom Pierre Berthet works regularly. If that is so and you - Rie - recognize your sounds, I hope you will allow these sounds to merge with other sounds. Thank you in advance!

This album was compiled, edited and recorded by Slavek Kwi, except sounds from stalactite caves Han Sur Lesse in Belgium were recorded 1997 in assistance with Ward Weis.

All sounds are free to exist.

Associated albums:
Fosilpa
ZoomSpectives
alfa00_23062020 x-raYn

Tracklist

1.	Pierre Berthet - video soundtracks collection	12:11

2.	Pierre Berthet & Slavek Kwi - video tracks mix with aMt_s0L	16:47

3.	Pierre Berthet & Slavek Kwi - aMt evolving video tracks	29:15

4.	Pierre Berthet - tubular drums under stalactites i.	8:59

5.	tubular drums under stalactites ii.	6:35

6.	zOOmspectives extract starring Mimo Berthet	2:29

7.	Mimo Berthet newborn	3:59

Credits

released November 12, 2020

(tribute to Pierre Berthet from Slavek Kwi)

All income from this release will be saved for commission for Pierre to create an art piece for soundctuary.

License