Maksims Shentelevs | Latvia

Maksims Shentelevs (my-ym) was born in Riga, Latvia, and is an architect, phonographer and sound artist who defines soundscape as a dense self-referent field of activity shaped by overlapping motion of objects in space. Started field recording in 2002 focusing on sound gathering as non-intervention policy for observation of structural models in nature. Field studies become a basic material for following soundscape modeling in studio.

Predominantly interested in biotopes referring to habitats of insects and small creatures. Presently Maksims is involved in self-made acoustic and electroacoustic instruments and sound objects as tools for mutual discourse with nature.

Since 2003 Maksims has participated in several residencies and festivals in Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Portugal, etc., and in 2007 he organized in Riga the “Mijatmina” festival, dedicated to soundscapes and video textures.

http://www.audiot.lv/

Project: Soundscape Mapping
Category: Sound Art
Period: September 2007
Event: Art Residency (Fronte[i]ras 07 Meeting)

A border is a mutable zone in between areas of defined character. Qualities of a border zone are formed by variable influences of overlapping areas. Therefore its character is unstable and often unpredictable as being affected by cycles of activity in several conditionally autonomous systems simultaneously. For territorial beings, a border is an area of specific demonstration behavior. A border in between different biotopes is a habitat of highly adaptive forms specified for variable conditions. From a philosophical point, a border area is a source of rich contradictious contexts, which proposes multi correspondent qualities of inhabitants.

Border soundscape as a habitat of deep listening is a field recording / mixing project. Bordering yet autonomous areas interconnected with microphones are mixed in real time thus creating a new sonorous border zone, shaped by overlapping sounds of activity in surrounding areas. The Paiva River (of Nodar) seems to be a correspondent site for the border soundscape recording.

1. Audio from the final presentation concert (Municipal Library of Barcelos Auditorium, 29 Sep. 07):

(mp3 @ 128 kbps)

2. Project's photo selection (art residency, public presentations and exhibition):

3. Installation description and sounds:

SOUNDSCAPE MAPPING

A - object; B – piezo element; C – mixer; D – recorder.

Field mixing as a method opens up possibilities of learning space by inductive decomposing it into complement sonor parts and selective recomposing of soundscape. Thereby introducing selected objects of soudscape to a subject of experience step by step shaping structure as a playful narration which allows subject to navigate in reconstructed soundscape while actually being still. Thus field mix resembles cartographical approach to soundscape with the distinctive quality of intensive mapping expanded rather within determined territory than covering extensive vastness. In this case reconstructed soundscape represents map or a schema of a personal experience rather than display of objectivity. Despite its subjectivity field mix as a documentation of research allows public access to hidden parts of soundscapes as a topographical map allows to navigate in expanse of terrain.

TRACK 1. Resonating water tanks – 10:32 min

Two metal water tanks 2,5-3m high. Water pumped through tanks resonates in different component parts. Picked by 8 piezo elements.

Audio Recording:

(mp3 @ 128 kbps)

TRACK 2. Eucalyptus – 4:43 min

Several tries are connected with piezo elements to mixer, using cracks, loose bark and surface. Mix combines young tries as well as sere and burned by the fire. Wind resonates in bodies of tries and evokes cracking that is rarely audible from the outside.

Audio Recording:

(mp3 @ 128 kbps)

TRACK 3. Water flow – 15:13 min

An area of approximately 1 square metre on the edge of a shallow  river, where water flows quietly in-between stones forming multiple streams. 8 piezo elements attached to flat stones, dry reed and metal plate, all connected to a portable mixing console, picking resonations of stream in different objects. Explorer selectively mixes signals in real time building up a complex pattern that by other means remains beyond selective reach of our senses since generally audible soundscape of river delivers an inarticulate sum of disperse sounds.

Audio Recording:

(mp3 @ 128 kbps)

Recorded and mixed in the field by Maksims Shentelevs
during Fronte[I]ras 07 in Nodar, Portugal
September 2007.

Photos, drawings and text by Maksims Shentelevs