Radiophrenia on the air

A Message from Mark Vernon, a Sura Medura artist:

 

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to share the exciting news that Glasgow’s art radio station has returned to the airwaves.

We’re into the fourth day of our broadcasts and will continue up until midnight on Sunday 19th November, 24 hours a day.

We are transmitting on 87.9FM in the Glasgow area. A live webstream is available for listeners outside of Glasgow at radiophrenia.scot/listen/

A major feature of our programme is a series of live-to-air events at CCA Glasgow. These events are free and you can find more details here: radiophrenia.scot/live-to-air/

In addition, with the support of Creative Scotland, Outset and the Jerwood Foundation, we have been able to commission 14 new works from an international selection of sound and radio artists. Details can be found at: radiophrenia.scot/commissions/

Thanks to all the artists, writers, musicians and producers who submitted work to our open call we have managed to assemble an incredibly diverse range of radio experiments from all around the world. I hope that you will be able to tune in for at least some of the broadcasts and enjoy some of the amazing work on offer.

Very best wishes,

Mark Vernon Audio Diary – November

Sound artist Mark Vernon has been busy adding new sounds from Sri Lanka to his Audio Diary of his residency at Sura Medura. Among the sounds Mark has gathered are the sounds of the Southlands College Marching Band rehearsing, the sounds of a Kandy dance lesson and Mark’s fellow Artists in Residence, Sita Pieraccini, harmonising with a boat engine!

You can enjoy each individual recording below, or you can listen to the whole audio diary on Mark’s Soundcloud page. The sounds Mark collects will be used as the basis for an sound work that captures Mark’s experiences in and impressions of Sri Lanka.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120719856″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
The guide describes some of the 18 sicknesses represented by the museum’s collection of medicine masks. Ambalangoda Mask Museum.
Pictured: temporary madness

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120720378″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
In the workshop of the Ambalangoda Mask Museum the craftsmen use hammers and chisels to carve traditional masks from balsa wood.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120727390″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Whizzing past in a tuktuk this children’s theatre production in a packed community centre caught my ear. The proceedings, with both Sinhala and English announcements were broadcast into the street over an outdoor P.A. system. Child actors dressed in a variety of animal costumes enacted dance moves that were characteristic of each creature. We were invited in to see the production but I preferred the sound coming over the P.A.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120728516″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Komani, a survivor of the devastating 2004 Tsunami that hit the Sri Lankan coast describes the sound of the impact.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120729383″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
An unidentified creature, a frog or possibly a bird, stands out from the nightly chorus of frogs. Distant club music from the regular Friday ‘Vibration’ night drifts through the night air. Wewalgoda Road, Hikkaduwa.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120732452″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
A man laboriously turns the handle of a wooden buffing machine to polish moonstones. Galle Fort.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120731741″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
The girls of Southlands College in Fort Galle repeatedly rehearse the same song marching back and forth through the open courtyard of the school. There are regular breaks to sort out tuning and timing issues.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120733564″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Sitting at her stool Seerani uses traditional techniques to hand make lace. The wooden bobbins clatter together as she weaves the threads at lightning speed. Galle Fort.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120734274″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
In one of the daily monsoons torrential rain bounces off the pavements, overflows gutters and pours down the streets. Fort Galle, Sri Lanka.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120735674″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
After the rain has stopped drips from the guttering patter on a corrugated tin roof. The regular splashes form a puddle beneath. The percussive rhythm of the drips has a musical quality.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120736649″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
The thrumming engine of an idling train is interspersed with crackling electricity. Recorded on the platform of Galle rail station.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/122082457″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Fruit and vegetable sellers shout out their prices to passing customers at the weekly market in Hikkaduwa. As you approach the noise sounds almost like a football crowd.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/122083144″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
At Eagle house local children are given lessons in the art of Kandy dancing. The teacher counts and beats out the rhythm on the drum. In this clip the children sing and use finger cymbols to accompany the main rhythm.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/122083674″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
On a cruise of the Koggala Lagoon Sita accompanies the sound of the boat engine as we arrive at the Cinammon island.

Mark Vernon

Mark Vernon is a sound artist and radio producer based in Glasgow. His arts practice encompasses live performance, soundtracks, installations and radio broadcasts – often blurring the boundaries between art, music and broadcasting. His key areas of interest are the human voice, field recording and soundscape composition, musique concrète and the radiophonic combination of these elements in works for broadcast and live performance.

Mark has produced programmes and features internationally for radio stations including WFMU, RADIA, Resonance FM, CKUT, VPRO and the BBC. He has also been instrumental in setting up a number of temporary RSL (Restricted Service License) art radio stations in the UK including Hair Waves, Radio Tuesday and Nowhere Island Radio.

Together with Monica Brown he runs the ‘Lights Out Listening Group’ – a monthly listening event focused on creative uses of sound and radio that takes place in complete darkness. He also records and performs solo and in a variety of collaborative music projects including Vernon & Burns and Hassle Hound with record releases on Staalplaat, Ultra Eczema, Entr’acte, Staubgold and Gagarin Records.

Currently he is approaching completion of a two year period as digital artist in residence at Forth Valley Royal Hospital where he has been developing new audio works for the context of hospital radio.