“Touch Type: The Rising” was composed in the winter of 2006 and represents a composite of prepared field recordings taken from the Kansas City metropolitan district. Furthermore, the bitter cold conditions that prevailed throughout the winter yielded an abundant series of field recordings that served as exquisite primers, especially concerning the more “musical” aspects of this work, as many were derived from manipulations of ice accumulated on a series of chain-link fences.
The remaining analog and digital recordings were taken from a variety of sources throughout the city, ranging from distant church bells to rush hour traffic.
Christopher, Of all your work that I have been privileged to hear up to this point, I truly believe this document is some of your finest to date! You have an amazing ability to hear way beyond obvious surface experiences, and instead coax out the true spirit of objects/environments you encounter. I especially appreciate your reserve in not throwing every possible effect onto your recordings - just to amaze others with your ability. Your work speaks volumes because you your ego is not in the way; there’s a humble quality that clearly shines through because you allow the sounds themselves to have their own stories and emotions without sounding forced or over-manipulated. You are an expert at building sensitive frameworks within which you juxtapose the sounds you choose, and there is always a delightful quality to your work that politely disregards meaningless labels like "experimental". You have a dynamic range of expression that always makes for interesting listening. Of particular interest to me was how you didn’t go out of your way to overtly smear or obliterate certain sounds in this case such as the church bells tolling off in the distance. Hats off to another amazing piece of work!
Sincerely,
Jonathan Benham
Hey Christoper
!
congrats for the rising
