Author: Mark

The second programme in the ‘Bedside Radio’ series produced as part of a two-year period as digital artist in residence at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, Scotland.

This composed soundscape was created from recordings made in various hospital departments between 2011 and 2013. It includes insights and conversations with staff about their perception of the sound environment in which they work.

In addition to Forth Valley Royal, recordings were also made in Stirling and Falkirk Community Hospitals. Special thanks to all staff and patients in NHS Forth Valley Hospitals for their help and cooperation.
The sounds that make up this piece were recorded in the following departments:
Anaesthesiology, Clinical Simulation Centre, Health Records, Reception, Laboratories, Ophthalmology, Physiotherapy, Oral and Maxillofacial, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Mail Room, Neonatal Unit, Pharmacy, Renal Unit and Speech and Language Therapy Services.

Originally produced for the launch of Channel 604 (Radio Royal’s new arts channel) this piece has subsequently been performed as a live radiophonic work at Forth Valley Royal Hospital and the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow. A version has also been aired as an edition of ‘Framework:afield’ for Patrick McGinley’s Framework radio show.

This project was supported by Creative Scotland and NHS Forth Valley.

Using unconventional recording techniques and studio trickery certain qualities within the Derry soundscape have been highlighted, exaggerated or distorted into something unusual and unexpected – obscuring what was once recognisable and enabling radio listeners to hear the city in a new light.

Taking the everyday sounds of the city as a starting point, a series of field recordings selected for their ambiguous qualities were played back to Derry residents; the sounds became increasingly distorted as the sequence progressed. The ambiguity was heightened through a variety of unusual recording processes including extreme close-ups, electromagnetic induction, ultrasound, binaural stereo, hydrophones and contact mics. Additionally, digital processing techniques were used to further ‘denature’ these once familiar sounds. Participants were asked to identify, describe and imitate each sound. The resulting ‘sound descriptions’ were in turn used as briefs to create artificial or exaggerated sounds matching the qualities described by subjects. In the final work, the natural and unnatural sounds of Derry are intermingled in a long form radiophonic sound composition that meanders through the city accompanied by insights and analysis of the sound environment by the people who inhabit it.

Featuring the voices: of Sarah Barr, Fiona Burke, Eamonn Brown, Amanda Doherty, Charlene Smith and Marta.

Commissioned for the ‘Derry City of Culture 2013’ radio residency broadcasts by Resonance FM and the Jerwood Foundation in association with VOID gallery.

First broadcast on Resonance 104.4 FM, October 2013.

For many years I have collected found tapes; primarily voice recordings – audio letters, home karaoke and recordings made by amateur tape recording enthusiasts. I particularly enjoy the unselfconscious and accidental moments within these recordings when the equipment is being tested or the operator is unaware that they are still recording. The majority of these recordings begin with the ubiquitous: “testing, testing, 1,2,3”. This recurring phrase appears in my collection time and time again in an array of different voices, accents and languages. The piece I have created from these incidents is literally a test signal – a collage of recordings of microphone tests compiled from my own archives.

Produced by Mark Vernon. Commissioned by Pixel Palace for Basic FM, Newcastle upon Tyne.

This piece was first broadcast on a continuous loop for a month as Basic FM’s inaugural webcast. It has since been aired on Radiophrenia, Radio Revolten and Resonance 104.4 FM as part of the series ‘Data for the Doubtful’.