Felix Blume's Sounds – Details, episodes & analysis

Sous Sussurrement is a collaborative sound piece that documents the experience of listening to and sounding with Azillanet, a small village in the south of France. Created by nine sound recordists, artists, engineers and dabblers from nine different countries during a workshop with Felix Blume, it attempts to unearth the village's hidden, subterranean and parallel sound worlds. Worlds carried on the back of whispers, murmurs, flutters, whisps, buzzes, footfalls and creaks. A sound piece by Alyssa Moxley, Anne Marie Deacy, Heather Anderson, Jakov Munizaba, Jamie Reinert, Joschka Waibel, Marco Furlanetto, Nino Paton and Ruxandra Stoicescu. Our thanks, always, to the people of Azillanet who welcomed us and our ears warmly. Special thanks to: Alain, Andres, François, Georges, Guiguitte, Héloïse, Laurence, Marie, Martine, Mathieu and his pupils, Maya, Nico, Pierre-Luc, Susanne and Youri.

Ah ces poly-sons ! Ils sont complètement tirés par les plumes en saison sèche … car, quand l’appel du parapluie fait un sens averse, c'est une pluie d’oiseaux qui vient fredonner la polyphonie d’Azillanet. "Goutte que Goutte" est une pièce sonore réalisée par la fusion de 4 gouttes de Belgique avec 5 gouttes de France. C'est une composition de sons glanés dans le village d'Azillanet et sa nature environnante, à différents moments d'une journée et d'une semaine, et aux hasards de rencontres avec les habitant.e.s, les oiseaux, les fluides, les végétaux et les lieux de vie. Elle témoigne autant de la diversité des sensibilités de ses créateurs et créatrices, que de la singularité de leur écoute poétique du monde. Ecouter le monde, c'est se relier à lui et en prendre soin, même en temps de pluies, alors coûte que coûte, les micros ont été sortis et les oreilles se sont ouvertes. Les 4 gouttes de Belgique : Virgile Loiseau, Zoé Maus, Katherina Lindekens et Anne Versailles. Les 5 gouttes de France : Marie Spiller, Nils Loret, Floriane Pochon, Anne Girard Esposito et Juliette Mariel. L'espace temps de leur fusion : le merveilleux stage de field-recording organisé par Félix Blume, du 30 avril au 5 mai 2024. Merci à Georges, Nico, Stéphane, Anne, Mireille, Patrick, Ana, tous les habitant.e.s d'Azillanet, le rossignol, le Couvent, le Foyer Rural, la cloche, la mare aux crapauds, et bien sûr la pluie !

Active volcano recorded from the top, at the edge of the crater, during the night. Recorded by a DoubleMS Setup by Schoeps, CCM41+CCM8+CCM4 (in a Cinela Windscreen), an AB Setup by DPA Microphones, 2 x 4006, and a Geofon by LOM Audio. On a Sound Devices 833 recorder. Original recording in 192kHz, 24bit. This sound has been edited and mixes the different sources. GPS: -19.530189, 169.445493 Recorded on 6th of November 2022, between 6:30pm and 8:30pm.

Bats screaming at twilight in south of France. Around 400 bats coming out of their nest for the night. Recorded very close by 2 Sanken COS11D Omnidirectional microphones Lectrosonics Wireless Transmission Sound Devices 788T Recorded Sound Ref: 140821 Recorded in Argens Minervois (Aude, South of France) Same sound on Freesound (longer): http://www.freesound.org/people/felix.blume/sounds/245768/ More sounds on www.felixblume.com

On the top of the mountain, the wind is howling in the old installation of the ski station of Chacaltaya, Bolivia. The station was the highest in the world, and stops a few years ago, because of the smelting of the ice (du to global warming). The teleski cable and tube is still there and the wind sing in it! :-) Sound recorded by a MS setup Schoeps CCM41+CCM8 with a Cinela Zephyx Windscreen Sound Devices 788T recorder with CL8 MS is encoded in STEREO Left-Right recorded in february 2014 on the top of Chacaltaya Mountain, above La Paz, Bolivia. Sound Reference: @SAM140215 The video of the sound on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/89754394 more sounds on www.felixblume.com

On the mountain Chacaltaya, thunderstorm begin : lightning, thunderclap, snow and hail... Sound recorded by a MS setup Schoeps CCM41+CCM8 with a Cinela Zephyx Rain Protection Sound Devices 788T recorder with CL8 MS is encoded in STEREO Left-Right recorded in february 2014 in Chacaltaya Mountain, above La Paz, Bolivia. Sound Reference: SAM140207016 Same sound on freesound http://www.freesound.org/people/felix.blume/sounds/220186/ more sounds on http://www.felixblume.com/

On 12th of December, millions of pilgrims go to the 'BASILICA of our lady of GUADALUPE' to pray and sing together to the Virgen Maria. (this year, there were around 5millions people in total). You can ear to them praying 'AVE MARIA' in Spanish, then singing the 'MANANITAS' (birthday song) to the Virgen, clapping and screaming together M-A-R-I-A. All the sounds have been recorded on the night of 11th of December to 12th of December of 2013 in the Basilica of Guadalupe. Recorded by a MS Setup Schoeps CMC5-MK4 + CCM8, a Sound Devices 302 mixer and a Olympus LS5 recorder. Sound recorded in WAVE 96khz 24bit (MS is encoded in Stereo). More sounds on www.felixblume.com

Hundreds of people are beating the metal-temporary-wall in front of the senate house of Mexico City. They are protesting again the privatization of PEMEX in Mexico City. Recorded on December 9th of 2013 in Reforma Avenue, Mexico City. Recorded by a MS Setup Schoeps CMC5-MK4 + CCM8, a H2aXLR Aquarian Hydrophone, and a https://soundcloud.com/jezrileyfrench contact microphone. Recorded by a 788T Sound Devices Recorder with a CL8 mixer. Original recording in WAVE 96khz 24bit. This sound has been edited and mixed with some EQ and Slow Down of the sound (no other effect has been applied). More sounds on www.felixblume.com

Two bulls calling and passing by in the desert of Arizona, in the Arivaca Area (really close to Mexican Border). The cows are in open range in this part of the country, while the migrant have to cross the fences to get into the USA. Sound recorded by a MS setup Schoeps CCM41+CCM8 Sound Devices 788T recorder with CL8 MS is encoded in STEREO Left-Right recorded in september 2013 in Arizona (USA) Sound Reference: CD130938T018 more sounds on www.felixblume.com

A man is talking during the sale of the cattle in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The cattle is passing by, people are bidding and buying the cows by auction. Sound recorded by a MS setup Schoeps CCM41+CCM8 Sound Devices 788T recorder with CL8 MS is encoded in STEREO Left-Right recorded in may 2013 in Saint Joseph, Missouri (USA). Sound Reference: @CD130515T010 more sounds on www.felixblume.com