Garrie Stewart: The Keeper of Records Lost

Abstract

I have created a track based on the idea that 'my world' exists because of the past, and that 'this time' is merely a snippet, or cross section, of that timeline. The samples used in this track were taken from a variety of tapes, including voice samples from rediscovered recordings of my parents (made around 1974-1975) and other found sounds. The sonic components were collated, arranged and only slightly manipulated on (a very temperamental!) computer, with the addition of vocals and spoken word samples (Kristine Lockwood) and synthesized/sampled piano. The voices blend into each other and create a sense of narrative - the effect of tape decay (caused by multiple re-recording and playing) on the sampled sounds representing the natural deterioration of memory. Over time our perception of where and how we locate ourselves within our 'recalled' or 'recorded' history changes with our environment, manifested here as a magnetic landscape.