Background
Seasons Lost, (Dan Valentine, Neil McCallum and I) were a collective of artists working within the audio/visual arts. The group formed in early 2006 to collaborate on 2 performances and an animation; combining our very different influences, skills & ideas. Dan's eye for aesthetics, Neil's natural ability in production and my conceptual frameworks synthesized perfectly to create interesting projects.
Perfomances
(click underlined titles to play the audio file, right click and Save As... to download)
Untitled - 12:54
A largely improvised exerimental performance utilising 2 guitars and a sampler. Samples of noise, skipping CDs and reversed vinyl were played alongside guitar loops, feedback and basic chord progressions. The recording above represents one of only two performances of the piece; recorded straight to mini disc at the Guild Hall in Preston, this unedited recording showcases the epic sound worlds evoked by 2 guitars and a sampler.
The sound has been likened to My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth with elements of Keith Rowe and 65 Days of Static.
Written by Adam Sharples and Dan Valentine
Samples by Adam Sharples and Dan Valentine
Performed by Adam Sharples and Dan Valentine
Copyright © 2007 Seasons Lost
Suicide of the Author - 3:33
Suicide of the Author (TV Remix) - 3:44*
Improvised performance designed to represent the processes of intention and any fallacy of intention that may thus arise, using a contact mic, textured surfaces, an effects controller and a mixing desk. Each performer represented different stages involved in the processes of intentional thought and were positioned correspondingly:
Dan represented “initial intention” and indicated this by picking up sounds with the contact mic. The contact mic signified positive & negative thought by picking up the corresponding electrical charges. Dan sat with his back to the audience so that he had only his instinctive intentions & impulses to work with. As the piece progressed Dan could monitor the audible output of the performance in order to form new intentions.
I represented the “dynamic influences of the mind” by using an effects controller to adjust the incoming signal from Dan. I faced the audience so that I could watch their reaction and respond accordingly, there were no predefined rules for what I could do. My role was to respond to the external stimuli (audience and audible output) that may affect ones initial intention, even if this is also a reaction to the “external behaviour" (i.e. audible output) that results from previous actions & intentions. Dan & I sat in close proximity to each other and maintained visual contact, thus giving me an awareness of Dan's initial intention.
Neil controlled the mixing desk, specifically the EQ, panning & sound levels. From here Neil manipulated both the signal coming from both me and a pre-recorded backing track. His role is defined as “external behaviour”, i.e. the physical results of intention via internal & external influence.
The backing track embodied the humanistic nature of the piece, more specifically, how we as a species attempt to intellectualise our existence as something other than evolved biological life. The backing track is composed of the combined heart beats of Dan and I, as well other selected textures, samples & surfaces.
The title, Suicide of the Author, was a play on 'Death of the Author', as coined by literary critic Roland Barthes in his essay of the same name on intentional fallacy. This play on the title was a statement by Seasons Lost that any intention they might have had, could be informed by anything before, during or after the performance.
*Remixed version for a university TV production.
Written by Neil McCallum, Adam Sharples and Dan Valentine
Samples by Neil McCallum, Adam Sharples and Dan Valentine
Performed by Neil McCallum, Adam Sharples and Dan Valentine
Copyright © 2007 by Seasons Lost
Animation
(click underlined title to access The Rose gallery)
The Rose
A simple silent animation exploiting the semiotic significance of pop culture icons in a social context to highlight issues on campus at the University of Central Lancashire. A murder on campus provided the inspiration, specifically that campus security was only improved after the murder and up until that point had been pretty lax. Apart from the obvious semiotic significance of the rose in the animation, roses are also the emblem of the university & Lancashire county.
A number of animation techniques were utilised during the production of The Rose. Three layers, the rose, the coins and the newspapers were filmed using a chroma key backdrop. The coins were animated by stop motion & superimposed using chroma key. The layers were then rotoscoped to tie each them together & edit any unwanted features that resulted from using the poor quality resources available to the creative team.
Written by Neil McCallum, Adam Sharples and Dan Valentine
Animated by Neil McCallum, Adam Sharples and Dan Valentine
Copyright © 2007 Seasons Lost