Bivouac Recording SC
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It had been more than 6 months since I recorded Nicky, and was happy to schedule another session with her. Our last recording was not ideal as there was construction happening just down the hall which really contrasted with her soft and slow style. This time, we recorded in her studio space which was quiet, smaller, and more comfortable. The space was filled with her own things like furniture, a digital piano, and other things she used for her spiritual practice. The place had a great sense of identity. Nicky used her metal bowls again and added a couple of crystal bowls. Like before, she still used a sequence but it felt more free this time, perhaps because of the location but also of her own maturity of playing style. The session was really relaxing as I was almost fully asleep, occasionally twitching. I wondered how and why I could be in such a deep trance. Reviewing the track at home, I found that for me, tempo=depth. The time between each strike determined the depth at which I was in my trance. Longer time between strikes pulled me deeper down, while shorter times brought me up to the surface. Her space faces a highway so there is the soft swishing of passing cars throughout the track. All of these elements in the recording create a wonderful image of space.
I recorded Calvin at Room Ganesha in Mongkok. He combines the sounds of several instruments in his sound baths using metal singing bowls, tongue drum, and hand pan. Not formally trained in sound healing or music, Calvin’s approach is more about freely exploring sound for relaxation, meditation, and performance. He experiments with interesting combinations of instruments and sounds. The busy street below can be heard in the space. Calvin begins playing the tongue drum in a wonderful abstract fashion. I have mainly heard the drum played in a melodic, musical fashion so this improvised passage is quite dramatic and refreshing. It felt like he played the tongue drum like the metal bowls so that when he made the transition it was quite seamless. He also played with the depth of the stereo field by walking around the room with the bowl or by holding the bowl close to the microphone much like Michelle Chow did using tuning forks.
Giorgio has an amazing antique collection that encompasses many different styles of bowls, each with their own characteristic. Some had several amazing sounds both dissonant and harmonious all within one bowl. When purchasing new bowls, he prefers the adventure and serendipity of exploring and finding single bowls with character rather than purchasing complete sets. This creates his eclectic signature sound. Giorgio has a deep knowledge of music throughout his life and is the only practitioner I have recorded so far with formal music training. He enjoys wandering around the unstructured improvisations that sound baths allow always listening and experimenting for new sonic discoveries. This was the final recording of Giorgio. That day I had two other sound bath sessions already recorded and I got to his apartment at 11pm which was intentional so that the traffic sounds in Central would be less. He plays is collection again in a very slow fashion, letting each bowl fully ring out. He would sometime hold the bowls in his palm and play them which allowed him to ‘place’ the sound in the recording more to the right or left, adding some subtle movement.
I recorded Brenda at her teacher’s space about 10 minutes walk from the Kam Sheung MTR. The space is next to the teacher’s house and she also holds her sound baths there on occasion. There is a vegetable garden that is tended to by helpers and his students. It was a sweltering early summer day and you can hear the cicadas, dogs, and caretakers wandering in the heat. Brenda plays several instruments in her sound baths including the shamanic drum, gong, and a small shruti box. The most unique instrument she uses is her voice as she chants harmonizing with the instruments and singing well-wishing mantras that she has learned over the years from her teachers. Brenda begins with the Shruti box and a chant. She used another one of her gongs this time having deeper and moving sound. There was some yard work being done and the animals in the property can be heard in the background.
While I like to record all the tracks at once for efficiency, spacing out the recordings can create a more varied performance. Emma and Vicky could only record once track a month but each recording had a clear concept form the last one. In this one, Emma used the rain hoop and ocean drum during the piece while Vicky played the bowls in the background. This was unique because, the bowls usually take precedence in the session. This is also an example of how great having another pair of hands can really make each session unique.
Giorgio has an amazing antique collection that encompasses many different styles of bowls, each with their own characteristic. Some had several amazing sounds both dissonant and harmonious all within one bowl. When purchasing new bowls, he prefers the adventure and serendipity of exploring and finding single bowls with character rather than purchasing complete sets. This creates his eclectic signature sound. Giorgio has a deep knowledge of music throughout his life and is the only practitioner I have recorded so far with formal music training. He enjoys wandering around the unstructured improvisations that sound baths allow always listening and experimenting for new sonic discoveries. This was the first recording I made of Giorgio at his Apartment in Central with his collection of unique bowls. The beauty of this recording is that you can listen to the recording to admire his personal collection of sounds or for meditation purposes. When you listen try to hear the subtle nuances of all the bowls he plays. Some characteristics come out depending on how hard the bowl is struck. Others come out when sounded with other bowls. All in all, it is a very relaxing track.
In Tai Wai to record the second session of Kaman. This time we recorded in a piano room in her residential complex. After we started in what we thought was going to be a quiet location, a group of children invaded the playground area which happened to be in the same space! We carried on with the rest of the session with Kaman adding a few minutes at the end to compensate for any future edits. Upon playback I discovered there were only a few spots where the kids were too loud. There were other spots that the kids could be heard but I think I will keep it. It gives a sense of place. Kaman used her crystal bowls with the monochord this time. In the quiet room, I could finally hear the monochord’s sound, which at times sounded almost human-like. I could have sworn I heard it sing or speak. I think the pairing of the bowls and monochord was perfect and is one of my favorite sessions I have recorded.
Rosan Cruz is based in Manila and was one of the practitioners that I was able to record earlier this year on my visit to the Philippines. Her sessions were recorded in her apartment in Green Hills where she holds sessions. She usually plays planetary gongs which as I learned are gongs tuned to a specific frequency and have a more controlled sound. Symphonic gongs are more musical and random in nature yielding other-worldly, ethereal sounds. Planetary gongs also have spiritual meanings that sound healers use to create gong combinations according to clients needs. In performance, I feel planetary gongs lend a narrower, stable sonic spectrum within a wide and powerful image. For this session, Rosan used a single Pluto gong for this recording. Pluto is used to eliminate toxicity, clear emotional trauma and aid in major life transitions such as life and death. This recording is so moving and heavy. Prepare to be crushed.
Yumi introduced me to Queena whose studio is in the same building as Ore Art. They wanted to improvise a sound bath together. Improvising with other people is always a challenge but the rewards can be great. Trust is a big part of a successful performance and their performances were pretty amazing. Queena played a single medium size gong while Yumi played her large symphonic gong. Their improvisations yielded emotional and moving recordings and are some of my favorite. Even though they seldom play together, their connection and dialogue borders on instinct. For this recording, Queena and Yumi sat on opposite ends of the room with their backs to each other. I thought it would be interesting to have a separate rhythm and sound immersing the listener. The placement of the gongs resulted in an interesting dramatic imbalance.
Michelle Chow has been a sound bath practitioner for a few years and has recently been learning and using tuning forks in her therapy sessions. Michelle Chow has been a sound bath practitioner for a few years and has recently been learning and using tuning forks in her therapy sessions. In this recording, Michelle plays tuning forks. Recording tuning forks requires the practitioner to sit very close to the microphone resulting in a very intimate recording with no indication of place. Your hearing becomes very acute noticing very minute sounds. You can hear the distant streetscape, her adjacent tenants moving outside the room, and a tiny water feature trickling in her office. Her choice of tuning forks and the way she moves back and forth sometimes swirling, sometimes steady, rocks you back and forth lulling you to sleep.
This recording is a special one for me. It is a track is a track of 'firsts'. This was the first recording I did of Ravina. This was one of the first sound baths she did in her new space. And this was the first recording that I did specifically for Sound Bath Sessions before I even knew what this project was. Recorded in December 2022, the paint had just dried in her new space and not all of her instruments were there. I remember editing this recording afterward and no matter how many times I listened to it, I got so lost in my thoughts that I forgot what I was doing. And so, the seed was planted that was to grow into this amazing project. Ravina played metal bowls with the gong, gradually going from one to the other skillfully integrating the two instruments. Her bowls were bought from India and the resonance is amazingly long lasting each with their own character. Each hit from other bowls shaped the sound in such unique ways. Again her powerful improvised percussive style cuts through your thoughts and demands your attention. It was my first time for me to record a gong bath and I was surprised at how much power it had. From then on, I asked gong practitioners to do a sound test so as to limit the amount of power they use during the recording. Listen to full track: https://soundbathsessions.bandcamp.com/track/sound-bath-008-ravina-daswani
Manuela worked as a social worker for 10 years helping mentally handicapped children and adults before beginning her sound bath and yoga practice. Besides managing her studio, she gives sound baths and yoga sessions every month to senior citizens as several community centers in town to help them dela with stress, insomnia, and physical problems. This track was also recorded with the microphone placed on the floor. This time Manuela, arranged the bowls in a circle around the microphone in a different arrangement. Very immersive track.
Helen Kwok has been practicing sound healing for about 7 years and opened her own space in Wan Chai 2 years ago. Helen's style is very, v.e.r.y. slow letting each bowl ring almost endlessly as I was taken in their custody to the depths of myself. To have such great restraint demonstrates a deep understanding and mastery of her craft and instruments. Her interests have recently been distilled even further by studying the shamanic drum, perhaps the most primitive healing tool, having only a single tone but using infinite rhythm patterns to trigger different conscious states. She feels the drum is more powerful than the bowls and regularly incorporates it in her sound baths. In this track, Helen plays the metal bowls. Like her shamanic drumming, the cadence is slow and steady, striking the bowl on each breath and letting the bowl fully ring out before striking again. The bowls have an amazing sustain lasting at least 30 seconds with a gentle tap. Recorded several stories above the street, the busy sounds of Hong Kong can be heard in the background. Looking for a super slow and relaxing track, this is for you.
During the course of recording for the Sound Bath Sessions project, I wanted to see how sound baths were like in other countries around Asia. I scheduled a trip to the Philippines for a few days to see family and record a few sound baths. I was able to get in contact with three practitioners in or near Manila: Rosan Cruz, LJ Navera, and Arianne Olegario. Arianne began her journey of self-healing around 10 years ago when the life she had planned out for herself couldn’t happen. She has learned Reiki, Innerdance, and more recently sound baths for her own self-healing and the healing of others. Arianne works as a consultant for USAID specializing in gender equality for development projects in southeast Asia. Arianne plays metal singing bowls at Yoga Shala, Manila.
Candace sometimes organizes a collaboration between interesting people she meets. This collaboration is with Hafsa a spiritual alternative healer, and Karina a yoga instructor at Ikigai. Hafsa worked as a professional singer in the past and she improvises some lyrics and drum chanting over Candace’s crystal bowl drones. Karina also plays the bowls lending another layer to the performance.
Yumi gives regular gong baths around Hong Kong. Her humorous and welcoming character complements the emotional sound baths that she performs. Yumi has practiced Reiki for many years and spends her time between Hong Kong and Japan with her family. Yumi gently begins by singing in her gong before enveloping you with sound. She had just gotten her new titanium gong and this was the first time performing with it. As it is a smaller gong, it has a higher, sharper tone than her large symphonic.
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
June has been a sound practitioner since 2016 and has developed a unique style creating interesting two-handed rhythms with the bowls or tuning forks. June plays metal bowls and finishes with a gong. This recording is quite stimulating as she gradually reaches a quick tempo using higher frequency bowls. Adjacent office sounds and door closings creep in creating an active atmosphere. Listen to full track here: https://soundbathsessions.bandcamp.com/track/sound-bath-038-june-lam
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
During the course of recording for the Sound Bath Sessions project, I wanted to see how sound baths were like in other countries around Asia. I scheduled a trip to the Philippines for a few days to see family and record a few sound baths. I was able to get in contact with three practitioners in or near Manila: Rosan Cruz, LJ Navera, and Arianne Olegario. Arianne began her journey of self-healing around 10 years ago when the life she had planned out for herself couldn’t happen. She has learned Reiki, Innerdance, and more recently sound baths for her own self-healing and the healing of others. Arianne works as a consultant for USAID specializing in gender equality for development projects in southeast Asia. Another great one from Arianne. I like the way she strikes a single bowl multiple times before moving on, firmly embedding it in your consciousness before moving on. The sultry rim sweep allows the streetscape sounds emanate from below. It is as if she is playing with the world beyond the space. Listen to full track here: https://soundbathsessions.bandcamp.com/track/sound-bath-037-arianne-olegario
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
I recorded Calvin at Room Ganesha in Mong Kok. He combines the sounds of several instruments in his sound baths using metal singing bowls, tongue drum, and hand pan. Not formally trained in sound healing or music, Calvin’s approach is more about freely exploring sound for relaxation, meditation, and performance. He experiments with interesting combinations of instruments and sounds. The busy street below can be heard in the space. In this session, Calvin uses several instruments in this recording. He begins with a hand pan, ocean drum, crystal harp, and finishes with metal singing bowls. He concentrates on each instrument as he walks around the room with the more portable instruments. He also played to the stereo microphones moving back and forth, front and back. Listen to full track here: https://soundbathsessions.bandcamp.com/track/sound-bath-029-calvin-chan
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
Michelle Chow has been a sound bath practitioner for a few years and has recently been learning and using tuning forks in her therapy sessions. In this track Michelle plays her metal singing bowls. Our final recording that night, it was a great finale to a long day. I didn’t know how much I needed this until I woke up at the end totally unaware of how the time had passed. Every time I listen to this recording, there is something just so comfortable, so familiar about it. Do you feel it?
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
This Generations release is a selection of 76 recordings from 500 randomly generated compositions made with recordings of the Feaston group on a rooftop in Hong Kong in October 2022. Generations compositions are made with a hybrid analog/digital instrument comprised of 4 reel to reel tape recorders, a digital mixer, and a customizable Pure Data program. Each Generation is unique as the content gets re-recorded over each other at random times. FX were gradually added by the Pure Data program during composition. Each unique track will be available for purchase at OpenSea.io as an NFT. Owners will get the original Field Recording as well as the original WAV file of their Generation.
