In 2023 we ran a sold-out workshop with Kathy Hinde , Matt Olden, and Drew McDowall (Coil / Psychic TV) - the session was an enormous success, including field recording trips, modular synth workshops, Max workshops, construction of nature-activated instruments in the landscape, and loads more. The experience was too fruitful not to explore further, so this year, in late summer, we're hosting another iteration of Environmental Listening! Joining Kathy and Matt this time round will be one of the most pioneering figures in computer-based music today, Carl Stone .

From the classroom to the alpine peaks, ancient forests and high plateaus, this workshop will blend theoretical and practical learning with fieldwork, listening, and interaction with the unique natural environment surrounding our high altitude facilities.

Kathy & Matt will traverse a wide variety of activities and approaches including field recording (listening from a different perspective, using bespoke mics, hydrophones, contact mics, parabolic mics, geophones), sonifying the wind with aeolian instruments, group listening exercises, exploring the re-amplification of acoustic spaces, using found objects as resonance filters, creating instruments/sound-makers from found objects using actuators (various motors, solenoids, transducers) to improvise within an existing soundscape, or to bring objects from the natural environment to animate in an indoor space.

Carl will guide us through a deep exploration of the ideas and works which make up and inform his unique sonic practice, including historical overviews of the people, ideas, works and movements which inform our modern compositional ideas, listening sessions exploring the works of such luminaries as Reinier, Ferrari, Perkins, Ximm, and Oliveros, and examining ideas of the de/re-contextualisation of sonic material, and resonance.

We will explore the manipulation of field recordings using Max and Pure Data, as well as using those environments to create spatialisation systems for live performances. We'll learn how to work with environmental sensors and sound, and how to deploy Raspberry Pi boards to read in and manipulate live sonic data. If all that sounds frighteningly technical, don't be put off - there will be space for every level of expertise, from absolute beginner to Max/PD expert.

Hailed by the Village Voice as "the king of sampling", and "one of the best composers living in (the USA) today", Carl Stone has used computers in live performance since 1986. Born in California and now dividing his time between LA and Japan, Carl studied composition at the Cal Arts with Morton Subotnick and James Tenney and has composed electro-acoustic music almost exclusively since 1972. His works have been performed in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and the Near East. In addition to his schedule of performance, composition and touring, he is the emeritus professor in the Department of Media Engineering at Chukyo University in Japan. According to RELIX, "Stone makes music that can hit your ear holes like a DMT flash."

Carl's music has received an array of awards, and has been used by numerous theater directors and choreographers including Hiroshi Koike, Akira Kasai, Bill T. Jones, Setsuko Yamada, Ping Chong, June Watanabe, Kuniko Kisanuki, Rudy Perez, Hae Kyung Lee, and Blondell Cummings. Musical collaborations include those with Akaihirume, Michiko Akao, Pearl Alexander, Samm Bennett, Sarah Cahill, Gianni Gebbia, Mineko Grimmer, David Grubbs, Haco, Alfred Harth, Madoka Kono, Gil Kuno, Min Xiao-Fen, Otomo Yoshihide, SAEBORG, Kazue Sawai, Elliot Sharp, Yasuaki Shimizu, Stelarc, Aki Takahashi, Yuji Takahashi, Tosha Meisho, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Wu Na, Wu Wei, Michiyo Yagi, Ami Yamasaki, Miki Yui and z’ev.

Carl served as President of the American Music Center from 1992-95. He was the Director of Meet the Composer/California from 1981-1997, and Music Director of KPFK-fm in Los Angeles from 1978-1981. In 2019, DUBLAB.com reissed a series of radio conversations Carl carried out on KPFK-fm with Brian Eno, Frank Zappa, Terry Riley, Morton Subotnick, Harold Budd and others. His music has been released on New Albion, CBS Sony, Toshiba-EMI, EAM Discs, Wizard Records, Trigram, t:me recordings, New Tone/Robi Droli, Unseen World and various other labels.

Kathy Hinde is an audiovisual artist whose practice embraces open methods and evolving processes. Through installations, performances and site specific experiences, she aims to nurture a deeper and more embodied connection to other species and the earth’s systems. Composed of hand-made objects, electronics and a blend of digital and analogue systems, Kathy's work represents a cross between kinetic sound sculptures and newly invented musical instruments. She creates pieces in response to specific locations and frequently works in collaboration with other practitioners and scientists and often actively involves the audience in the creative process.

Kathy has toured work across Europe, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Colombia, Australia and New Zealand. Awards include an Ivor Novello Award for Sound Art 2020, an Honorary Mention at Prix Ars Electronica 2015, a British Composer Award in Sonic Art 2017, an ORAM award 2017, a Scottish Award for New Music 2018 for Collaboration with Maja Ratkje. Kathy was a selected artist for European SHAPE Platform for innovative music and audiovisual art in 2018, is a member of Bristol Experimental Expanded Film (BEEF), and a resident at the Pervasive Media Studio, Bristol.

Matthew Olden started to design and build his own generative software audio-visual engine, "i am the mighty jungulator", in 1997. 25 years down the line, Matthew is still developing generative software, updating and refining his original vision. He also provides live visuals for various artists, notably Langham Research Centre and Tap Sew. In 2010 Matthew completed one of his favourites residencies at Knowle West Media Centre, Bristol, where he developed generative computer personalities that make audiovisual compositions and argue with the user, called "Making Friends and Enemies"; his programmes have been streaming their art regularly on the internet since June 2018.



WHERE AND WHEN?

The course takes place at our residential centre in Aulus les Bains. It's two hours south of Toulouse, high in the French Pyrenees, very near the border with Spain. For detailed travel information, see the transport section. The course starts on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. We advise that you arrive the evening before (15/10/2024) - dinner and accommodation that night is included. The course runs for five days, ending on Sunday night. Accommodation on Sunday night is included, then we leave on Monday morning (21/10/2024). If you decide to take the minibus with us, you will be picked- up in Toulouse at 6pm on 15/10/2024, and will be back in Toulouse at 11am on 21/10/2024.

You'll also have the option to stay at CAMP an additional 7 nights, following the workshop, for an additional cost of $379. Hang out, do some hiking, use our facilities, work on your projects and process the content of the workshop at your own pace. In 2024, just over 50% of participants stayed for the +7. We expect that number to increase in 2025 - don't miss out on the extra fun! Read more about the +7 option here.

HOW TO BOOK

To book your place on the course, click the button in the green section above. You won't pay anything right now - we'll send you a booking confirmation email with everything you need to know next. Your place is reserved without payment for three days.

You'll find a payment link in the booking confirmation email - follow the link to make a payment (either in full, or the first payment of a 4 month payment plan). In the latter case, a monthly payment plan will be put in place, so your card will be charged 1/4 of the fee today, and 1/4 each month (on the same day) for an additional 3 months. All card payments are handled by Stripe, and are extremely secure. We don't store any card data ourselves - all of this is handled securely off-site by Stripe. If you have a discount or grant code, you will be able to add it when you follow the payment link in your confirmation email.

Once you've made a payment, you'll receive another email containing your receipt, links to resources, contact information and access to our group chat to discuss the workshop with other participants.