TUNING THE WIND
Wind is air in motion. It makes no sound until it encounters an object. The sounds it produces depend on the strength of the wind and the shape and material of the object it touches. When the wind blows, trees sway, buildings rattle, materials move, and sound waves are generated. Some believe that temperature changes create layers of air, and that the friction between them forms a unique sound—perhaps the true voice of the wind, which birds may be the only creatures capable of recognising. Sometimes the wind howls; at other times, it sings or whistles, shifting from a gentle murmur to an angry roar. The wind’s range of frequencies, tones, and timbres is vast and varied. Tuning the Wind is a piece about the wind, made with the wind—an abstract expression of our ongoing conversation with nature.
Composer Aimée Portioli, known professionally as Grand River, recorded various types of wind and then reworked them through layering and pitch adjustment to create a musical piece where the wind itself becomes a prepared instrument. At times, the sound of the wind is tuned to the 440 Hz reference, while at other times, the instruments are tuned to the sound of the wind. In Tuning the Wind, nature and music merge seamlessly. Synthesizers and wind recordings become indistinguishable, blending natural sounds with human-made instruments. The boundary between a gust of wind and an instrument-generated sound fades away. Human artistry and nature’s symphony merge to become one.
TECHNICAL RIDER (live performance version)
Duration: 36'-40'
Multichannel sound installation in circular form around the audience
“Tuning the Wind” has also been adapted to a stereo installation, a walk-through diffusion and a live performance
Musical composition, arrangements, sound design and installation by Aimée Portioli
Foley wind recordings by Aimée Portioli and Pablo Diserens
UPCOMING/PRESENTED AT
BAO Music Festival, Val Trompia, IT *live stereo performance
Muzan Editions x Club Daphnia, Osaka, JP *live stereo performance
Mono Lisboa, Lisbon, PT *live stereo performance
Festiwal Ambientalny, Wrocław, PL *live stereo performance
Paesaggi Sonori, Peltuinum, IT *live stereo performance
Live Cinema Festival, Rome, IT *live stereo performance
Son de Aquí, Oaxaca de Juárez, MX *live stereo performance
SONIC CINEMA, 3537, Paris, FR *sound installation in 4D spatial sound
Q3AMBIENTFEST, Kesselhaus, Potsdam, DE *live stereo performance
NEW NOW Festival, Essen, DE *sound installation in 4D spatial sound
Stone Nest, London, UK *4D spatial sound live performance
Mostra Festival, Barcelona, ES *live stereo performance
Folkwang Museum, Essen, DE *live stereo performance
FIBER Festival, Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, NL *4D spatial sound live performance
CTM Festival, MONOM, Berlin, DE *4D spatial sound live performance
C.P. Company Flagship Store, Milan, IT *live stereo performance