I created this through trial and error as I edited the 45 minutes of sounds collected to fit in an approximate 1 minute time frame. I thought of different themes as I was editing, but the one that remained consistent during the recording and editing process was: running out of time. When I was recording I found it most interesting to collect sounds of machines and fans (humming, buzzing), elevators moving, doors opening and shutting (which was fun to copy and paste to repeat some of the sounds). Also, it was very interesting to be in the right place at the right time for snippets of conversations I happened upon. The conversations that replayed in the editing process reinforced the theme of time; how are we using it? Where are we going with it? Do we sense that there just isn't enough of it to go around these days?
At first I listened to the audio as if I were an alien visiting earth for the first time and sent on a mission to collect 'earth' sounds...that was going to be the theme; then somehow it morphed into the sense of urgency I feel with time as soon as I enter campus- the need to be in class on time, the need to get an assignment done on time, etc. Also, when I enter our building I feel as if we are in our own time warp here (different from the surrounding 'outside' world we live in throughout the week); this feeling is compounded by the constant hum of an air vent or fan in the building.
This podcast starts with the question: "Where are you going?" which I interpret to be taken in a literal sense (time/space) and in a philosophical sense (where am I going in life, not just at the moment, but in the general trajectory of it all)...this ends with the phrase 'there's this guy'...and if it is played as a continual loop, the 'guy' in the elevator can be heard to say "where are you going?" first, then a series of moments leading to "there's this guy"...So, ask yourself...how many times in your own life has the answer to 'where am I going' been 'well, there's this guy' ... Point being, the effect relationships (as well as time) can have on us as we try to find our own answers to the ultimate question- "where are we going?".
I am leaving my comments before I read your statement above, in order to give you a blank reaction...
ReplyDeleteThe piece is called "Running out of time"...
At the beginning of the piece, I hear footsteps and the phrase, "Where are you going?" This sets the stage for the rest of the piece. I feel as though the protagonist is going somewhere...is on some sort of mission...
As the piece progresses, I get the feeling that I am hearing fast-paced snippets of a person's typical day...the sound of voices, an elevator, an ice dispenser....At some point, I hear the comment, "there are days when there is no time..."...I feel this comment fits nicely with the fast pace of the piece...It seems as though things are happening quickly, with almost no time to take them in and reflect on them.
The end of the piece is intriguing! I hear two tones, maybe from an instrument? The piece does not slow down at the end and, instead, ends rather abruptly...
The piece is fast, anxious, repetitious, layered, complex, mysterious, and compelling!