In many ways, music is all about relationships. Relationships between musicians, between artists and audiences, between artists and their instruments, even the relationships between sounds and notes in a scale. But we can also think of these relationships inside a wider web of connections. What would it be like to compose and perform music that embeds relationship between humans and non-humans such as plants, animals, or environments? What might that do to how we compose, perform, and listen to music? Today we dive into these questions with Luis Fernando Amaya, a composer and percussionist based in Oslo. Luis Fernando’s music has been performed throughout the Americas and Europe and themes of collective memory and relationships between humans and non-humans are often present in his work.

Bio and Links

Born in Aguascalientes, México, Luis Fernando Amaya is a composer and percussionist based in Oslo. Topics such as collective memory and the relationship between humans and non-humans (such as plants, animals, or environments) are commonly present in his work. He studied composition and music theory at the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Musicales (CIEM) and holds a Ph.D. in composition and music technology from Northwestern University.

Amaya's music has been performed throughout the Americas and Europe by performers such as the CEPROMUSIC (México), Arditti Quartet (UK), Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (Switzerland), Ensemble Dal Niente, Fonema Consort, Yarn/Wire (USA), Oslo Domkor (Choir of the Cathedral of Oslo, Norway), amongst others. He is the recipient of awards and fellowships such as the Residency PRIX CIME (International Electroacoustic Music Competition 2023), a Presidential Fellowship (NU), and representing México in the 61st International Rostrum of Composers of the UNESCO in Helsinki, Finland. As a performer, Amaya is a member of the collective composition and free improvisation trio Fat Pigeon.

His scores are published by BabelScores.

His monographic album Cortahojas was recently released by Protomaterial Records.

https://www.luisfernandoamaya.com

Instagram @luisongolilongo

Bandcamp

Studies for "Bestiario: seis"

En esta línea contengo un bosque (2018)

Eddie Ortíz-González poetry

PhD Dissertation: Music Composition as a Means to Connect With the More-Than-Human: A Dialogue Between the Works of Walter Kitundu, Liza Lim, and Luis Fernando Amaya

Photo credit Ana María Bermúdez

Most of the time we think of humans and non-humans as separate things. We experience and live in different worlds. Humans may love nature but are separate from nature. What if that is a wrong – or at least limiting – way to think about it? What would it mean to break down that separation? How might that change our experiences of sound and life with non-humans and nature? I’m your host Steve Williams and today we explore these questions with Gina Lo. We have lots to talk about so be sure to check out the show notes for links to the sounds and get in touch to info@drusnoise.com with your questions and comments.

Notes and Links

Bio

Gina Lo is a Taiwanese-born sound artist, field recordist, and performer based in Berlin. Their work revolves around the creation of immersive sonic environments that explore the fluid boundaries between human and non-human experiences, harmoniously merging the organic with the synthetic. Through live performances and sound installations, Gina employs a blend of electroacoustic instrumentation, field recordings, and custom-designed synthesizers. With a strong emphasis on attentive listening, their improvisational sets transform spaces into ever-evolving atmospheric landscapes.

Gina’s connection to nature is rooted in their upbringing on a subtropical island and extensive time spent off the grid throughout East and Southeast Asia, where they immersed themselves in the rhythms of the natural world and the intricate behaviors of wildlife. These encounters form the core of their sonic research, fostering a deep engagement with the elemental forces of nature as a lens for exploring the human condition. Gina’s work invites listeners into a meditative state, where the boundaries between self and environment blur, creating space for deeper reflection and a reconnection with the primal, transformative aspects of the psyche.

https://ginalosound.wixsite.com/work/about

https://www.instagram.com/ginalololo/

• EROOO0oo00​(​O​)​oO​.​0o0​.​oo​.​.​sion - Æther compilation (re:natura, digital)
• Intuitive Dialogues @ginalolo and @frmvar
• Harkening Critters https://f-o-m.bandcamp.com/album/harkening-critters
• Cowie Bay https://f-o-m.bandcamp.com/track/cowie-bay
• Bornean https://f-o-m.bandcamp.com/track/bornean-anura
• Signals Festival Sound Installation https://catalyst-berlin.com/about/signals-festival-2021-installations
• Berlin Modular Society 44 Live performance https://youtu.be/okHrEpze4wc

When people are asked what kind of neighbourhood they want to live in they often say they want a quiet neighbourhood. But by quiet, they do not mean silent! People want to hear the sounds of children playing, birds in the trees, and glasses clinking at cafés but may not want to hear sounds of traffic, construction, or planes overhead. They may want to preserve the sounds of the past or hear something completely different. The Future Soundscapes project connects with local residents to record (on their phones) sounds they want to hear more of and sounds they want to hear less of. The sounds are collected, categorized, and a soundscape of the future neighbourhood co-created with the collaborative inputs of local residents. The project has happened in Gothenburg Sweden and most recently in Utrecht Netherlands. Coming soon to Berlin and Oslo Norway. Today we dive into the why and how of Future Soundscapes and get to hear what happened in Gothenburg and Utrecht.

I’m your host Steve Williams, also known as drusnoise, and today’s episode will be a bit different. Usually I am interviewing an artist about their approach to sound, music, and sustainability. Today I will be talking about my Future Soundscapes project and sharing some excerpts from Gothenburg and Utrecht. I think it is a fascinating approach to futures and I hope you find it interesting too. Definitely send me a DM and let me know in the comments too. My email is info@drusnoise.com

Links and references

Future Soundscapes https://sustain.fm/fss

drusnoise https://drusnoise.com

Academic paper on Future Soundscapes

Listen – R. Murray Schafer documentary by National Film Board of Canada https://www.nfb.ca/film/listen/

Jordan Lacey. Sonic Rupture https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/sonic-rupture-9781501338571/

Centre for Sustainable Urban Futures https://urbanfutures.se/en