Ron Geesin, Blackbird Quadralogue, 2014

Ron Geesin
Blackbird Quadralogue, 2014

The astonishing vocal repertoire and intricate jazz-infused riffs of the Blackbird, one of the UK's most familiar songbirds, is revealed in a new octophonic sound composition that combines the artist Ron Geesin's long-term fascination with birdsong and his fundamental interest in jazz.

Sparked by hearing what he believed to be call and answer patterns between birds, Geesin initially made field recordings which demonstrated an abundance of varying pitch and rhythm in the calls between birds. This led to further recordings of a vast range of songs produced by four male blackbirds over two years. Blackbird Quadralogue draws together the calls of these four birds as they move through the seasons. 

Blackbird Quadralogue, is a beautiful composition that interrogates notions of territories and belonging, and those of the individual vs the collective. Consisting of eight speakers, Blackbird Quadralogue has been developed to create a dynamic sensory experience

Related Information

Artist:
Ron Geesin
Project Title:
Blackbird Quadralogue
Year:
2014
Organisation:
Locus+