James Wyness wants to clean up the environment aurally, by scrubbing it with a stiff loofah of concrete sound and rinsing it in rainwater.

Availing himself of digitally-archived field recordings from the mountains, moors, rivers and forests of the Scottish Borders and a barnyard in Northumberland, Wyness originally created Figure and Ground to be installed in the Harestanes Countryside Visitors Centre in Scotland as the artistic rendering of a natural environment, partly in the hope of ”fix[ing]” said environment.

As a home listening experience Wyness envisions his piece best enjoyed as a Zen meditation device. One is recommended to absorb the various ”grounds”, which he defines as large, mobile masses of natural sound like wind and water, and the occasional ”figures”, the natural intrusions of the creaking of a tree branch, twitter of a bird, in an engaged yet unpossessive manner.

He provides a detailed if straightforward user´s manual for what is, in sum, a forty-two minute stretch of what the ear interprets as mostly close-micked rainfall and river rush and burble. Or as benign electric static. The ear may be fooled or fool itself. Though indeed, in moments where the ground recedes, the stirrings of the surroundings do make themselves subtly but clearly known. One does feel refreshed afterward.

A plain but handsome monochrome gatefold cover and booklet further enhance home enjoyment of Figure and Ground.

Stephen Fruitman

SONOMU

… The main strength of this music lies in its sheer simplicity....

...Listening to rain and wind buffeting desolate open spaces casts particular images and sensations in the mind that are beautiful and emotional in themselves. The recordings are full of loaded sensual power, the memories of individual listeners, film, photography, views from train windows etc…

The Watchful Ear

the gathered thoughts of Richard Pinnell