Wild Light Decade #16: Sleepwalk City Live Installation
Added 2023-09-15 10:30:01 +0000 UTCSpecial one for you this week. In the summer of 2013, ahead of the release of Wild Light, we were lucky enough to get a space at Millenium Galleries, Sheffield to do whatever we wanted inside of, as part of Tramlines Festival.
We even got a budget, like actual artists, and spent all of it on hiring as many speakers as we could. Then, in a insult to acoustic engineers everywhere, we lined them up in two rows running the length of opposite walls, pointing at each other. PHASE WARS. Sixteen speakers in total, plus a regular concert P.A at one end. And we had individual control over each speaker, could send specific sounds to any of them.
You can watch a short documentary about it HERE if you like:
[EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS IS A THUMBNAIL FROM DOCUMENTARY, CAN'T MAKE IT A LINK TO THE VIDEO OR IT DISAPPEARS. CAN'T EMBED THE VIDEO. WOW WHATEVER PATREON DOES WITH THE PERCENTAGE IT TAKES FROM EVERY SUBSCRIPTION IT DEFINITELY DOESN'T GO TO MAKING THEIR WEBSITE ANY GOOD!]
During the day, we had a multi-speaker sound and video installation running in the space. And then, in the afternoons and evenings, we did live performances. Nine shows in just over 24hrs. HECTIC. Each performance was a unique rendition of a site-specific version of Sleepwalk City that ran for about twenty five minutes.
This week’s Wild Light Decade release is a recording of one of those performances. It is a stereo recording from the back of the room. For the first ten minutes, much of the performance is based around grabbing live loops of Joe’s guitar and spatialising them to create a 3D ambience through the various different speakers, so this recording sadly doesn’t quite capture the full effect. But have patience - once it gets to the second half it morphs into an extended version of the classic doom-banger you all know and love. Here's some random photos we took during the production/performances...
We're on tour now. Maybe we saw you already in Glasgow last night? Or maybe we’ll see you tonight in Manchester, or elsewhere in the coming couple of weeks. If not don't worry, we will meet again on the 65LABS patreon…
Take care out there, friends!
65.x
Comments
Thank you very much for this one!
Ildikó Farkas
2023-10-07 19:22:51 +0000 UTCAwesome to finally hear this. I remember the event happening and being gutted at not being able to make it. I just listened loud on my 90s speaker system... incredible experience. Thanks!
radryd
2023-09-25 09:38:49 +0000 UTCI love when you release stuff like this. The Fugue State recording and Millennium Gardens Decomposition Theory are two of my favourite recordings. Don’t know if you were going for this but I’m getting Fripp and Eno - No Pussyfooting vibes at the start
James Harrison
2023-09-18 15:20:25 +0000 UTCI don't recall which performance I was at, but I still talk up this version of Sleepwalk City to anyone who will listen. 10 years on, it's great to finally have a recorded copy of this to go back to - the album version is great, but there was something magic about hearing this for the first time in a gallery with the song slowly emerging from the noise.
Alexander Farr
2023-09-16 12:00:59 +0000 UTC25 min of 65dos?? O Lord I am not worthy
Andy54
2023-09-15 13:25:52 +0000 UTCHearing one of these Sleepwalk City special performances is something I'd been waiting for for a long time. It's awesome ! Good luck on the new tour, 65 ! Can't wait to finally get to see you guys live in Paris :)
theFrenchDutch
2023-09-15 10:51:41 +0000 UTC
