THE SOUND ARTIST, ROB MACKAY
How would you describe the work that you do?
That’s something which has evolved quite a bit over the over the years. I started out as an electroacoustic composer, but now I’d say I’m more of a multi-media artist, with a particular focus on sound. My outputs have changed from concert hall performances, to more often than not, gallery installations, incorporating field recordings, spoken word, audiovisual material, and interactive media. Most of my work continues to be immersive.
What is it about listening to the world that changes our perspective on things?
We live in a very visually dominant society. The majority of the information we glean from the world is done visually, yet there is so much we can gain through listening. Sound is a hugely rich source of information about the world around us, and because it is essentially mechanical vibration, we can literally feel it in our bodies, enabling a highly visceral experience. Increasingly, scientists are using sound for environmental monitoring, from bioacoustics to measuring the integrity of built structures. A particular interdisciplinary field which is interesting to me is ecoacoustics, where all of the sounds within an ecosystem can be taken into account to build up an understanding of the health of different ecosystems.
You often work with other people and community groups. What does this bring to your work?
I really enjoy collaborating with other artists on different projects. The life of a composer can be quite a lonely affair, locked away in the studio for hours on end. It’s great to be able to build a sense of community through collaboration, as well as being challenged by people working in different disciplines. I have worked (and continue to work on occasion) as an actor, and I enjoy the sense of community that being in a team can bring.
I also love to work with different community groups, and have done an increasing amount of work with different youth groups in recent years. I like sharing my passion for sound and being inspired by the endless creativity which everyone has.
Tell us about some of the more unusual sounds you’ve recorded.
Well, I’ve been lucky to work on a wide range of interesting projects. I studied Geology and Music at Keele University, and I’ve been able to combine those disciplines in a number of my creative projects, including recording the sounds of ringing stones across the UK, especially in Cumbria which is very rich in ringing rock. I collaborated with scientists and artists, including Dame Evelyn Glennie, on the Ruskin Rocks project, which resulted in two new lithophones (essentially stone xylophones).
I’ve also recorded tadpoles munching in a loch in Scotland, and the sound of thousands of monarch butterflies all flapping their wings at once in Mexico.
What intrigues you about working on post-industrial sites like the Red River?
I love the different layers of history that are represented and all of the lives which have touched and have been touched by the place. Something which also intrigues me about the Red River, in particular, is that despite all of the pollution, there is a species of trout which has evolved to withstand the effects of the pollution.
