U43 | João Castro Pinto | Suntria – imaginal sonotopes
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format : CD ltd to 200 hand numbered copies
all copies come with an additional art card on 300gr satin paper
release year : 2017
length : 43’00
tracks :
Suntria-imaginal sonotopes
I. 00:00 – 00:44
II. 00:45 – 01:56
III. 01:57 – 05:49
IV. 05:50 – 10:16
V. 10:17 – 13:36
VI. 13:37 – 18:04
VII. 18:05 – 19:10
VIII. 19:11 – 21:36
IX. 21:37 – 26:22
X. 26:23 – 29:53
XI. 29:54 – 34:08
XII. 34:09 – 43:00
status : still available
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(Belgium) : 14 € (inc.postage)
(Europe) : 15 € (inc.postage)
(World) : 16 € (inc.postage)
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: info :
Suntria is a soundscape composition orchestrated, fundamentally, through the use of audio fragments captured from distinct locations of Sintra’s forest, near Lisbon, Portugal.
Since remote ages, Sintra’s mountains (in Portuguese, Serra de Sintra) are known as locations of worship and devotion. It is reputed that the Celts, Visigoths, Moorish and Romans were among the people who inhabited and praised these oneiric landscapes before the Lusitanos (the later Portuguese). Throughout the years, Sintra had different toponyms, it is said that the Celts referred to it as Cynthia (meaning the devotion of the moon). It is also given that some Greek and Latin scholars state that Sintra was also denominated as Mons Sacer (Sacred Mount). Ptolemy and the Romans called it Mons Lunae (Mount of the Moon) and, during the Moorish rule of the land, Sintra was denominated as Zintira, Chinra, Xintra, Sentra, until, finally, it was, before its actual designation, named Xentra. From the etymological study of the term there is a curious, but controversial, medieval designation from each Sintra is thought of being derived – Suntria. This possibility presents itself as problematic. The medieval origin of Suntria is supposed to have been derived from the Indo-European (meaning Sun or Luminous Astro). This denomination is controversial because the etymology of the word “Sun”, considering the existing Indo-European branches, puts aside any connection between the term “Suntria” and the significance of the word Sun (except when considering the Gothic [extinct Germanic language] term “Sunno”).
Suntria is the title of this composition because, and foremost, the conceptual purpose of the album is not to mimic the sonic landscapes of Sintra’s physical actual locations but to creatively interpret these spaces. Suntria is a hypothetical toponym of a determined physical location, as this composition is an interpretation and recreation of field recordings captured in Sintra’s soundscape.
The mystical ambience patent in Sintra’s forest is a national symbol depicted in literature, cinema and architecture by Portuguese and foreigner artists as, for example, Lord Byron, which lived there for a brief period.
Sintra’s fauna and flora is as rich as its environment, which configurates a micro-climate totally distinct from the one which predominates in Lisbon, from where it distances not too much. The basilar audio samples that integrate this composition were recorded in the ponds, cascades, forests and beaches of the Sintra-Cascais natural park. Additional sounds were recorded in other (natural / urban) locations of the country (check the cd sleeve for more info).
Suntria’s subtitle is imaginal sonotopes, and it is so because what is at stake in the piece is recreating combinations from elements of the soundscape, i.e., of diverse geophonies, biophonies and anthropophonies. According to soundscape ecology, a sonotope is, precisely, the spatial overlapping units or patterns advenient from these contingent conglomerations, which in their turn result on the blending of sonic elements.
Suntria is a piece that presents plausible soundscapes through the creative electroacoustic exploration and concrescence of samples that even though, in many cases, belong to the same ontic family (for example: geophony – water in streams, ponds and beaches) were originated and recorded, in terms of spatio-temporal coherence, in distinct locations. One of the main purposes of the album is, therefore, to question the sense of identity and place, concerning to the academic established postulates of soundscape composition. Sounding natural, i.e., as we phenomenologically relate to a sonotope, is one of the main goals of this composition: to make plausible the implausible.
One can expect to listen a diverse spectrum of sonic approaches, in between found sounds and abstracted composition, making use of techniques that range from transparent edit, equalization and juxtaposition (phonography) to concrete / acousmatic music procedures (manipulations in the morphological spectrum). In terms of dynamics, the composition reveals subtle quasi-silent moments as saturated and loud events. The same logic prevails in terms of spectral diversity, for Suntria outputs careful sculpting of low, mid and high frequencies, towards a whimsical sound voyage.
Finally, all the audio samples were registered through the implementation of various recording techniques: stereo (XY, ORTF [w. matched pair] and MS) and monaural (shotgun, hydrophone and contact mics). Concerning the audio recording devices, various gear was used, from the enhanced mono (low quality) mic of the iPhone and the prosumer mid-level entry recorders (as the Tascam DR-100 MKII / DR-70D), to the professional standard industry level recorders (as Sound Devices 702).
Suntria reaches for an aural acuity that invites the listener to perscrutate meaning, purpose/intentionality and ultimately to question the sense of hearing and being in the world.
(João Castro Pinto, 10 May 2017)
: reviews :
I can’t deny an indefensible unawareness in regard to the recorded output of Portuguese composer João Castro Pinto, a man who – in his own description – is “interested in the art of composing silence with sounds”. The statement appears sinisterly close to that “propa-ganda of hush” which, more often than not, reveals a scarcity of core significance; on the other hand the man’s CV looks impressive, his involvement in several interesting projects seemingly moved by the spirit of a genuine researcher of the inscrutable.
Although Suntria does feature nearly silent segments, since the very beginning – and without even the slightest glance to the totally explicative liner notes – we realized that this is not an album produced with a single idea encircled by idle words. Inside an acousmatic expressiveness somewhat akin to that of his Australian colleague Philip Sa-martzis, Castro Pinto positions events, presences, voices, timbres and quiet intervals with commonsensical care, focusing on the minute details while widening the observer’s per-spective. A skilled control of the dynamic variations represents a major plus: abrupt shifts in volume and textural grain caused a bit of surprise in this listener, by now used to fore-tell the unfolding of albums belonging to the shopworn “cinema for the ear” category as the proverbial depressed being encrusted on the couch, watching the hundredth rerun of an old flick with a cigarette dangling from the mouth.
In spite of all of the above, the bulk of this piece is made of echoes that should result ra-ther familiar to an audience, be it practiced or just casual. Marine washing and seagulls can’t fail, as well as sheep, birds, rain and frogs; the clattering of metallic and/or wooden objects, humming/droning stasis and whirring machineries are also part of the formula. And, of course, people are caught chatting here and there. Sometimes Castro Pinto ap-plies sudden amplification like a magnifying lens, causing a scene to grow psychological implications through the sheer expansion and repercussion of its sonic components. There’s always a way to take a deep breath, though; and when one can breathe during the process of evaluation of a recording – whatever the genre – it’s usually a sign of brilliance on behalf of its creator.
One of the best Unfathomless releases of the last two/three years, definitely recommended.
Massimo Ricci
Touching Extremes
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In the past I reviewed music from João Castro Pinto before (Vital Weekly 837 and 894, and noted a certain degree of intellectual approach to what he does; complicated wording to tell us he deals with field recordings and computer technology. That is perhaps not different here. “Suntria” is a piece that presents plausible soundscapes through the creative electroacoustic exploration and concrescence of samples that even though, in many cases, belong to the same ontic family” and “Suntria” is the title of this composition because, and foremost, the conceptual purpose of the album is not to mimic the sonic landscapes of Sintra’s physical actual locations but to creatively interpret these spaces”; of course it is relevant to say that Suntria is a forest, national park, in Portugal, once inhabited by the Celts, Visigoths, Moorish and Romans and it is a place “known as locations of worship and devotion”. Pinto taped sounds in this forest and some villages (church
bells), but the twelve pieces on the CD are not a mere registration of these sounds, but through editing, equalization and perhaps some kind of mild processing (but maybe not). In the eleventh piece (all parts are numbered and not titled) for instance it is not easy to believe there is no com-puter processing going on; at the same time it might all have to do with placing of microphones in unusual locations to pick up sounds from afar. It seems to me that Pinto likes to have this sort of mystery here, in which these things are not entirely clear, or in his own words “Suntria“’s subtitle is imaginal sonotopes, and it is so because what is at stake in the piece is recreating combinations from elements of the soundscape, i.e., of diverse geophonies, biophonies and anthropophonies. According to soundscape ecology, a sonotope is, precisely, the spatial overlapping units or patterns advenient from these contingent conglomerations, which in their turn result on the blending of sonic elements”, which sounds better than I’d could say. I don’t mind there is some kind of illusion.
Some of the sounds might be layered together, and all together these forty-three minutes consists of a rich different palette of sounds, which are cleverly stuck together by Pinto into a fine collage of sounds; mostly quiet but Pinto cleverly built in some louder points, giving the material bumps and these sudden changes are used to do a complete change of scenery. Excellent release, this one.
Frans de Waard
Vital Weekly