Brian d'Souza - Genius Loci
Our next release is here! A new LP by Brian d'Souza recorded as artist-in-residence at Het Hem, a former munitions factory in Zandaam. A Sonic Seance that exorcises the ghosts of the murky past.
A Sonic Seance:
Genius Loci exorcises the ghosts and spirits residing in the former munitions factory Het Hem, in Zaandam, Netherlands in the latest release on A State Of Flo.
SUBSTACK PAID SUPPORTERS WILL GET A FREE COPY NEXT WEEK:
In contemporary usage, ‘genius loci’ refers to a location's distinctive atmosphere, or a "spirit of the place"...
Genius Loci is a new album by sound artist Brian d'Souza (fka Auntie Flo). The title references the notion of the protective 'spirit of place' from ancient Roman times, d'Souza used a vintage accordion to capture the acoustic properties of the Het Hem building in Zaandam, Netherlands - enabling him to travel through time using sound.
In this music, you can hear ghosts from a previous, more sinister time - the paranoia of cold war panic - echoes of misfiring bullets ricocheting around the 200m subterranean shooting range and the overwhelmingly vast vibrations of the main expo space. The music also instills a sense of hope, a wistful desire for a brighter and more peaceful future where the spirits are vanquished. Are we there yet?
A former munitions and gun testing factory, Het Hem is a space full of character made up of a range of rooms that each hold a different acoustic property. On Genius Loci, d'Souza is interested in the connection between sound, space and time. He uses an accordion as a drone instrument to capture a variety of resonances using microphones placed around each room to tell a unique story in each song.
The results are released as a vinyl 12” LP and digital download on A State Of Flo and as part of an audiovisual interactive website which incorporates generative audio technology developed by d'Souza's Swell Studio in collaboration with The University of Arts in London.
ORDER VIA BANDCAMP NOW. Released 19th July 2024. Substack paid supporters will get a copy for free next week. Upgrade your subscription below:
This sounds great. The accordion is such an underrated instrument for ambient music. I haven’t seen much else out there.