DRIFT was a research and arts project commissioned by the city of Belfast to encourage interaction and understanding of the River Lagan. A series of exhibitions and events took place in the summer of 2024 on a specially-designed pontoon on the river. As part of the project, field recordist Matilde Meireles explored the sound of the river, its surroundings, and its wildlife. Four Tales gives us four perspectives: “One” places the river in a global context alongside recordings of England’s River Avon, Portugal’s River Tejo, Spain’s River Tambre, the Mediterranean Sea, and a storm in Mozambique. “Two” takes us between two points on the river, ducking below the surface and incorporating its metal structures and nearby electromagnetic interference. “Three” is a survey of the nearby wildlife in which all local species are named in a voiceover, but only some are heard in the recording, highlighting how field recording only ever gives a partial rendering of its location. And finally, “Four” is taken from a live performance on the DRIFT pontoon itself, featuring Meireles playing alongside percussion and tromba marina. These four compositions are brilliant in their own right, but taken together, they form a dazzling mosaic of the River Lagan and its crucial role in Belfast.
via Bandcamp Daily