In summer 2005 we spend a week doing outdoor recordings in Innsbruck. Our goal is to create a composition of and with city sounds. The geographical situation of the city nourishes the idea behind the composition… Nestled in the Inntal valley, closed off to the north by the Nordkette mountain chain, in the south by highlands and Patscherkofel peak.
We begin our route high up in the north on the Seegrube… Approach the city via the Hungerburg district toward Büchsenhausen… Cross the Innbrücke bridge and reach the old town… Wander there through the courtyards of the new city (city center, Pradl, Saggen) toward the Brenner highway, crossing it on our way upward toward lake Lanser See — in the southern part of the valley.
We stop from time to time to record the sounds around us. Our starting material becomes a topology of loudnesses, frequency images and rhythmic structures of the city.
We compile these original sounds we have recorded into 4 related sections, which serve as the first layer of the composition; for the second layer of the piece, we edit the original sounds we have used using filters; the third and fourth layers are musical structures and interventions using bass and sampler.
tamtam are Hannes Strobl (bass) & Sam Auinger (sampler). An alternative version of this piece can be found at tamtam’s website.