DJ Harsman – Oerdvlieg

In may 2003 DJ Harsman was invited by Timo Mank as artist in residence at galery Dit Eiland, in Hollum, on the Dutch island Ameland.

Between may 15 and may 22, 2003, he roamed the island, by bus, on foot and on bicycle, collecting, with a dictaphone and MD, the sounds of Ameland. Much like others, all over the world, roam beaches, amateurs and professionnals alike, looking for valuable and useful objects washed ashore by the tides, the DJ was combing the small Dutch island, looking for sounds.

In Dutch, beachcombersare called (strand)jutters.

Hence DJ Harsman became, be it unofficially, Ameland's first true soundcomber: the 'geluidsjutter' …

Others were invited during that week to join the DJ, and assist him in his quest. In the course of these seven days, and during several weeks after, DJ Harsman selected and edited the sounds thus collected, and inserted them on an interactive map of the island (realised as a Flash animation). One can 'walk around' on this 'virtual island', and find and play the sounds (mouse click on the map) where they were recorded.

A 'lo-fi' version of the 'Isle of Sounds' is available on the web (http://www.diteiland.nl/sounds/ ).

The short 'concrete' piece "Oerdvlieg" has been created using a CD-rom version of this 'Isle of Sounds' (which still awaits official release). Unlike the 'lo-fi' webversion, where sounds can be listened to only one by one, the 'hi-fi' version permits the simultaneous playback of up to 8 of the recorded Ameland sounds, hence permitting to play the Island, much like playing an instrument.

DJ Harsman composed "Oerdvlieg" using 5 island recordings made on Monday may 19th, 2003, on the eastern part of Ameland. He rehearsed it a couple of times, to get the timing and layering right. He then recorded it onto hard disk, in one single take, without overdubs.

Vincennes, september 2004

( Also see the 2003 Ameland Diary :

http://www.harsmedia.com/SoundBlog/Archief/00485.html http://www.harsmedia.com/SoundBlog/Archief/00486.html http://www.harsmedia.com/SoundBlog/Archief/00487.html

http://www.harsmedia.com/SoundBlog/Archief/00488.html )