Tag Archive: Transmissions


The Bailey Sessions

We began work on our fourth album in May 2016 and inspired by the sounds of the “Transmissions” installation, we decided to shake things up a bit. It had been five years since the release of “Fissures” and though we hadn’t released an album in that time, we had gained a lot of experience and ideas for Kalte from steady live shows and installation pieces that we had staged as SubZeroArts in the intervening years.

Dubbing the new album “Kalte 4”, we decided to apply a more abstract sound palette than we normally worked with, moving into a slightly more challenging aural landscape for us to explore. We rethought the previous restrictions we had placed on ourselves about sound sources, blending in some wave patterns and even adding some percussive elements to distinguish our new material from earlier Kalte work. We also decided to add a live element to the recording process that we hadn’t used for past albums. Rather than concentrating on individual songs, we decided to record Kalte 4 as a long form track much like one of our live performances, building a suite of sorts containing multiple movements that would seamlessly ebb and flow together. Not being content to envelop the listener for eight, nine, or ten minutes at a time, we instead opted to create a single forty minute piece that encapsulated the Kalte aesthetic along with all of our new ideas.

It made for an interesting series of recording sessions, forcing us to think in terms of larger scope and broader themes musically. In the end we came up with a Kalte album that was new and fresh and distinct from our earlier releases, but still possessed a shared sonic ideal. We were totally pleased with the results, and decided to name the album “The Bailey Sessions“, in recognition of the recording process we had used on this release and as a nod to one of our earliest supporters, James Bailey, who many of you will know as the host of Electric Sense on CIUT here in Toronto.

We reached out to our friend Mike Morton (aka Displacer), to see if he’d be interested in releasing “The Bailey Sessions” on his Crime League label, and were thrilled to be added to the Crime League roster when the album was released in October 2016. In addition to putting out the album, Mike also got us in touch with Chris Goodenbury, whose stunning photography on the cover of the album perfectly captured the sense of the music we had made.

Prior to the release of “The Bailey Sessions”, Deane put together a short teaser video that touched on many of the ideas that informed the album, setting the stage for a new phase in our musical work.


On the subject of Crime League, we very much encourage you to check out the rest of the label, where you’ll find some fantastic music by some truly amazing artists. In addition to work by Kalte and Displacer, you’ll also find releases by Gnome and Mark Spybey, Dead Voices on Air, Shimmer Crush, and many more awesome musical projects, all very definitely well worth investigating!

Transmissions

In February 2016 we returned to Montreal for another edition of Art Souterrain, this time with a new installation called “Transmissions“. Exploring the question of whether or not noise is art, “Transmissions” exposed the audience to a more natural state of hearing by immersing them in an aural environment defined by super-positioning white noise as received, processed, and broadcast by a collection of antennae-like metal spires. While these naturally occurring aural sources are normally filtered out of conscious hearing, “Transmissions” discretely blended all of those sound sources to create a fluid soundscape defined by audio frequency radio waves that the listener would normally be unaware of.

“Transmissions” differed from other installations that we had presented up to that point in that there was an inherent abstract quality to the aural component of the work. We were a bit concerned that the installation may not be as well received as our past work because we were using more challenging sound sources that might not translate as well in a public setting, but we were also committed and excited about the ideal and theme behind what we were doing so we were determined to see it through, regardless of what people thought. Evidently we were right to stick by our guns, as we found that much of our audience in Montreal thought “Transmissions” was an interesting and engaging display, and it continued to be well received at a residency in South River at the NAISA North Art Space in February 2017, and at 401 Richmond as part of Nuit Blanche Toronto in September 2017.
In addition to being a successful installation, the abstract sounds that were generated in “Transmissions” also served to inspire and inform our next Kalte album. Join us again and we’ll tell you more about that process…
For the entire month of October while we celebrate #10yearsofKalte, if you buy a copy of “The Lanthanide Series” through Bandcamp you can send us your email at info@kaltemusic.com and we’ll send you a free copy of our latest release, “Covalencies“!

NBTOSZA17

Our visual arts project, SubZeroArts, will be presenting our new multi-point sound/art installation Transmissions at 401 Richmond as part of Nuit Blanche Toronto on Saturday, September 30th!

Transmissions creates an aural environment defined by white noise as broadcast by 16 mounted antennae-like metal spires positioned within a contained location. The sounds of cosmic radiation, sun spots, encryption anomalies, and more are all interwoven by the spires to create a unique environment defined by audio frequency radio waves such as tweaks, crackles, and swishes, bringing previously unheard sounds to the forefront of consciousness, inviting participants to acknowledge and experience their aesthetic nature without subconscious filters. Through the creation of this new environment within a previously existing location, participants will be encouraged to recognize the reality of the myriad spaces around them, and the many possible futures that those spaces offer.

We’re very excited about presenting Transmissions as part of Nuit Blanche Toronto, and we’ll be sharing more information with you over the next few weeks leading up to the event. In the meantime, be sure to like SubZeroArts on Facebook or add us on Twitter or Instagram to keep up to date with all the details!

naisa2017-webgraphics-blogpost1Our visual art project SubZeroArts is very pleased to announce that our latest installation Transmissions will be presented by New Adventures in Sound Art at NAISA North Gallery in South River. Transmissions is a multi-point sound art installation that uses a collection of touch-sensitive antennae to trigger abstract sounds and tones, creating a unique sound environment for audience participants to explore. We’re thrilled to be working with NAISA again, and we hope that you’ll come out and see Transmissions if you’re in the area!

NAISA North Gallery is located at 106 Ottawa Avenue, South River, Ontario, and Transmissions will be on display from February 4th to 26th on Saturdays and Sundays between 11am and 4pm. More information about NAISA can be found on their website.

ast2016-webgraphicsSubZeroArts‘ latest sound-art experience “Transmissions” will make it’s debut as part of Montreal’s Art Souterrain between February 27th and March 20th, 2016.

“Transmissions” is a new installation exploring the concept of Noise as Art. Using naturally occurring white noise, “Transmissions” establishes a new space for audience exploration created by naturally occurring white noise and sounds hidden deep within silence and lost radio signals. “Transmissions” exposes the audience to a more natural state of hearing through an aural environment defined by super-positioning white noise as received, processed, and broadcast by a collection of antennae-like metal spires located around the staging area. While these naturally occurring aural sources are normally filtered out of our conscious hearing, “Transmissions” discretely blends these sources to create a fluid soundscape defined by audio frequency radio waves that we would normally be unaware of, providing an opportunity to experience a more accurate representation of the natural sounds that surround us.

We’re both very excited about returning to Montreal, and we’ll be sharing more information about “Transmissions” with you on the SubZeroArts site over the next few days leading up to the event. In the meantime, be sure to like SubZeroArts on Facebook or add SubZeroArts on Twitter to keep up to date with all the details.

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