A Closer Listen
We last heard from Matthew Burtner in 2019, when Glacier Music ended up on our chart of The Year’s Best Winter Music. This year, he presents the other side of the story, shifting the focus from melting glaciers to rising sea levels. Along with the EcoSonic Ensemble, he offers a treatise on the effects of climate change on the shores of the Atlantic, using a unique blend of field recordings, music and sonifications.
The first title, “Virginia Barrier Island Soundscape – Listening to Climate Change and Resilience Part 1,” says it all. Burtner is astounded not only by the vast threats to the ecosystem, but by the ecosystem’s ability to withstand such pressures – for now. Hydrophones reveal a diverse soundscape, what the artist calls “a symphony of shorelines.” At first, there seem to be no humans, but toward the end one hears the sound of legs walking through shallow surf. This is the album’s baseline; in the closing “Part 2,” the focus will lift from sea to air, catching the sounds of birds and bees as they hover above the water.
None of the tracks roam far from field recording, reflecting a hope that the listeners’ minds will stay focused on conservation. Instead, they grow from what is heard to what is felt or imagined, beginning with the delicate “The Dreams of Seagrass,” an electronic pulse countered by wistful strings. The four-part “The Metered Tide” is far more abstract, resisting melody, a reminder that the ocean seems orderly (due to regular tides) but in reality can be chaotic. Those seeking a more accessible reflection may prefer the Coastal Mix of “Where Water Meets Memory,” which starts in an ambient fashion but then startles with juxtapositions of piano and string. The piece is playful and gurgling, like a happy dolphin.
“The Noise Parade” is the album’s darkest and most intriguing piece, incorporating a crackling sound that is likely brine shrimp but comes across as a forest fire. When the players enter with drone and drum, the piece turns industrial, replete with thunderous crashes like deep sea drilling and careless motorboats, a reminder of the jarring disruptions our species inflicts on underwater life. In contrast, “Crab Flutes” comes across as an attempted duet, akin to the inter-species efforts of David Rothenberg, restoring a sense of placidity. And for those who have never linked oysters and opera, “Oyster Communion” is a treat: a respite before the mind returns to the task at hand.
Burtner’s invitation is to join the growing number of people who are attempting to preserve and restore earth’s coastal environments, not just to prevent houses from falling into the sea, but to bolster sea species in decline. It’s easy to ignore what one cannot hear, which is why this album amplifies the voices of the unheard, joining them in a musical conversation. (Richard Allen)
Fri Jun 02 00:01:50 GMT 2023