Taihua by Benjamin Gibert
‘Taihua’ refers to the intertidal zone, area between the limits of low and high-tide.
‘Taihua’ is the antechamber of the ocean.
We strode along many ‘Taihuas’ in New Zealand, searching for sounds and noises, shells, outlooks to native forests or distant islands.
We strolled by a mighty and often restless ocean. We surfed on rising tide waves and ran barefoot in the wet ‘Taihua’ of the Muriwai beach. We witnessed dusk there, and we photographed pink skies, the surface of the water as a mirror. We captured the echo of caves we could only enter at low-tide. We examined sand covered in shells that chimed like winds, and arranged them by note, depending on their size.
Then, we went deeper in the land, along the streams, still barefoot. We threw ourselves into native forests, surrounded by chatty endemic birds.
All pieces of ‘Taihua’ are about hyper locality. They hold sounds harvested on site, from the crazy melodic phrases of the tūī or the piwakawaka, to the upbeat rhythmical patterns of the insects.
Humans also have a role in this story, they simply made sure they took off their shoes, and reconnected with matter.
++++++++++++++++++++
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 composed, played and produced by Benjamin Gibert, recorded in Muriwai (new zealand), 2019. Samples of nature sounds by Benjamin Gibert.
Track 9 composed by Benjamin Gibert & SVQO, produced by SVQO, recorded in Lyon (France) and Porto Alegre (Brasil), 2013-2021.
Track 10 composed and produced by Benjamin Gibert, recorded in Muriwai (New Zealand) and l'Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud & the forest of Meygal (France), 2021.
Artwork by Thomas Vaillant & Benjamin Gibert.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Benjamin Gibert at Earthskin Muriwai Residency, New Zealand. >> http://www.earthskin.co.nz/
Photography by Thomas Vailant >> www.thomva.com
Artwork by Thomas Vaillant & Benjamin Gibert.
license
all rights reserved
Tracklist
| 1. | Barefoot | 5:25 |
| 2. | Low Tide Cavern I | 3:03 |
| 3. | Native Forests | 4:20 |
| 4. | Tūīs Garden | 5:53 |
| 5. | SVQO + Benjamin Gibert - Glassbirds | 4:04 |
| 6. | Low Tide Cavern II | 1:09 |
| 7. | Shells | 5:52 |
| 8. | Low Tide Cavern III | 1:38 |
| 9. | Franz Josef Glacier | 4:25 |
| 10. | Gemme 04 + Tūīs Garden (hurricane version) | 8:26 |
Credits
Many many thanks to Thomas, Pablo, Sacha, Véronique and Nancy.
License
All rights reserved.Tags
I venture into mountains, forests and megacities, searching for secret sounds and ramblings. I harvest sound material in its natural state, using a microphone and a notebook, then play to nest, solder, explode and merge sounds. Sound objects sometimes flirt with acoustic and electronic instruments, and form epics, open the doors of invisible lands.