sun_shadow by Jim McEwan+Una MacGlone

Jim McEwan piano, electronics, clarsach
Una MacGlone double bass, clarsach
Hank McEwan clarsach


The creation of this album began in a cottage near Laphroaig on Islay where we stayed for a week last summer.
We made field recordings, capturing insects in the sunshine and the compelling, complex sounds of tractors passing by.
The owners had left a clarsach in the cottage, we improvised every day and recorded that too. Back in Glasgow, we applied sound treatments to the field recordings, then went to Solas Sound and recorded live improvisations with these.

"in_light" depicts lazy afternoons on holiday when we experimented with throwing plectrums into pools of sunlight on the wooden floors. This track uses these sounds as a starting point as well as the feelings of inertia that holidays can induce.
"attic_visit" invokes the atmosphere of being in a strange place with all kinds of wildlife leading to real/imagined sounds from visitors.
"losing_traction" explores the sensation of holding on but feeling things slip away.
"sand_scape" is inspired by wind making dynamic sculptures with sand, beautiful and dramatic shapes.
In "sad_about_dead_bat", we recall noticing a wee bat on the wall of the cottage near the door one afternoon. We moved past it carefully so we wouldn’t waken it…but when the next morning came, it hadn’t moved.
"in_shadow" plays with dynamic, scrabbling feelings of unease.
Finally, "in_place" finds us drawn to a very specific sonic and melodic world that feels right.
Improvising can be a way of finding the path home as well as towards new adventures.

since 1994

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