About
Soundtrack for Mutable Spirals of Ascension is an audio composition created for an experimental dance for camera work, Mutable Spirals of Ascension. Directed by Jessica Gomula and choreographed by Pauline Jennings, the work follows two dancers as they navigate Shanghai’s bustling streets, urban forests and massive industrial sites in search of connections to wild. The work seeks to identify and dissolve barriers between human and wild in the Anthropocene where we are increasingly more likely to navigate urban jungles comprised of concrete and glass than an old growth forest and its streams; where we are more likely to touch manmade, inanimate materials than the constantly changing and sensing textures of nature; where we are more immersed in the scent of gas and smoke than grass and bark; and, where we spend more time making eye contact with our own digital image than we do with our neighbors.
Sonically, the majority of materials are field recordings captured in Shanghai during the multi-day video shoot. Locations include Gongqing Forest, Century Avenue, East Nanjing Road and the Shanghai Metro. Additional sites include the Old Shanghai Tea House and a rainy day at Jinqiao Life Hub. Compositionally, the recordings are mixed with music programed/performed from samples of the Guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument.
Credits
Director: Jessica Gomula
Choreography and performance: Pauline Jennings in collaboration with Calvin Aham
Music Composition: Sean Clute
Cinematography: Allen Hahn
Costume consultant: Amy Nielson
Download
Soundtrack for Mutable Spirals (Full quality .aif file and .pdf | 194.30 MB)