Thank you for following Uncanny Landscapes. Here’s a new episode of the podcast; an interview with sound artist and field recordist Jez riley French. As you know, this is a free project, both newsletter and podcast - nothing is paywalled. If you're able to support my work through a donation (aka paid subscription) - thank you!! I truly appreciate it. And if you're not, perhaps you can support by telling a friend (or two, or 100) about the Substack's free subscriptions and accompanying podcast.
The podcast (and all back ‘issues’) are also available at:
https://uncannylandscapes.podbean.com/
… and on most podcast platforms. As always, books, records and events ‘n’at here: https://linktr.ee/oldweirdalbion
(Photo of Jez riley French by Pheobe riley Law.)
Links:
Jez riley French’s website
Jez on Instagram
Engraved Glass bandcamp page
Murmuration retreat 2024
JrF microphones
Pheobe riley Law website
Jez riley French is one of the best-known artists in the UK using creative methods of field recording to access some kind of idea of place through sound. His work has appeared in galleries and forests, in festivals and on bridges, from London to Japan and many (most?) points in between. Jez’s work revolves around listening - rather than going out to ‘get’ a sound, it’s about giving in to the practice, that one might find what’s already there.
I became interested in Jez’s work from Cathy Lane and Angus Carlyle’s book In the Field: the Art of Field Recording, from the magnificent Uniformbooks press. His (dare I say it?) zen approach to listening - duration, seeking the tiniest sounds, losing himself within the soundscape of ‘natural’ or ‘manmade’ environment - is haiku compared to so much of our Homeric listening.
I hope you enjoy his philosophy, his love for this artwork, and his deeply egalitarian take on the form as much as I do.
More episodes comin at ya soon, including musician Laura Cannell and horticulture-inspired artist Tony Heywood, plus the first-ever UL podcast to be recorded live - a conversation with Noreen Masud from the ICA, London, a week or two back.
Also coming soon, new landscape writing in substack editions from Mike Bullock, Kirsty Badenoch and myself.
Finally I’ll point out that my book The Old Weird Albion - a hauntological hike through the south of England searching for the ways ghost-memories hide in the landscape - is once again available from my bandcamp page for those in the UK; £10 + postage. A great way to support these endeavours!
Thank you; until soon…
Uncanny Landscapes Podcast: Jez riley French