Nimalan Yoganathan, Soundscapes of Inukjuak | 2011 | 30min | Multi-Channel Sound Performance | Canada
Soundscapes of Inukjuak is a live four-channel sound performance that utilizes raw and processed audio field recordings gathered from a two-month artist residency in Inukjuak, Nunavik. Incorporating the natural sounds of the Inukjuak environment, such as wind, water, and huskies, the sounds of kayak construction, traditional Inuit carvers at work, and the inherent rhythms of the Inuktitut language. Yoganathan complements these sounds with a hardware synthesizer, rhythm sampler, and circuit-bent electronics. Through a structured improvisation, Yoganathan will mimic the timbral, rhythms and melodic properties of this Arctic environment in a similar fashion to how Inuit throat singers employ the human body in imitating natural soundscapes. These narrative properties of sound serve as a conceptual theme in his performance in order to create a dialogue with Inuit traditions currently under threat by global warming and Western technology.
Thursday June 23 8:30pm
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ARTIST TALK: Nimalan Yoganathan, Inukjuak Sound Map | 2011 | 60min
The Inukjuak Sound Map is an archival database of the recordings made for Soundscapes of Inukjuak. The sound map also includes soundwalks led and recorded by Inuit teenagers. The map has the potential to be used by environmental researchers to study how soundscapes are transformed by technological development and global warming.
Friday June 24 5pm
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Nimalan Yoganathan is a Montreal sound artist and musician who focuses on sculpting field recordings of bustling cities, desolate landscapes, and spiritual sites. He often attempts to mimic the timbral and rhythmic characteristics of such natural sounds using synthetic gestures. In a time when global communities are being plagued by noise pollution, he believes it is crucial to preserve and accentuate the subtle but musical sounds hidden all around us. Nimalan holds a B.Eng in Electrical Engineering and BFA in Electroacoutic Studies.
