We are excited to be working with Frontiers Festival this year and are looking foward to curating EARspace, and 8.1channel drop in listening space which will take place at HFWAS on 21 March, 2015.

We currently have a call for works to be included in the session (full details follow) and are particularly keen to programme student works.

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EARspace Call for works:

Deadline: midnight Wednesday 11 March 2015 

SOUNDkitchen are working with Frontiers Festival 2015 to present EARspace on 21 March 2015 at HFWAS in Digbeth, Birmingham (hfwas.co.uk). EARspace is an informal multichannel listening space consisting of an 8.1 loudspeaker system. EARspace will present a continuous programme of works for the duration of the event in the manner of a sound installation. There will be no fixed seating or a defined ‘front’ and the 8 speakers will be arranged in a circle or ellipse around the exterior of the listening space. Audience members will be free to enter and exit the space at will.

Frontiers Festival 2015 takes a close look at technology in contemporary music, and in particular at the intersection between electronics and acoustics. The development of audio technology, both analogue and digital, has resulted in the proliferation of music that expands the palette of sounds composers have at their disposal beyond conventional instruments to all manner of new sonic possibilities. We are seeking fixed media, experimental electronic sound works (acousmatic, sound art, soundscape, radiophonic, noise, etc.) that address either of the following themes:

  1. Work that references conceptually or sonically acoustic instruments.
  1. Work that references conceptually or sonically, specific items of audio technology that have influenced experimental electronic music production (e.g. analogue tape, microphone, vinyl, sampler, synthesizer, portable audio recorder, midi, digital tools, coding software, circuit bending etc.)

We can accept fixed media works of up to 8.1 channels. Works for quad, 5.1, 7.1 8 etc. configurations will be accommodated as closely as possible to the composer’s requested loudspeaker placement within the circular array. Stereo works may be diffused or duplicated across additional loudspeaker pairs.

Unfortunately we cannot accept work with any live elements.

In keeping with the aesthetics of Frontiers Festival, we are keen to encourage student submissions.

Submission Requirements

  • Audio files: Interleaved multichannel files preferred in .wav or .aiff 44.1khz 16bit or higher. Stereo version for review purposes – wav, aiff, or mp3.
  • Speaker placement: Indicate clearly your preferred arrangement of loudspeakers and assignment of tracks.
  • Duration: No restriction though preference may be given to works of 20 mins or less.
  • Text: Create a single pdf or plain text document that includes a short bio (c.100 words), short programme note including year of composition (c. 200 words max) and a short statement about how the work fits the themes of this call. This information may appear in a printed programme at the event or online on the Frontiers Festival and/or SOUNDkitchen website. Also include your full name, age, country of origin / residence, email address.
  • Image: You may include a jpeg of yourself, or representative of you or the work, for inclusion in online publicity.
  • Submission: Please place all files in a zipped folder labeled with your name and title of work and send via file transfer download link e.g. WeTransfer, Dropbox etc. email: submissions@soundkitchenuk.org

All work is submitted on the understanding that there is no performance fee available for programmed work. Should any money be raised from ticket sales this will go to SOUNDkitchen to cover event costs and support our ongoing work. SOUNDkitchen is a non-profit organisation.

All work submitted, whether programmed for this event or not, will remain in the SOUNDkitchen archive for consideration in future SOUNDkitchen events. Composers retain all rights to their work and will be contacted for permission before using their work in any way. Composers may request that their work be removed from this archive at any time.

All submissions will be acknowledged on receipt. Successful candidates will be notified by email week of 16 March 2015.