Sounds profound

>> Sonic artist Francisco Lopez offers another level of listening

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

He likes his CD packaging blank, devoid of what he calls "dissipative agents" that dilute the purity of the content--logos, photos, thank-yous and hi-moms--because he believes in "a transcendental conception of sound matter, in which its potential is not blurred or dissipated by mundane things such as meaning or purpose." But sound artist Francisco Lopez is no cloistered academic, folks, no matter how many big words he tosses around. In fact, he displays little fondness for traditional music schooling, and cites 15 years of biology fieldwork in the rainforests of Central America as his educational zenith.

"The complexity of the sound environments," says Lopez, "their natural richness, the unusual pace of the flow of sound events--all these features have influenced my way of understanding the creation of soundworks. I use dramatically slow changes, extreme level dynamics (from the limits of hearing perception to the threshold of pain), an intense focus on broad-band sounds and their complexity--all the things you found in the sonic reality of nature."

Add to that the strobophonic effect of back-and-forthing between the lush jungles of Costa Rica and the concrete jungle of New York, and one begins to understand why Lopez regards sound as an abstract. "The result of my travels is not an aesthetic of 'globalization' or an everything-goes wild mix, but rather the opposite: a deep appreciation of the details, nuances and qualities of the sonic flow in the world."

Lopez has found his way to Montreal's Darling Foundry and the Silophone, the disused storage space that like-minded locals [The User] have converted into a vast sound filter. Lopez is the latest of many artists, working both at the space and through remote transmission, to use its natural echo to recontextualize tones and textures. Previous projects Lopez has worked on include explorations of architectural acoustics in New York and Berlin, so the Silophone gig is, in his words, "a very natural and straightforward collaboration."

To get the most out of Lopez's material requires the ability of "profound listening." An idea that's bound to inspire trepidation, but one Lopez insists requires no special skill, training or fancy diplomas. Simply put, if you got it, you got it. "I had never had the need or the intention to coerce anyone. Those who have innate sensibility for deep appreciation, even without any prior exposure to such sound material, get easily involved in the experience and find their own way in that territory. My experience with a wide variety of audiences (from Cuba to Japan) has shown me this very vividly. Of course, personal experience and discipline can increase the potential and unfold new possibilities, but the essence of the attitude cannot be taught or imposed. In other words, I don't believe in endeavours such as proselityzing, marketing or teaching." :

With I8U, Martin Tetrault and visuals by Guylaine Bedard at the Darling Foundry (257 Prince) on Saturday, Oct. 7, 9pm, $10