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Lawrence English has announced a new album titled Even the Horizon Knows Its Bounds, scheduled for release on January 31 through his label Room 40. A snippet from the album is available today for preview. Listen below.
“Place is a dynamic, personal experience of space,” English expressed in a statement. “Spaces have the potential for place, which we construct moment by moment, influenced by our ways of perception. While the structural and material aspects of space may remain relatively constant, the individuals, objects, atmospheres, and encounters that fill them continuously blend into memory.”
Introducing the album, the artist added:
I like to believe that sound lingers in architecture.
It’s one of the truly enchanting interactions enabled by the intangibility of sound. This concept has fascinated us since ancient times. It’s easy to envision the excitement of our ancestors communicating in the dark, cathedral-like caves that held wonder and security for them.
Today, the ways in which sound occupies space, known as liquid architecture, still holds wonder, albeit often dictated by function and form. Beyond those limitations, however, the way sound functions in the physical world is fundamental to our understanding of music and the broader spectrum of sound arts.
Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds is a project that stems from these relationships. In a direct sense, the album was inspired by an invitation from curator Jonathan Wilson to create a sonic environment reflecting on the Naala Badu building at the Art Gallery Of NSW. The building’s name, meaning ‘seeing water’ in the Gadigal language, was inaugurated in 2022, and this piece was presented as an atmospheric backdrop for visitors walking through the building in the year following its opening.
It is also a project born out of an appreciation for the permeability that sound offers, particularly as a tool for collaborative efforts. This composition is a result of generosity and acoustic unity. Even The Horizon Knows Its Bounds features not only my contributions but also those of an impressive lineup of artists who have been part of the Art Gallery Of NSW’s environment. The collaborators include Amby Downs, Chris Abrahams, Chuck Johnson, Claire Rousay, Dean Hurley, Jim O’Rourke, JW Paton, Madeleine Cocolas, Norman Westberg, Stephen Vitiello, and Vanessa Tomlinson.
The piece was developed around two extended sound motifs to which each musician responded and contributed. These elements were then woven together to create the final piece you hear. This work would not exist without the significant contributions made by these artists, and I am immensely grateful to each of them.
Even the Horizon Knows Its Bounds Cover Artwork:
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