“Wunderkammern or ‘cabinets of curiosities,’ of the 16th and 17th centuries, were fabulous collections of objects brought together, ordered and displayed to inspire curiosity and wonder. They might include religious relics, stuffed birds and animals, shells, artefacts from distant and ancient cultures, mineral and plant specimens, paintings and drawings. In fact, almost anything. As a small boy, the ‘cabinet of curiosity’ that intrigued me was the large, tabletop radio in our kitchen, with its ‘magic-eye’ tuning indicator and its exotic world of sounds veiled in hiss and crackle. Language, music and noise combined as I spun the dial. Assembled here are some of the sounds I have collected, ordered and displayed in subsequent years.
Alistair MacDonald is a composer, performer and sound artist. His work draws on a wide range of influences reflecting his interest in improvisation, transformation of sound, and space. Many of his works are made in collaboration with other artists from a range of media, and explore a range of contexts beyond the concert hall, often using interactive technology. He has a longstanding live electroacoustic improvising duo with Scottish harp player Catriona McKay, and another with singer Anne-Liis Poll.