Spindlesong

This 8-channel work is inspired by the Industrial Revolution, and more specifically the textiles industry, which saw massive expansion in the Manchester area in the 19th Century. The energy and kinetic movements inherent in this industry are explored through various techniques of spatialisation. Thanks are due to the National Trust for allowing me to record at Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, close to Manchester. Most of the sound material used for the work is sourced from this site - from the river which powers the water wheel, to the working spinning machines, the demonstrations of hand-spinning, to the steam engines. The sounds are presented as both unprocessed and abstracted forms which take the listener on a journey into the innermost workings of the machinery itself. This work was composed during a residency at the Institute of Electroacoustic Music in Sweden (EMS), Stockholm, funded by the Scottish International Education Trust and the Holst Foundation.