Location
The River (Impulsive Habitat, 2012) Impulsive HabitatWater Recordings III (Just Not Nornal, 2011) Just Not NormalWater Recordings II (Electronic Musik, 2009) Electronic MusikWatermill EP (Bypass Label, 2009) Bypass labelWater Recordings (Bypass Label, 2008) Bypass Label---This is the first edition of a large soundwork that I intend to build on the river Alvoco. This river, a distance of 37km, is born in Serra da Estrela (the highest point in Portugal) and flows into Ponte das 3 Entradas (a bridge with 3 entries), where it joins river Alva, following thence to the mouth, the river Mondego (Coimbra ). The first part of this project, presented here, gives special attention to water in its various dynamic sounds. Drawing on field recording, I visited various parts of the river course and registered their environments. What is reflected here is only a certain sonic identity that this river behaves. Many more exist and are sound reasons for further work. This is a rural area, also characterized by having different flow along its route, which further strengthens the existence of various types of sound. It is this diversity that I tried to capture in this first volume. The river Alvoco acts as a postcard from the whole area, but the professions that it is exercised (millers, kingfisher …) is long gone, leaving now only the pleasure of fishing and the fun of bathing in hot summer months . Water, that is eternal and, to paraphrase Murray Schafer, “never dies.”Luís Antero / September 2011