Dark Sound
A dark book with a black CD. Published by Gruenrekorder.
The book contains Ecopolitik, an introduction as an epilogue by José Luis Espejo, a letter to the Huaorani people, two research texts and one bertso, descriptive texts and photos of recordings, a possible chronology, a glossary, a compilation of several texts with testimonies, reports and declarations from different people, groups, institutions, and publications in reference to the impact—direct or indirect—of the noise from the oil industry during its various phases of development on the people, the environment and the fauna.
176 pages, dark paper, black ink, hardback. Languages: Huao, Basque, Spanish and English. Note: Partially legible. Sunlight reading recommended. 34 recordings in one track in a black polycarbonate CD. Final editing, mastering and carbon print from Ireland by Slavek Kwi.
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The price of this book is set by the crude oil Brent price (LCO), script by Daniel Knef. By buying this book you are contributing to the destruction of the planet.
Available to download → Monoskop.
Dark Sound Reader → download pdf (In Spanish)
Public presentations (Concerts, lectures and exhibitions)
Dark Bilbao – exhibited at the collective exhibition “Music in the Basque Country 1968-2018” (download pdf) in The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, Bilbao (Spain) (2018 – 2019)
Dark Mannheim – a quadraphonic concert organized by Elektrosmog & curated by Gruenrekorder at Hafenkirche, Mannheim (Germany) (2018)
Dark Cologne – a quadraphonic concert during “3 Positionen Gruenrekorder” event at Loft, Köln (Germany) (2018)
Dark Zaragoza (“Requiem for the presence“) at La Casa Amarilla Book store & Art Gallery, Zaragoza (Spain) (2018)
Dark Madrid, exhibited at the collective exhibition “Charivaria” in CentroCentro, Madrid (Spain) (2017)
Dark Barcelona, a lecture in Secotropico Festival, Barcelona (Spain) (2017)
Dark Barcelona, exhibited during the “(IN)VISIBLES” collective exhibition organized by SECO Festival, Barcelona (Spain) (2017)
Dark Berlin, a concert for 4 voices as a lecture at Cervantes Institute, Berlin (Germany) (2017)
Dark Frankfurt, a concert (as loud as possible) at Frankfurt am Main (Germany) (2017)
Exhibited at “The public is not listening at all” collective exhibition at La Central book shop in Madrid (2016)
Dark Radio, an interview at El Tramoyista Verde, Casares Irratia, Donostia (Spain) (2016)
Dark Irún, an audition at Sakona Coffee Roasters, circular building, in collaboration with Bitamine, Irún (Spain) (2016)
Dark Oxford, exhibited at The politics of Ambience, curated by Sam Kidel. An event run with the Sonic Art Research Unit at Oxford Brookes University (U.K.) (2016)
Reviews
“Dark Sound brings the reader to the problem of so-called Ecopolitik in that region of the world.” – Review # 01 by Łukasz Komła
“An excellent political statement.” – Review # 02 by Frans de Waard
“The book is a pain to read. (…) To listen to the composition is to realize that noise can be murder.” – Review # 03 by Richard Allen
“All the meanings are destroyed.” – Review # 04 por Patricia Arredondo
“The unreadable word as statement? In the great scheme of things, everything we write is eventually erased.” – Review # 05 by Stephen Fruitman
“Distinguished dark a philosophy of living hearing and the deadly silence.” – Review # 06 by Bad Alchemy
“The book provides a significant overview to the political history and issues encountered as a result of the colonisation, and pacification of the indigenous people.” – Review # 07 by Matt Parker
“Dark Sound is rather Borges-ian in its content.” – Review # 08 by Textura
“Et c’est d’autant appréciable qu’ici la basse-cour est pleine et que cette réserve de bruits mécanico-futuristes.” – Review # 09 by le son du grisli
“The project is a parabolic reflection of its subject matter, the redacted and silenced voices of the oppressed.” – The Year’s Best Packaging by A Closer Listen (2016)
“Dark Sound tells a story that few want to hear, but that all need to hear: a story of a culture obliterated by greed and “progress.” – Top Ten Field Recording & Soundscape by A Closer Listen (2016)
“Mikel R. Nieto’s “Dark Sound” truly has love for its surroundings” – Review # 10 by Beach Sloth (2017)
“The pervasive “black”, eventually, doesn’t hide anymore, but becomes the mandatory colour to engage with, in order to learn and understand what has been hidden, but must now be revealed.” – Review # 11 by Neural (2017)
Field Recording Series by Gruenrekorder
Gruen 167 / 2016 / Germany
LC 09488 / EAN 4050486956762
ISBN 978-3-00-052370-0 / SS230-2016
This publication has been possible thanks to the support of the Basque Government as part of its programme of grants for the encouragement and development of plastic and visual arts, in the publications category (2015).
Anti-copyright. Except © from the authors.