Lawrence English
Encyclopedia
Lawrence English is a composer
, media artist and curator
living in Brisbane
, Australia. For over a decade he has been an increasingly active force in Australian sound art
and experimental music - both as a creator and curator.
, Crónica
, Baskaru, Winds Measure and numerous others.
His sound works move across a broad range of spheres from electronic based composition, through to evocative field recordings that seek to reveal those sound spaces largely ignored or inaudible. His Studies For Stradbroke edition for example drew out a variety of hydrophonic atmospheres from Stradbroke Island
- capturing sounds as delicate as sand grains in motion.
As a producer English has worked extensively to develop a unique perspective on the possibilities of deconstruction of expectation with song form - working for artists such as Tujiko Noriko
, Tenniscoats
and The Rational Academy
amongst others.
English cites childhood experiences birdwatching for reed warbler
with his father as a large influence on his work. He has stated, "If you just looked in the reeds you'd see nothing. If you listened you got an idea of space and a sense of where it might be, then you understood it. That's probably my first experience with these ideas of space and sound, which are basically the fundamental building blocks of what I've been interested in since then."
, kinetic
, public and structural artworks that are primarily concerned with a notions of incidental experience, site specificity and environment.
His conceptually driven sound art exhibitions Melatonin
- Meditations On Sound In Sleep (commissioned by the Next Wave Festival), On Isolation (commissioned by the University of Tasmania
), Incidental Amplifications (co-curated by Lloyd Barrett), Audible Geography (commissioned by the and Airport Symphony (commissioned by the Queensland Music Festival
)
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, media artist and curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
living in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia. For over a decade he has been an increasingly active force in Australian sound art
Sound art
Sound art is a diverse group of art practices that considers wide notions of sound, listening and hearing as its predominant focus. There are often distinct relationships forged between the visual and aural domains of art and perception by sound artists....
and experimental music - both as a creator and curator.
Sound works
His recorded work is widely published on a variety of respected labels including Touch MusicTouch Music
Touch is a British audio-visual organisation, operating the Touch label. It is the main arm of the London-based multimedia publishing company Touch, established in 1982...
, Crónica
Crónica Electrónica
Crónica is a media-label based in Porto, Portugal, Europe.The Crónica media-label project has its roots in an online and strictly digital operation known as cronicaelectronica.org...
, Baskaru, Winds Measure and numerous others.
His sound works move across a broad range of spheres from electronic based composition, through to evocative field recordings that seek to reveal those sound spaces largely ignored or inaudible. His Studies For Stradbroke edition for example drew out a variety of hydrophonic atmospheres from Stradbroke Island
Stradbroke Island
Stradbroke Island, also known as Minjerribah, was a large sand island that formed much of the eastern side of Moreton Bay near Brisbane, Queensland until the late 19th century...
- capturing sounds as delicate as sand grains in motion.
As a producer English has worked extensively to develop a unique perspective on the possibilities of deconstruction of expectation with song form - working for artists such as Tujiko Noriko
Tujiko Noriko
- Discography :*Keshou To Heitai AKA Makeup and Soldiers *Shojo Toshi AKA Girl City *I Forgot the Title *Hard Ni Sasete AKA Make Me Hard *From Tokyo to Naiagara...
, Tenniscoats
Tenniscoats
Tenniscoats is a Japanese band with two members, Saya & Takashi Ueno, but they often have guest musicians playing and performing with them...
and The Rational Academy
The Rational Academy
The Rational Academy are a 4 piece band based in Brisbane, Australia. After a slew of 7" vinyl EP's they released their debut album "A heart against your own" in 2008 to international acclaim...
amongst others.
English cites childhood experiences birdwatching for reed warbler
Reed Warbler
The Eurasian Reed Warbler, or just Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa....
with his father as a large influence on his work. He has stated, "If you just looked in the reeds you'd see nothing. If you listened you got an idea of space and a sense of where it might be, then you understood it. That's probably my first experience with these ideas of space and sound, which are basically the fundamental building blocks of what I've been interested in since then."
Selected discography
- 2001 – Map51F9 (IAG)
- 2002 – David ToopDavid ToopDavid Toop is an English musician and author, and as of 2001 was visiting Research Fellow in the Media School at London College of Communication. He was notably a member of The Flying Lizards. He was a prominent contributor to the British magazine The Face. He is a regular contributor to The Wire,...
, ScannerScannerScanner may refer to:* WikiScanner, a tool that provides a searchable database of anonymous Wikipedia edits* A personality type described by self-help author Barbara Sher-Technology:* Scanner , for searching for and receiving radio broadcasts...
, I/O3 – A Picturesque View, Ignored (room40) - 2003 – Object – Pandemic (Quatermass)
- 2004 – Ghost Towns (room40)
- 2004 – Overland (Naturestrip)
- 2004 – Transit (Cajid)
- 2005 – Limnology (Autumn)
- 2005 – Plateau with Ai Yamamoto (Phonostique)
- 2005 – Happiness Will Befall (CrónicaCrónica ElectrónicaCrónica is a media-label based in Porto, Portugal, Europe.The Crónica media-label project has its roots in an online and strictly digital operation known as cronicaelectronica.org...
) - 2005 – Blurred In My Mirror with Tujiko NorikoTujiko Noriko- Discography :*Keshou To Heitai AKA Makeup and Soldiers *Shojo Toshi AKA Girl City *I Forgot the Title *Hard Ni Sasete AKA Make Me Hard *From Tokyo to Naiagara...
(room40) - 2006 – Suikinkutsu (Autumn)
- 2006 – One Plus One with Philip Samartzis (room40)
- 2007 – For Varying Degrees Of Winter (Baskaru)
- 2007 – Object – Asobi (Sensory Projects)
- 2007 – Merola Shoulders with Domenico Sciajno (Phonostique)
- 2008 – Kiri No Oto (Touch)
- 2008 – Studies For Stradbroke (Winds Measure)
- 2008 – U with Tujiko Noriko and John Chantler (room40)
- 2008 – Euphonia with Tom HallTom Hall (artist)Tom Hall is a musician and multimedia artist located in Los Angeles, USA.Tom Hall's musical focus is characterized by field recordings with computer software processing and improvisation, which generates a large range of possible sounds including; melodic rhythms, grainy textures, and drone.Hall's...
(Baskaru) - 2008 – It's Up To Us To Live (Sirr)
- 2009 – HB with Francisco LópezFrancisco López (musician)Francisco López is an avant-garde experimental musician and sound artist.He has released a large amount of sound pieces with record labels from more than fifty countries and realized hundreds of concerts and sound installations worldwide; including some of the main international museums, galleries...
(Baskaru)
Artworks
Lawrence English has exhibited a variety of auditorySound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
, kinetic
Kinetic art
Kinetic art is art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect. The moving parts are generally powered by wind, a motor or the observer. Kinetic art encompasses a wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles.-Kinetic sculpture:...
, public and structural artworks that are primarily concerned with a notions of incidental experience, site specificity and environment.
- 2001 – Medi@ Terra, Frankfurt
- 2002 – Sound Spaces, Perth
- 2002 – Variable Resistance, San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art
- 2002 – Invisible Cities, Belfast FestivalBelfast Festival at Queen'sThe Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's is an annual arts festival held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The 49th Festival will take place from 14 to 31 October 2011.-History:...
At Queens - 2003 – Sounds Like, Performance Space, Sydney
- 2003 – Inna (as part of PrimeTwo at Queensland Art Gallery)
- 2004 – On Conflict And Agreement, Barcelona
- 2004 – SIGHT Site, Tokyo Japan
- 2004 – Isentropic Process, SOOB, Brisbane
- 2005 – Ghost Towns, Artspace, Auckland
- 2005 – Window Standpoint Series
- 2006 – Isentropic Process 1-100Hz, The Window, QPAC, Brisbane
- 2006 – Silence Listening, QSM, Brisbane
- 2006 – LEFRAUSNZNWSD1/2, Next Wave Festival, Melbourne
- 2007 – Re: Collections, State Library Of Queensland
- 2007 – Triumvirate, Old Museum Of Brisbane with Kim Demuth + Eluned Lloyd
- 2007 – Bathe, as part of Grey Water IMA with Toshiya Tsunoda
- 2008 – Trio For Objects (MSSR)
Curation
English curates the acclaimed labels Room40 and Someone Good, as well as an ongoing series of sound art and electronic music series including MONO, Fabrique, Syncretism and NineHoursNorth which are active across Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia.His conceptually driven sound art exhibitions Melatonin
Melatonin
Melatonin , also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes...
- Meditations On Sound In Sleep (commissioned by the Next Wave Festival), On Isolation (commissioned by the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
), Incidental Amplifications (co-curated by Lloyd Barrett), Audible Geography (commissioned by the and Airport Symphony (commissioned by the Queensland Music Festival
Queensland Music Festival
The Queensland Music Festival is a series of musical events staged in a number of locations in Queensland, Australia usually around late July, every second year. It is financially supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and a wide range of other partners...
)