interview with dallas simpson

the binaural in ear technique uniquely allows the listener access to my perception of sound. the listener is plugging in to my ears and has the artist's view of the performance, not the view of an observer, detached audience, or from the perspective of some kind of synthetic abstract sonic composition. the experience is intimate and direct, physical, yet also metaphoric and abstract, furthermore it relates directly to our experience of the external world. the abstract spiritual narrative contained in my work, once accessed, is available at all times through our own perception of, and involvement with, the natural sounsdcape. so I offer my work as an invitation to the listener to change their fundamental relationship with their environment. at the highest level of transcendence the world at large becomes a continual reminder of its sacred divine origins.

I currently have two pairs: Beyerdynamic DT 911, Sennheiser HD 570. the 911's are best, HD 570's are very good.

as a general point, in-ear "earphones" are best for first time listeners of binaural in respect of spatial definition. as you become more experienced in hearing directions and locations of binaurally recorded sound, open headphones will give a good result. closed headphones can slightly compromise the sensing of directions and locations of sound. headphones offer better overall sound quality.

centre front / rear reversal is a common perceptual error with binaural, which is why most of the "main subject" sounds in my work are "off centre" or moving.

I started with mono recording to open reel (indoors) in the 1960's and cassette (outdoors) in the 1970's. Around 1995 I started using stereo on location, then rapidly switched to binaural when I obtained my first Sony D7 DAT in 1995. the early experimental binaural recordings were a nightmare. I built my own mic inserts using sub miniature mic capsules from Maplin (a high street electronics store), fishing line micro filament connecting leads using helical wound enamel copper wire, and a "phantom" power supply providing 7V fully stabilised and filtered designed by myself. all my binaural recordings are done using in-ear mics.

I found that the Maplin mics needed to be "over run" to give a usable dynamic range with sufficient headroom, unfortunately this meant that the mic inserts only lasted a few hours before becoming crackly or failing entirely. many a good session was ruined by one mic going down. the other problem was getting good connections and cabling that would not transmit motion noise, or click or crackle. again many sessions were ruined by bad connections.

finally I came across DPA 4060 mics around 1997 and have been the ever since. the commercially available units are modified to my specifications by Ralph Dunlop of The Sound Network in London.

having worn out two Sony d7 dat's, I now record to a Tascam DA P1, or Sharp 702 mini disk, and for really serious work Nagra V at 24/96, when Nagra are good enough to lend ma a machine for a few days, thanks to ken fooks of Nagra UK.

it is interesting to note that both abha and waterpump were recorded using the Maplin prototype setup to Sony D7 DAT. the kindergarten suite was my first major work using DPA 4060's.

interesting question! I work alone. there is nobody else involved in the creative process. but I do work collaboratively occasionally (max eastley, ensemble 8, linda merrick, chris thorpe for instance) and I derive a lot of inspiration from other artists. there are some movements of the kindergarten suite that have been performed with children.

a key point here is "at what point is the work created?" does the "idea" constitute the work and the performance simply represents an attempt to realise the idea? I tend to work both from ideas and intuition in varying amounts depending on the time and place. many works are driven from meditations before the recording on deep subjects which may be spiritual or highly abstract in nature. this approach usually applies to familiar locations that I visit often. but I am also inspired by the opportunities that a particular location offers and part of the excitement is to go to a new location and perform with no preparation, rehearsal or pre-conceived ideas.

the kindergarten suite is a combination of both. it is a conceptual work, but also includes a "random event" which was not set up and "just happened" as I was performing. also it is important to realise that my ideas grow, develop and change with t:me, although I tend to explore within a particular field of ideas most of the time.

the planning is often quite abstract. frequently I work "intuitively" on location "dwelling in the microcosm of the moment". its only when I analyse the piece afterwards that its form and narrative as metaphor become apparent.

I was so excited at the results I was obtaining with the binaural recording that I felt sure the material could be released. so I went to the library and looked up record companies. t:me recording ltd. was listed and in Nottingham so I paid them a visit and played the bouncing ball sequence that was to become the end of abha.

the most important influence to me are the writings of the baha'i faith. I find them a continual source of spiritual and intellectual inspiration.

as for other intellectual influences, quantum mechanics has always interested me because the mathematics has evolved to deal with multi dimensional and non-local phenomena — in a sense abstract realities. the writings of Roger Penrose, Abner Shimony and John Gribbin are very illuminating in this respect.

there are many artists who I admire. In the '60's I enjoyed the blues of eric clapton and the sheer virtuoso magic of jimmy hendrix. pink floyd were exciting and granchester meadows is one of my favourites alongside several small species.... in the 90's it was a great privilege to meet max eastley. and helmut lemke. — two great sound artists, and I have also admired the work of scanner and celia green. I've recently come across an American — Aaron Ximm — the "quiet american", who does some magnificent binaural environmental sound art, mainly as pure observational recordings.

yes, I've already referred to the baha'i writings. this is really my major influence source.

no great preferences. there is something interesting everywhere if you are prepared to look and wait. I would love to have the time to go and do more recordings. sadly it dosen't pay the bills.

interesting point! from my point of view the works are a record of my personal perception and interaction with a particular place at a particular time. I invite the listener into my personal aural perception and intuitive improvisation through the use of the in-ear binaural recording method. of course how the listener responds to that experience depends upon the history of the listener.

the binaural technique is quite stunning in its ability to reproduce a pictorial representation of an external soundfield — a sense of "being there". but what "pictures" or other sensory illusions are invoked in the listener are outside of my control. I hope that the experience is powerful enough to allow the listener to experience a sense of the location, but I also hope that the "abstraction" of my performance, my communion with that sacred space, is suffient to enable the listener to transcend the confines of merely dwelling in a sound picture that represents a "real location". it is this transcendence which represents the entering of the listener into the sonic metaphor of abstract and spiritual narrative — which is the real purpose of my work.

consider only one aspect of the narrative of abha : the opening traffic movements describe the mathematical symbol π (Pi 3.14…). imagine the head of the listener relative to the flow of traffic — across the front and front-rear side passes — this actually describes the symbol pi, with the listener's head between the two vertical bars. π relates to the mathematical ratios contained within the circle — which is a two dimensional entity, yet at the end of the work we are presented with a symbolic sphere — a bouncing ball.

the result of the journey, therefore, must be viewed in the context of an increase in dimensionality — from circle to sphere, from two dimensional to three dimensional, from physical to spiritual...

this is a most sublime metaphor. the information on the media is unexpressed, silent, non-local until accessed by the energy of light. in the case of the Compact Disc (CD) the symbol of divine incarnation (light) is the intermediary in the accession and incarnation of all sonic potentiality as vibration, yet the actual revelation of light (the data stream) is of itself silent inaccessible and unknowable in the realm of sound.