Cassette
Music to Watch Seeds Grow By continues its series of plant-inspired soundscapes with new work from Pittsburgh-based sound artist Davis Galvin. This composition focuses on the Delphinium Elatum, capturing the quiet drama of this striking perennial through carefully constructed ambient textures.
Where their previous work explored the complex electronic territories of the outer technoid reaches, here Galvin turns their attention to the subtle processes of plant growth. The piece unfolds gradually, much like the Delphinium's own journey from seed to flowering plant. Gentle drones and atmospheric elements mirror the plant's various growth stages, from its initial emergence to its ascent to heights of up to two metres. You heard it here first.
The music creates an environment for contemplation, designed specifically for the moments of sowing and tending to these magnificent plants. Galvin's approach, as with all things they turn their ear to, emphasises patience and attention to detail, qualities essential to both gardening and deep listening.
As a composer whose work has been described as "labyrinthine," "ASMR-like," and "blissful," Galvin brings their extensive background in improvisation and meticulously sculpted studio work alongside producing Sweet Abyss, a monthly event series for trans electronics.
Davis Galvin on the release -
"Just off to the side in your space, Prism may seem an unusual object. No one can seem to agree - a perfumer told me it gives an odor that’s slightly sweet, yet spicy (somewhere between carrot seed and apricot). A close friend insisted they prefer it rotated 90 degrees this way, while an entirely different group prefers reading it from the inside out. Yes they are annoying, but they are no less correct. Out of the corner of my eye it seems to multiply, and yet the more I look at it the less it’s there. I first found Prism’s scoby-mother amongst some Delphiniums in the spring of ‘22, so you understand their inclusion here. Specifically the petals of Delphinium Elatum were key to unlocking some of the heart of the composition. Of course I tried others, but to disastrous effect. The order in which the components of Prism are presented to you now is what I believe to be the least dangerous way of encountering it. Presented in this way it is impossible to stare directly into its unblinking eyes, in this way they are only ever on you when your back is turned.
Prism’s didactic purpose continues to slowly become clear since initial discovery began: what happens on the furthest hill you can see, how will you remember the textures of these new fabrics on your new body, can we push it further further further?"
