Book 'In The Field' Explores Contemporary Field Recording Through 18 Artist Interviews

The book 'In The Field' presents a collection of eighteen interviews with global sound artists, providing an extensive oral exploration of contemporary field recording techniques. Edited by Cathy Lane and Angus Carlyle, who lead London's Creative Research in Sound Arts Practice (CRiSAP), it includes renowned artists such as Hildegard Westerkamp from Germany and New Zealander Annea Lockwood, alongside emerging talents like Hiroki Sasajima, a micro-sound artist from Japan. Utilizing a structured interview format with predetermined questions, Lane and Carlyle delve into familiar themes like the indexical nature of recordings and the recordist's role within soundscapes, uncovering a rich variety of perspectives. Distinct differences arise, particularly between Andrea Polli's software-driven techniques and Steve Feld's traditional anthropological methods. Despite the rising prominence of sound art through figures like Susan Philipsz and Carsten Nicolai, field recording still remains largely underappreciated, even as it offers profound insights into the demands for stillness and attentive listening in our fast-paced culture. This discipline persists as a diverse global practice, influenced by each artist's individual interactions with their environments.