I n t e r a k t i o n s - L a b o r

 

Sandy Finlayson

(Great Britain)

(Sandy during rehearsals for Ukiyo, with Helenna Ren, left)

 

My work spans a wide range of interests, from live electronic performance with musicians and dancers, to installation projects and the construction of Electronic Dance Music tracks and mixes. For the last few years I've been exploring all of these interests in parallel, with ideas often feeding between them allowing each discipline to inform the others. I've always placed a high value on collaboration as I think it presents ideas in a way which might not occur individually. When engaging in a new project the primary challenge I seek is the opportunity to explore something that is new to me, both in the processes used and the ideas discussed. The beauty of art is that there is always something new to think about. Alongside these projects I have been teaching various aspects of music creation, which gives me a greatly improved perspective on my own work.

In terms of my personal aesthetic, what appeals to me most is work that captures a very specific atmosphere as clearly as possible. I like my work to be absorbing without the need for programme notes or any prior explanation (though if people wish to find out more they are always welcome), and so whilst these projects usually explore certain concepts, I would not say they are conceptual per-se, more experiential leaving the audience to extract their own meaning.

My recent projects are summarised below.

website: www.sandyfinlayson.com

 

PROJECTS

Beyond April 2011 – June 2011 (Collaboration with Anne-Laure Misme and Jennifer McColl).
Presented at Brunel University 9th June 2010. An exploration of the relationship between inner and
outer space, and what happens when these bleed together. The video created by Misme was
projected on 6 semi-transparent screens hanging sequentially creating a multi-layered version of the
original footage. My sonic piece was played through a 4.1 system to create an completely
surrounding experience.

Meta-p(F)ace March 2011 – April 2011(Collaboration with Yiorgos Bakalos and Stevan Lung).
An installation-performance presented at the Beton7 Gallery in Athens, Greece. This work
combines sound, video and live performance. The piece explores the difficult task of reconciling
your private thoughts and space with what must be faced in the outside world. Live video feeds take
from cameras attached to Bakalos' hands give the audience an almost voyeuristic perspective on his
choreography, with their invasion of his personal space eventually reflected back upon them.

Thirty-One Point Ten December 2010 – January 2011(Collaboration with Anne-Laure Misme
and Jennifer McColl). An installation presented at Brunel University 15th December, 2010 and The
Centre For Creative Collaboration 28th January, 2010. The piece combines video, sound & 3D
objects based around a poem written by Misme. The interaction between different media creates
rhythm and pattern within a space which is left open for the audience to explore and find their own
perspective on the piece.

Ukiyo 2 & 3 (DAP Lab) May 2010 – November 2010. Ukiyo 2 was presented at Kibla in
Maribor, Slovenia on June 18th, 2010, and at the Lilian Baylis Studio, Saddler's Wells on 26th
November 2010, London on (date). A research and production project in collaboration with Keio
University, Japan exploring combinations of disciplines within performance. Employed as sound
designer and musician, working with digitally constructed live electronic sounds, with a remit to
realise the ideas of the performers in a technological context.

Sonority May 2009 – Present. Sonority is the brainchild of composer and guitarist Rich Perks.
Having put together an ensemble consisting of guitar/piano, drums and two laptops (plus
occasionally clarinet/saxophone), Rich has crafted a series of unique compositions that play to the
strengths of the instruments involved. Having played with the group for the last couple of years has
been a fascinating exploration into how to use live electronics in an ensemble environment.

Duskky April 2008 – Present. Duskky is a solo project under which I release music focussed on
the UK Electronic Dance Music scene. Over the last few years I've had several releases with various
labels, have played all over the UK and have been flown out to Germany and the USA. I've
organised EDM events around London with the Mothers Against Noise collective, of which I am a
founding member, and have spent the last few months working as a mastering engineer for the
fledgling record label Broken Bubble.