Matthew Wright’s Cold Highlife
For his second release on Ensemble Klang Records (EKR08), Matthew Wright brings together three works, geographically distinct, each hewn from a bold sonic palette of colliding forces: “The bright energy of Ghanaian Highlife music is dragged into a slowly melting Arctic soundscape. Flickering clouds of harpsichord become a distorted haze. Pulses in disagreement create a crackling rhythmic sculpture.”
Here he gathers photographs and texts relating to the three works.
Malmo, Sweden (Nov 2014)
Cold Highlife
a huge, bright white expanse
frozen surface as far as the ear can hear
beneath the surface: icicles of once warm music
a sudden commitment to survival
a climb
a view
melting
Mexico City (May 2015)
Fast Gold Butterflies
made of shimmering wings
distortion becomes clarity
ears reading between lines
pressure becomes release
diagonal listening
a cloud of flickering gold
Sydney, Australia (Dec 2012)
Totem for Sydney
Kurrajong
Cattai
Boorooberongal
Bidjigal
Toogagal
Gomerrigal
Cannemegal
Mulgoa
Bool-Bain-Ora
Cabrogal
Muringong
Carigal
Cannalgal
Borogegal
Kayimai
Terramerragal
Cammeraigal
Gorualgal
Birrabirragal
Cadigal
Burramattagal
Wallumattagal
Wangal
Muru-Ora-Dial
Kameygal
Bediagal
Gweagal
Tagary
Norongerragal
All texts and photos by Matthew Wright, apart from the text for Totem for Sydney, which is based on a map by J Goodrum in Mulvaney, D J and White, Peter, 1987, Australians to 1788, Fairfax, Syme & Weldon, Sydney, p. 345 and sourced at http://www.sydneybarani.com.au/sites/aboriginal-people-and-place/