In Memoriam – installation by JG Thirlwell at Tingstäde Fästning

As part of the EMS 60th anniversary celebrations, EMS together with Tingstäde Fortress, Tingstäde local heritage society and the Visby International Composers’ Centre VICC are organising a sound installation by JG Thirlwell in Tingstäde Fortress during the summer months.

JG Thirlwell is a composer/producer/performer based in Brooklyn, NY. Born in Melbourne, he moved to London in 1978, then relocated to NYC in 1983, where he has been based ever since. As well as his own name, he works under many pseudonyms including Manorexia, Foetus, Xordox, Steroid Maximus, Baby Zizanie, Hydroze Plus, Clint Ruin and Wiseblood.

“The sound installation is in a foxhole which serves a military purpose. Reading up about Gotland I found there had been quite a strong military presence. I discovered that from the late 1940s, most of the northern part of Gotland became a heavily fortified, military only zone, a status that was only rescinded in the early 1990s.
The foxhole faces water and begs contemplation. I considered the servicemen and women who were the foxhole’s original occupants and the amount of time they must have spent on sentry. They may have felt boredom, with an underlying tension, given their task.

I decided to take a recording of the Swedish National Anthem and stretch it to 30 times slower than the original. I used that as an audio source and then processed it through 48 separate plug in settings, including filters, EQ, distortion and modulation. These channels are used solo and in combination. Some of the audio is distressed and sometimes it is clean. Occasionally I added some subtle bass drone, reinforcing certain parts.

It is a meditative durational piece which is very effective when experienced in a semi-somnambulistic state. It’s about 47 minutes long and should be looped.
I think it should work very well in the location, and I would hope that some visitors will spend some time with it, and allow it to unfold.”

JG Thirwell