Strange as that post title may sound, that is exactly what Erland Cooper has done with his new recording Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence.
All the digital files of his new album have been permanently deleted and the sole recording on ¼ inch magnetic tape has been buried (planted) in his childhood home, Orkney – planted to grow and be nurtured or “recomposed” by the earth, before being exhumed and released in three years’ time.
For those wondering what effect this may have on the tape, it doesn’t take that long for some form of physical deterioration to take place. Experimental artist Alexandra Spence has done this with field recordings for just three months, never mind three years. Things like temperature, the magnetism of the earth, moisture, scratches from dirt and earth affect the tape. “…the sand and dirt is embedded and etched into the tape too and thus affects the sound of the audio recording.” As Cooper explains below, “any alterations to the sound and music [when it comes out of the earth] will be reincorporated into the pages of a new score and live performance, as orchestral articulations.”
The album is Cooper’s first for contemporary, electronic & classical label Mercury KX / Decca and is a new composition written and recorded for solo violin and string ensemble. Over three movements it celebrates George Mackay Brown on his Centenary, 2021 marks 100 years since the Orcadian poet’s birth.
Watch Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence embark on its magical journey below:
“Music can so often feel undervalued and for some, being unable to perform live has at times felt like being buried. When an idea forms there is often an urge to share it as quickly as it develops but like spotting a bird, I want to let this fly and land in its own place and time. The work is one part remembrance and one part celebration of a landmark time.” – Erland Cooper
A testament to Erland’s repertoire and in an unprecedented move, execs at Mercury KX / Decca have signed the album without having heard a single note. Fans will wait for three years to enjoy it, recorded at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with the internationally acclaimed violin soloist Daniel Pioro (who was most recently performing with the BBC Philharmonic) and Studio Collective, a specially selected RCS chamber string group. The composition was then mixed by Marta Salogni (Björk, Anna Meredith, Daniel Avery) and mastered onto ¼ inch magnetic tape before the digital file was permanently deleted.
The tape was then planted – along with a violin and a full printed score – in an intimate ceremony on the Orkney Islands on 26 May 2020.
Erland explains, “The material on the tape may erode naturally, disintegrate and create drops of silence or the peaty soil may preserve it perfectly well. It may or may not get better with age. I may or may not fall out of favour with my composition. Any alterations to the sound and music [when it comes out of the earth] will be reincorporated into the pages of a new score and live performance, as orchestral articulations.”
“This is an unprecedented event. In an era of breathless instant gratification, there’s something incredibly romantic and powerful about the idea of us ALL having to wait three years to listen to Erland’s recordings. And, it is going to be fascinating to see how it fares in the ground. It’ll be a very nerve-wracking moment when we unearth the tape and press play.” – Tom Lewis & Laura Monks Co-MD’s Decca Records/ Mercury KX
Whilst Erland will not be unearthing the tape until 2024, he has left a trail for anyone to search and find it if they wish. A map with clues to the location of the planting site will be released via his digital platforms. If the planted tape is found, Erland will invite the discoverer to his studio to embark on a journey together for the treasured first listen. It will then be released exactly as it sounds from the earth.
The three-year pre-order for Carve the Runes Then Be Content With Silence is live HERE
For the latest updates, clues and news on the project as it unfolds ahead of release, sign up HERE
ERLAND COOPER – 2021 LIVE DATES
2 July – Timber Festival, Feanedock
15 Aug – Edinburgh International Festival
9 Sep – Belfast, First Presbyterian Church*
26 Sep – Stroud, St Laurence’s Church
12 Oct – Bristol, St George’s**
13 Oct – Birmingham, St Paul’s Church**
14 Oct – Manchester, Hallé St Peter’s**
16 Oct – Brighton, St George’s Church**
17 Oct – Canterbury, Gulbenkian Theatre**
*with Paddy Mulcahy
**with Hinako Omori
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Photo Credit: Samuel Davies