Through the gates of Croatia and back: Listening walks in East Slavonia

Abstract

Abstract The article ‘Through the gates of Croatia and back: Listening walks in East Slavonia’ provides a deep connection between the artistic and technical sides of acoustic art. Through the acoustic environment of Vinkovci in Croatia, my place of birth, which I left in 1991, I discovered an inner world that has been reflected in my composition. My journey was guided by the concepts of psychogeography and listening walks. It also brought me to the understanding of the fine line between field recording (the material) and soundscape composition (the form). The term ‘soundscape’ pertains to the acoustic envelope we are living in. It implies that the sounds of rooms, places and landscapes can be considered as representative elements and signs. It is the expression of the material, cultural and social consistence of our presence. The soundscape composition deals with the perception of the acoustic environment through sound transformations. To find associations between dreams, memories and experiences is the intention of many soundscape composers. Barry Truax explained these principles very clearly by using a module that contains the psychological, social and physical levels. By listening to samples of the composition in stereo version, the audience will experience the soundscape of Vinkovci through Truax’s module. It will prove the necessity of environmental listening, in order to discover and to understand the acoustic identity defined by R. Murray Schafer and his terms like keynotes, soundsignals, soundmarks, Lo-Fi and Hi-Fi. Another purpose of the article is to discuss how the object-based system changes and opens new possibilities in acoustic composing and design. The aim is to place the sounds in the acoustic space in order to build an individual soundscape, to make the sound tangible and to make the acoustic space an immersive and deconstructive experience for the listener: an artist’s dream over centuries.