TRANSMISSION ART ARCHIVE

St Columb Major – transmission received

2017
Mark Vernon

Writes Vernon, “St Columb Major – transmission received is composed entirely from a 20-minute shortwave radio scan recorded in the village of St. Columb Major in Cornwall, England at 1 p.m. on the September 16, 2011. The radio was a 1970’s Grundig Yachtboy 210, which for an old wireless has quite an amazing bass response. Even so, you can hear the speaker rattle during some of the low frequency pulses. During the recording the microphone was moved around in front of the speaker to create a more dynamic stereo effect. The most unusual and otherworldly sound incidents were picked out, processed and layered over an 8-minute section of the scan. The piece resolves with an abrupt switch back to banal FM radio, rudely snapping the listener out of their reverie.”