05: The Sound Of An Alien Invasion

The Sound Of An Alien Invasion was made with the following sound:

Also, this is a set of recordings I made in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago that I love – it’s an accidental aeolian harp that was made out of some fishing line that was strung up on a dock. It was super windy and it was making a completely amazing noise! I was so excited by it, and I still love listening to it. 

Yann Seznec (with Kristina Seznec)

Track named by Kristina Seznec. Produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!

06: Ladybird Laughter

Listen out for these sounds in Ladybird Laughter:

The sound of the Kookaburra makes me happy because it sounds like a monkey laughing, an insane sound for a wee bird to make really. I didn’t really know much about the before we came (and I still don’t) but I love their jaunty squat tuftiness, and the fact that for being such an wild bird icon they are very ubiqitous and bring a feeling of being amongst nature into the hart of urban environments.

Sam Evans

thinking of your loch made me think of the nature reserve out by the airport. It reminded me of some recordings I got there over spring. One attached. Maybe a good fit for the Positive Interactions EP? A dawn chorus and a hum of a train coming along the tracks just behind. 

Su Shaw

Here’s a field recording I made in Berry’s Den in Newport-On-Tay a few years ago. I used to cycle over there a lot when I lived in Dundee and it’s a place that holds a lot of happy memories for me. I would generally go after work and spend an hour and a half or so wandering around just soaking up the greenery and the sounds of nature then hop back on my bike to go home for tea, feeling very zen indeed! 

I still miss living in Scotland and memories of those peaceful evenings always make me happy when I recall them. 

Raz Ullah

Also, this is a set of recordings I made in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago that I love – it’s an accidental aeolian harp that was made out of some fishing line that was strung up on a dock. It was super windy and it was making a completely amazing noise! I was so excited by it, and I still love listening to it. 

Yann Seznec (with Kristina Seznec)

I’m so delighted that you’re managing to continue being creative despite the challenges all around just now. I haven’t played or sang anything properly in months now and am finding it very difficult not being able to play with anyone, it will come.  
As for recording those happy sounds, I finally sorted out my wee Zoom mic and whilst clearing the micro SD to make way for some really profound ambient nature/cooking noises, I found these recordings of the boys when they were wee. Utter joy to my heart.  I might still send you some other stuff just for fun but these recordings of kids exploring what it means to record sound, to listen to themselves discussing nonsense, playing with song and word and foley, brings such a smile to my face and of course, being their parent, a wee tear to ma een.  
Ruben’s song was recorded up at Dunsapie Loch at Arthur’s Seat and we’d cycled up there to play with sound recordings. He was laying on his belly next to the water and the reeds, brushing the mic against the grass and running around for effect. I’d forgotten all about that day until I listened to the recording. Sound, music and memory.  
Thanks for inviting me to send something. Will be taking the Zoom out for a spin again soon! 

Clarissa Cheong

Track named by Ruben Cheong Bee and Samuel Cheong Bee.
Written and produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!

07: Cheery Chirps

Listen out for these sounds in Cheery Chirps:

This is an idea I’ve been messing around with since you first asked, just noodling when I’m playing with the girls. So I recorded as a live session, one take with a mic in the room. I added a recording of the girls under it just to emulate how I’ve been working at it and to reflect how my days are spent playing with them. It was really fun to do, thanks.

Michael Lewis

The sound of the Kookaburra makes me happy because it sounds like a monkey laughing, an insane sound for a wee bird to make really. I didn’t really know much about the before we came (and I still don’t) but I love their jaunty squat tuftiness, and the fact that for being such an wild bird icon they are very ubiqitous and bring a feeling of being amongst nature into the hart of urban environments.

Sam Evans

It is ‘opening my studio door’ after I haven’t been able to be there for two months.

Roel Knappstein

Also, this is a set of recordings I made in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago that I love – it’s an accidental aeolian harp that was made out of some fishing line that was strung up on a dock. It was super windy and it was making a completely amazing noise! I was so excited by it, and I still love listening to it. 

Yann Seznec (with Kristina Seznec)

I am fortunate to live close to nature and forests in particular. A 4 hour drive takes me to the amazingly lush BR hills forest range with tigers, elephants, bears and a super rich bio diverse ecosystem. Being in the forest makes me incredibly happy each time. I could stay with the sights and sounds forever. I had to share this piece of heaven with you.

Babitha George

Track named by Ruben Cheong Bee and Samuel Cheong Bee.
Written and produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!

08: Maybe Underwater / Soccer, Snowman, Snowman, Snowman

Listen out for these sounds in Maybe Underwater / Soccer, Snowman, Snowman, Snowman:

… for some variation I’ve included a stem of backwards electric guitar that never quite made the Fugitive Light and Themes of Consolation cut.

Andrew Wasylyk

This is an idea I’ve been messing around with since you first asked, just noodling when I’m playing with the girls. So I recorded as a live session, one take with a mic in the room. I added a recording of the girls under it just to emulate how I’ve been working at it and to reflect how my days are spent playing with them. It was really fun to do, thanks.

Michael Lewis

I hope your Wednesday has been going well.

I have just been working on some music for your project.

Firstly a slightly boring computer related story

A few weeks my 2014 MacBook Pro stopped working / I took it over to Apple and they helped the poor old thing out.
They installed a new operating system but with no garage band which I normally use for music.

I think if I had installed a new version it would have melted it.

I was going to send over some music I had made in the summertime.

Anyway today I was feeling the vibes of some kind and decided to make some improvised music.

So this afternoon recording on my iPad using Voice Memo / I made 4 pieces of music/sound for you.

These pieces were made with:

Acoustic Guitar
Microphone
Casio SK-1 Keyboard
Thunder Tube
Toy Saxophone
Loop Station
Synthesizer Bass Pedal

Recorded live in downtown Dunfermline on Wednesday afternoon.

I hope you can access the sound files / and that you can use them in someway for the project?

Marcus Oakley

Sampled from recordings sent to me by Gavin Sutherland (Other Lands)

It is ‘opening my studio door’ after I haven’t been able to be there for two months.

Roel Knappstein

I like door squeaks very much, I find them hilarious and poignant and lovely.

Yann Seznec

Also, this is a set of recordings I made in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago that I love – it’s an accidental aeolian harp that was made out of some fishing line that was strung up on a dock. It was super windy and it was making a completely amazing noise! I was so excited by it, and I still love listening to it. 

Yann Seznec (with Kristina Seznec)

This is a recording that Samuel Cheong Bee made. His mum Clarissa explains…

As for recording those happy sounds, I finally sorted out my wee Zoom mic and whilst clearing the micro SD to make way for some really profound ambient nature/cooking noises, I found these recordings of the boys when they were wee.  Utter joy to my heart.  I might still send you some other stuff just for fun but these recordings of kids exploring what it means to record sound, to listen to themselves discussing nonsense, playing with song and word and foley, brings such a smile to my face and of course, being their parent, a wee tear to ma een.  

Ruben’s song was recorded up at Dunsapie Loch at Arthur’s Seat and we’d cycled up there to play with sound recordings.  He was laying on his belly next to the water and the reeds, brushing the mic against the grass and running around for effect.  I’d forgotten all about that day until I listened to the recording.  Sound, music and memory.  

Thanks for inviting me to send something.  Will be taking the Zoom out for a spin again soon! 

Clarissa Cheong

I don’t really try to make music any more even though I do play about from time to time to escape from all of the visual stuff. Happiness isn’t necessarily in the sound but in the process of pressing keys and pushing buttons.

Chris Labrooy

Just searched through some old stems from the Pictish Trail album, and found some sounds I really enjoyed making with Rob Jones, mostly on his swanky OP-1 and MS10 synths.

Johnny Lynch (aka Pictish Trail)

here we go, two original recordings of noise (at day and at night) in the middle of the Norwegian Sea / North Atlantic 🙂
It was one the happiest moments and places I have been; I would sit there for hours and tune in—in a way.
Hope you like them and they provide fun for VC, chopping up, filters, or just leaving them as they are.

Jens Ewald

The track was named by Arthur Seznec, Lainie Lewis and Theia Lewis.
Written by Tommy Perman, Marcus Oakley and Michael Lewis.
Produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!

10: Woosy Cudda

Listen out for these sounds in Woosy Cudda:

I hope your Wednesday has been going well.

I have just been working on some music for your project.

Firstly a slightly boring computer related story

A few weeks my 2014 MacBook Pro stopped working / I took it over to Apple and they helped the poor old thing out.
They installed a new operating system but with no garage band which I normally use for music.

I think if I had installed a new version it would have melted it.

I was going to send over some music I had made in the summertime.

Anyway today I was feeling the vibes of some kind and decided to make some improvised music.

So this afternoon recording on my iPad using Voice Memo / I made 4 pieces of music/sound for you.

These pieces were made with:

Acoustic Guitar
Microphone
Casio SK-1 Keyboard
Thunder Tube
Toy Saxophone
Loop Station
Synthesizer Bass Pedal

Recorded live in downtown Dunfermline on Wednesday afternoon.

I hope you can access the sound files / and that you can use them in someway for the project?

Marcus Oakley

I love the way my 5-year-old daughter Nina uses an iPad app called SoundForest to make beats. I sampled one of her beats as part of the drums and sub bass for this track

Tommy Perman

Recordings of Bo the dog from Susie Brown

Also, this is a set of recordings I made in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago that I love – it’s an accidental aeolian harp that was made out of some fishing line that was strung up on a dock. It was super windy and it was making a completely amazing noise! I was so excited by it, and I still love listening to it. 

Yann Seznec (with Kristina Seznec)

It seemed like a simple request, but the more I thought about it, the harder it became to think of a sound that made me feel happy.

So I took the complete opposite route of digging inside and did a finder search of my Hard Drive.  I typed in “Happy” and an old, unfinished session came up with the word “happy” in the title.

I listened to it and it made me want to finish it, AND it made me happy.  Here is a portion of the guitar track from it.  I’m starting to remember how I started to write the song, and all the stuff I was doing at the time, and it makes me happy.

Yusuke Hama (Hamacide)

My dog doing his howl chat that he does to me when he wants his dinner.

Kev Sim

I don’t really try to make music any more even though I do play about from time to time to escape from all of the visual stuff. Happiness isn’t necessarily in the sound but in the process of pressing keys and pushing buttons.

Chris Labrooy

It’s the guinea pigs, Winnie and Chester. Having a snuffle around and a nibble.

Bartholomew Owl

Track named by Nina Perman. Written by Tommy Perman, Chris Labrooy, Marcus Oakley and Yusuke Hama. Produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!

11: Flickering Candle

Listen out for these sounds in Flickering Candle:

… for some variation I’ve included a stem of backwards electric guitar that never quite made the Fugitive Light and Themes of Consolation cut.

Andrew Wasylyk

Nominated by Marijana Wilhelms.

Sound sourced from freesound.org:

https://freesound.org/s/58240/

this is one that I really like…

matches from a box and then lightning…

Markus Wilhelms

It is ‘opening my studio door’ after I haven’t been able to be there for two months.

Roel Knappstein

So my sound idea was originally the sound of a prius starting up – whenever I took an uber I loved the noise it made as it drove off.

So I found an example of the sound in a Japanese prius tutorial, and for fun I have left some of the language spoken in if you thought it might work. Prius sound is the focus though from me 🙂

Noah Ings

Sampled from a recording sent by Gavin Sutherland (Other Lands)

Sent by Josh Ings

Also, this is a set of recordings I made in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago that I love – it’s an accidental aeolian harp that was made out of some fishing line that was strung up on a dock. It was super windy and it was making a completely amazing noise! I was so excited by it, and I still love listening to it. 

Yann Seznec (with Kristina Seznec)

It seemed like a simple request, but the more I thought about it, the harder it became to think of a sound that made me feel happy.

So I took the complete opposite route of digging inside and did a finder search of my Hard Drive.  I typed in “Happy” and an old, unfinished session came up with the word “happy” in the title.

I listened to it and it made me want to finish it, AND it made me happy.  Here is a portion of the guitar track from it.  I’m starting to remember how I started to write the song, and all the stuff I was doing at the time, and it makes me happy.

Yusuke Hama (Hamacide)

The owls nest in the garden, and in summer sit around chatting to the fledglings. The swing is their favourite spot. The owls are very much part of my sense of home – a co-habitation. 

Rose Ferraby

Just searched through some old stems from the Pictish Trail album, and found some sounds I really enjoyed making with Rob Jones, mostly on his swanky OP-1 and MS10 synths.

Johnny Lynch (aka Pictish Trail)

Track named by Maja Wilhelms. Written by Tommy Perman, Yusuke Hama and Sandy Carson. Produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!

14: Dancing With Cows

Listen out for these sounds in Dancing With Cows:

Recording sent by Sandy Carson, Austin, Texas

I recently received an unexpected and rather lovely gift of a kalimba. The little thing sits on my desk where I work and occasionally throughout the day, while I’m thinking, or taking a break, or procrastinating, I’ll have a little play on it. It has such a sweet sound that even my mistakes (of which there are many) are pretty and it’s really reminded me how joyful and immersive and meditative playing music can be. If everyone had a kalimba on their desk I think the world would be a happier place. 

Rachel Simpson

The cow is a holy animal for some Hindu communities in India (and also the cause for a lot of unrest and polarisation). This is a man singing as he brings around a richly decorated cow seeking alms (food and money often). He came around our studio often and this was a very familiar sound before the pandemic. It is a sound I miss hearing these days.

Babitha George

Stone “bells” on the Glen Finglas sculpture trail

Jonnie Common

This is from a forest outside Bangalore in BR Hills. The Soliga tribe lives here and the drums you hear are them drumming at night to keep wild elephants away.

Babitha George

Here’s a wee thing I made today in my head bubble. Hope it suits, can’t remember if you needed a certain length.
That was fun! So nice to have a play and make something with no parameters, must do that more often, I’d probably get quite a lot done that way.

Emily Scott

Track named by Babitha George.
Written and produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!

16: Rocket Trip

Listen out for these sounds in Rocket Trip:

I hope your Wednesday has been going well.

I have just been working on some music for your project.

Firstly a slightly boring computer related story

A few weeks my 2014 MacBook Pro stopped working / I took it over to Apple and they helped the poor old thing out.

They installed a new operating system but with no garage band which I normally use for music.

I think if I had installed a new version it would have melted it.

I was going to send over some music I had made in the summertime.

Anyway today I was feeling the vibes of some kind and decided to make some improvised music.

So this afternoon recording on my iPad using Voice Memo /  I made 4 pieces of music/sound for you.

These pieces were made with:

Acoustic Guitar

Microphone

Casio SK-1 Keyboard

Thunder Tube

Toy Saxophone

Loop Station

Synthesizer Bass Pedal

Recorded live in downtown Dunfermline on Wednesday afternoon.

I hope you can access the sound files / and that you can use them in someway for the project?

Marcus Oakley

When I’m immersed in drawing I’m always happy. I love the way the sounds reflect the mark making and materials; it’s as though you can trace the drawing invisibly in your mind.

Rose Ferraby

Also, this is a set of recordings I made in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago that I love – it’s an accidental aeolian harp that was made out of some fishing line that was strung up on a dock. It was super windy and it was making a completely amazing noise! I was so excited by it, and I still love listening to it. 

Yann Seznec (with Kristina Seznec)

This was the first song I learnt with both hands.

Andrew Weir

This track begins with a performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow written by Harold Arlen. Rocket Trip named by Harry Oakley. Written by Marcus Oakley and Tommy Perman. Produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!

20: (sway) row, row, let’s go

Listen out for these sounds in Track 20:

So my sound idea was originally the sound of a prius starting up – whenever I took an uber I loved the noise it made as it drove off.

So I found an example of the sound in a Japanese prius tutorial, and for fun I have left some of the language spoken in if you thought it might work. Prius sound is the focus though from me 🙂

Noah Ings

I was really touched when Tommy asked me to take part in this project. As I was shielding and had additional caring responsibilities I hadn’t been able to play the violin during lockdown, not even open the case, and this was literally about 5 minutes after I started playing for the first time, having pressed ‘record’ just in case anything was usable. I was warming up with some very basic two note motifs based on a ‘perfect cadence’, a closing chord sequence which often ends a piece bringing it back to the ‘home’ key, and then some improvised simple short melodies. I ended up layering the motifs over each other, with some deliberate flux in the timings, to make that repeated pattern. As I was in a very hectic work and home period, was using podcasting software to record and edit on my iPad without the skills to make it sound how I wanted (plus find it quite difficult to listen to myself) and then got floored by a virus, the actual process of creating it probably skirted wildly around the definition of ‘happy’, but Tommy worked wonders with it and, for me, that very simple chord sequence feels so grounding, and almost comforting, that I can’t help but smile when I hear it! 

Kate Miguda

Here is a grouped field recording of birds and dog walker’s chattering that features on a new piece of music I’ve made for a new album. The song in question is a reminder of my cousin for me and I think it turned out okay. Clare’s been propagating cuttings from plants in our flat with a view to passing them on to folk. It made me think that it might be nice to share a ‘cutting’ from this song for you to sew into your new project.

Andrew Wasylyk

Sampled from a recording sent by Gavin Sutherland (Other Lands)

Also, this is a set of recordings I made in the Pacific Northwest a few years ago that I love – it’s an accidental aeolian harp that was made out of some fishing line that was strung up on a dock. It was super windy and it was making a completely amazing noise! I was so excited by it, and I still love listening to it. 

Yann Seznec (with Kristina Seznec)

Queen Street station is the first and last space I encounter on most of my visits to Glasgow. Taken at the end of November 2016, my recording of Queen Street reminds me of the years I’ve frequented the city, going to gigs, buying records, visiting friends, and waiting on the train home.

Gav Brown

Track named by Coralie Scott. Written by Kate Miguda and Tommy Perman. Produced by Tommy Perman.

Get the album

Email your happy message to: happy@positiveinteractions.space – you will then receive an auto-respond email with a link to download. If it doesn’t arrive please check your junk / spam folder. I will try to respond to your happy messages personally if I can. Thank you!