AMN Reviews: Beatriz Ferreyra – UFO Forest + (2023; Room40) Part One

One of the basic philosophical tenets of Acousmatic music is if sound can be reduced to an event happening in space and time, that would allow the creator of such music a certain amount of control to manipulate such events within a space/time continuum. While this sounds like an interesting, white lab coat, clinical experiment… at the end of the day the artist can use this power of control for the good of all mankind… right? To create a pleasing experience not only for the themselves, but for the listener as well.

This control, this great power that resides way up in the mist-covered towers of the Magician/Alchemist/Acousmatic music creator’s citadel (a place so steeped in esotericism that even the Pizza delivery boy can’t find it) is a primary appeal to those who enjoy listening to these strange sounds on a more active level. To some, the appeal of experiencing a variance… a manipulation or transformation of time and space through the dual workings of the ear and brain is quite compelling… and that would be a severe understatement!

Touching once again on Henry Corbin’s concept of the Eighth Climate (see the previous Denis Dufour write-ups as well as his beautifully written paper on the Eighth Climate for background), in this write-up I’ll try and drill down to a very specific aspect of this place (a no-place within all places) that Corbin has coined a name for, the mundus imaginalis (Islamic term being the Eighth Climate). That is, the aspect of how time and space are treated (or experienced) in the Eighth Climate and how these aspects are (similarly) treated by the Acousmatic music artist.

It just so happens that we got a new release of some hard to find works by Beatriz Ferreyra recently. This album is the perfect model to hopefully demonstrate what I mean. Room40 has been actively releasing hard to find music by Ferreyra… and the world is surely a better place for it. A new Ferreyra release in 2023 is worth much more than its digital bits in gold, that’s for certain! UFO Forest+ continues this tradition in a stately fashion. (I use that word “stately” intentionally, as you’ll see below.)

Briefly, Ferreyra comes from the Pierre Schaeffer generation of Acousmatic music artists. Not only has she studied under Schaeffer’s wing but you can add other luminaries such as Nadia Boulanger, Earl Brown, and György Ligeti (among many others) to her CV. Her recorded output is legion but for this write-up, I’ll only consider the four pieces on UFO Forest+.

The Eighth Climate (a realm of symbols and archetypes-above our world of the fixed stars but below the ultimate world of the angelic intellect), as illuminated by 12th-century Islamic mystics like Sohravardi through the lens of Henry Corbin… delves into an abstract treatment of time and space. Here, movement in this spiritual realm mirror inner individual (spiritual) states. Spatial proximity or distance is based on the similarity of these states. In other words, if you find your “soulmate” in our mundane world of the senses… you will remain close (proximity wise) in the Eighth Climate. Conversely, if men are truly from Mars and women from Venus… well, you better pack a cut lunch if you want to find one another over there.

Drawing parallels to Acousmatic music, a genre adept at conveying abstract concepts, we find intriguing analogies. Much like the travelers in the Eighth Climate, listeners’ engagement shapes their perception of space in Acousmatic compositions. Spatialization techniques create an immersive environment, where inner experiences mold the perceived spatial dimensions. It’s not unusual to feel a sense of connectedness or closeness with your fellow concert goers after a particularly mind blowing Acousmatic performance… after all, haven’t you all been sharing the same imaginal space?

Transitioning to time in the Eighth Climate, although Corbin doesn’t extensively explore this aspect, he hints at its “reversibility.” Considering that spatial dynamics are influenced by inner spiritual states, I think it’s fair to suggest that these same changes affect the temporal landscape too. If space is dictated by the similarity or dissimilarity of states, a similar influence on time seems plausible. To rephrase in a less “head exploding” manner-Instead of time being a primary causal agent for change, it’s the change of states that act as the primary force on time.

I find that the analogy persists if examined within the Acousmatic music world (as well as all genres of music to some extent). The listener’s eagerness or engagement influences their perception of time. A heightened desire for sonic exploration can make the experience move at a quicker pace, mirroring the non-linear temporal experience suggested in the Eighth Climate. An obvious example would be to ask yourself, how many concerts have you enjoyed so much, or how many times have you listened to an album you love where “time just flies”?

Something less obvious perhaps is to look at a single sound. The Acousmatic artist has tools and techniques available to them that can transform that sound from one state to another. Instead of the sound moving in a chronological, linear direction by maintaining its original characteristics… the creator can tell a different story by manipulating a sonic element… allowing it to gradually or, suddenly transform from one state to another, creating a sense of flux and continuous change. The listener can bounce from the emotional to the passionless, the love to the hate, the anger to the empathy… just to name a few.

Since the Eighth Climate is a realm of symbols, the above tracks well with the Acousmatic composer assigning symbolic significance to sonic elements changing temporal states. These changes in time can symbolize shifts in emotional tone, narrative progression, or spiritual significance within the composition.

This sound metamorphosis is sympatico with the idea that time is not a fixed progression but a dynamic interplay of states. The interplay can devolve into randomness, and that alone would make for a compelling listen (maybe) but… remember that great power within the bejeweled hands of the Magi of the Acousmatic… it is them, and only them that possess the capacity to harness time as their slave. John Dee is surely turning in his grave!

At this point, I think it’s appropriate to insert this great picture of Beatriz looking cool in those shades as she is untangling the knots in the weave of time.

In Part Two, I’ll look at the four compositions on Ferreyra’s UFO Forest+ to hopefully illustrate the above. Stay tuned.

Part Two

Mike Eisenberg (meisenberg1@hotmail.com)