Greek-based sound artist Savvas Metaxas has created for Galaverna a work built on a geographical sonic journey without cartographical references. “Wetlands” is a piece that brings together different elements, from border crossing to an acoustic dérive into fascinating spaces. “One of the things that interested me a lot the last few years is the geographical landscape and morphology that surrounds the city of Thessaloniki”, writes in his release notes Metaxas, that invites the listeners to experience a complex soundscape made of different nuances and layers, deepening into a sonic microcosm full of resonances and reverberations of memories. In this context, architectures, objects and spaces are crossed by our listening trajectories, through which we can interrogate the archive of landscape, of hidden narrations and histories, opening the sonic environment to new and unexpected meanings. Metaxas drives us in this captivating and critical experience with a delicate and touching approach, making sound once again as a powerful and charming element to explore the world in which we are immersed.
Note from the artist One of the things that interested me a lot in the recents years is the geographical landscape and morphology that surround the city of Thessaloniki. The city is located in the gulf of Thermaikos, where the North Aegean sea stops and the Balkans begin. The city limits from west, east, south and north have in common areas with large reserves of water.
The west end of the city meets the Delta area of four rivers that creates vast wetlands and lagoons; in the east there are areas with salt marshes, swamps and rocky coastlines. Two lakes are located at the north exit of the city and in the south lies the vast exit to the open sea.
The focus on this release is the sounds I have collected during my various visits to these areas.
Wetlands by Savvas Metaxas is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.galaverna.org.