In the field #1 - La Roche-aux-Fées
‘In the field’ is a series of blog posts focused on exploring specific locations with the intention of listening. I will endeavour to post frequently and these posts will contain field recordings, photography, writing and sometimes film.
I have an on going and developing fascination with prehistoric sites. By prehistoric sites I am talking about dolmens, stone circles, hill forts and burial chambers from the Stone age through to the Iron Age. These sites seem to emanate a sense of mystery, significance and were a particular importance to our ancestors. It’s no question that when we enter these sites we can feel and observe changes within ourselves or within the landscape. What causes this i’m not sure, but I have certainly felt a rush of emotion, dizziness, feelings of dread or peace. I’m certainly not the only one.
As I mentioned before, this is an on going investigation. I’m interested in how we can use field recording to examine these sites. How can we explore the atmosphere of these sites with sound? How can we explore the myth, histories and people connected to these sites? This subject probably ocour frequently in this series of blog posts and hopefully explore these questions.
June 2022 gave me the chance to explore some interesting sites around Brittany in Northern France. We travelled to the Carnac alignments, Locmariaquer megaliths (where the photo above was taken) and then to La Roche-aux-Fées (The Rock of the Faries). The image above is particularly amazing. Its situated within a large dolman which you can enter and explore. At the far end of the Dolmen there is this stone, featuring some decorations. It appears to me like there is space for someone to be standing in the middle, with the decorations showing some sort of visual representation of energy, heat or sound.
From a recording aspect, I managed to avoid capturing sounds of tourists or traffic as soon as we arrived at La Roche-auz-Fées. Instantly eerie and strange, with a dead crow laying on the path as we walked over. A sky dark and weighted down by a storm. Taking shelter in the stone tomb, I managed to get a recording of the storm passing over with thunder resonating within the thick walls of the chamber.
