Songs In Isolation VIII: Flame

Text from YouTube description box: "Sit back, and watch the world burn." 

This piece was written in February 2021. It uses breath, field recordings, and a lighter. It was written in response to being told of the terminal illness of a friend that was left to fester during COVID-19, renewed urges to ease restrictions unwisely, anti-vaccination protests, vaccination rollout bungles, wimpy climate change action by the Australian government, more poor handling of sexual assault in Australian workplaces, particularly in the parliament, and more confused aid requirements amid smaller scale lockdowns in Victoria, Australia. This piece represents the beginning of a departure from highly contagious emotional and behavioural links during the initial COVID-19 lockdown periods. The work relates to mounting frustrations from inaction, complacency, and repetitiveness of experience.

Breath and lighter flicking samples accompany each other and interact with field recordings and bush sounds (recordings taken at the Organ Pipes National Park, VIC, Australia, in January 2021). Breath reinforces the birdsong and fire sounds and acts as the gas flow through the lighter through gentle whistles, inhaling, exhaling, and other mouth noises. Inhales and exhales are used rhythmically with small amounts of inward phonation to create a subdued climax in the piece to reflect Australia's political and conservational apathy.