David Donohoe
Fen

Fen is a selective evocation and invocation of a Kildare fenland. Focusing on the vocalisations and physical communication sounds of three bird species, it is comprised of field recordings of Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler (both Summer migrant breeders) and Snipe (resident breeder), alongside tuned percussion and synthesiser textures.

As a birdwatcher and sound recordist the communication and language of birds fascinates me. The singular sounds made by the these species (either by syrinx or feather) have mechanical, almost synthetic timbres. The Grasshopper Warbler’s continuous static reeling call, projected in a wide arc as it turns its head, creates a diffusion difficult to pinpoint to a specific location. The frenetic mimicry of the Sedge Warbler interspersed with its mechanical rattling very literally embodies sampling and the Cut-up. The Snipe with its uncanny ‘winnowing’ territorial projections made by the vibration of two tail-feathers during display dives is especially interesting as a non-vocal communication.

Birds have been a continuous presence across human evolution and their calls are deeply culturally ingrained in us. In spite of this ubiquity, the sound of a particular species can jolt a sudden awareness of how utterly alien they are to us. It is precisely the ‘otherness’ of these particular sounds that I find so captivating. Simultaneously palpable and ineffable, these sounds form an intrinsic thread of place as quintessential as the geological accidents that define this terrain, this habitat, as Fen.

– David Donohoe

Originally commissioned by Dublin Digital Radio through an Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaion award, and premiered at the Alternating Current Festival, The Complex, Dublin, Ireland 2022.

Special thanks to Seán Finnan and the team at Dublin Digital Radio.

Cover art photography by Matthias Urban