JOEL CAHEN plays an abstract sound collage. Live mixing and modulating of found sounds, electronica, recorded instruments and soundscapes, plundered extracts from films and music.

At some installations the sound is split to several soundsystems:
one or two over water systems and one underwater system. This separates the collage by content and frequencies. The sound of the overwater system swirls with the space of the swimming pool and is distinct from the underwater system which immerses the listener in a different world altogether.

For information on the artists and to listen to the gallery click HERE

Works in this listening gallery featured as part of the sessions during the installations in 2011 including the third UK Tour (Jan - Feb 2011) and subsequent installations. Curated by Joel Cahen, the theme is ReVERSE, inspired by the split sound space at the swimming pool underwater vs overwater, the other side of the looking glass and dualities.

Artists: JESSICA ROWLAND, LIAM QUINN, DANIEL BLINKHORN, JULIUS HOLTZ, RIZ MASLEN, PHILIP MANTIONE.

For information on the artists and to listen to the gallery click HERE

Works in this listening gallery featured as part of the sessions during the installations in 2009 including the second UK Tour (July 2009) and subsequent installations and tours. Curated by Joel Cahen, the theme is AUDIO CINEMA. Inspired by the immersive and displacing effect of underwater listening, the works aim to deliver a sense of displacement, transporting the listener to alternate environments by conveying an abstract sound narrative.

Some of the works were published on the first Wet Sounds CD (see sidebar for details).

Artists: HILDEGARD WESTERKAMP, ERIC DE LUCA, MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN, SAM SALEM, ANNIE GOH, MARK VERNON, SLAVEK KWI, ROBIN EDWARDS.

For information on the artists and to listen to the gallery click HERE

Works in this listening gallery featured as part of the sessions during the installations in 2008 including the second UK Tour (June - July 2008) and subsequent installations and tours. Curated by Joel Cahen, the theme is WATER EFFECT. As the first gallery, the works present different relationships to water, themeatic, aural even visual. the artists imagined an underwater listening space, having never experienced it, and created work that shares properties of water as they felt it.

Some of the works were published on the first Wet Sounds CD (see sidebar for details)

Artists: JOHN WYNNE, LA HORROX, TOMOKO SAUVAGE, SLAVEK KWI, CHRIS COLLIER, AMIE SLAVIN, GABRIEL PROKOFIEV, ANDREAS BICK, DISINFORMATION, M TEUFEN and V MERLINI, JOCKEL LIESS, LUTHNAHIMAT, SPAX, PAUL RUDY, PEI-YU SHI, YOSHI SHINAGAWA, KNUT AUFERMANN, KLAUS OSTERWALDT, MARKUS JONES, F GEESIN and A WHEDDON.

Throughtout the UK Tours and international installations, artists were selected to play their music through the sound systems.

Musique Concrete and electronic music pioner PIERRE HENRY was commissioned to create a new work for dual soundsystem as part of the 2011 UK Tour. The work 'Analogy' was presented and mixed live by Etienne Bultingaire at the York Hall Pool on 6th Feb 2011 through an overwater and underwater soundsystem.

Pierre Henry - Analogy [excerpt]

Pierre Henry - Analogy Underwater excerpt by Newtoy
A recording of a live performance of Pierre Henry's world premier of his piece Analogy for a dual sound system and swimming pool commissioned for Wet Sounds closing event of the 2011 tour.
The recording is of the underwater mix.
There were an extra 12 speakers above the water

6th March 2011
York Hall Pool, London
Mixed live by Etienne Bultingaire

Commissioning PETER ALBRECHTSEN- sound designer (Antichrist, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) to create a sound piece for the Copenhagen installation as part of the 2009 Wet Sounds Scandinavian Tour.

Other notable performances by sonic surrealists NURSE WITH WOUND at the London Fields Lido (2008) and Bangor Pool through two distinct sound systems (2011); MIRA CALIX and ANDREA PARKER at Newcastle's City Pool (2011) again through two distinct soundsystems; Z'EV and FRANK PERRY at the london Fields Lido (2010); FRANCISCO LOPEZ and STEFANO TEDESCO at Clissold Pool, London through two divided soundsystems. Screening of HERMAN KOLGEN video - Inject - on a large screen hanging above the pool in Rennes, as part of Elektroni(k) 2010

Other invited artists include: ANDREW LILES, ERNESTO TOMASSINI, CLUSTER, ZOVIET:FRANCE, ERIC LA CASA, ADRIAN MOORE, HERMAN KOLGEN, THE CITY SHANTY BAND, SIMON WHETHAM, CHEAPMACHINES, LA HORROX, GRAHAM BOWERS, ANDREW LEWIS, LA CAUTEAU JAUNE - in a costumed performance involving rubber ducks and wet ware, NEIL CAMPBELL, JOE GILMORE, LEAFCUTTER JOHN, TOM HAINES, AMIR SHOAT, J MILO TAYLOR, KEMIALLISET YSTAVAT, PAL ASLE PETERSEN, ANDERS GJERDE, KURT BOLIANATZ, ESPEN SOMER EIDE (ALOG), MAGNAR AM - presented an interactive live play with a large window inside the water, MAIA URSTAD, JANA WINDERED, AUDUNN ERIKSEN and ARNFINN KILLINGTVEIT - who included free divers triggering midi flippers and all sorts.