Kate Carr (born 1977) is an Australian sound artist and field recordist based in London. her practice explores the encounters, textures and technologies entangled with field recording using movement, objects and experimental recording techniques. She creates intimate, delicate and hybrid soundworlds which centre the interactions and collectivity which generate soundscapes. She works across composition, performance and installation. Everything from vibrations caused by cars and footfalls, to overheard murmurs, public speeches, music in public space, and the roar of distant sporting events has found its way into her compositions, and live performances. Inspired by the layers, minglings and silences in our collective soundscapes, Carr is interested in composing works probe the soundscape for clues as to how we negotiate living together. She is particularly focused on hybrid soundscapes: where forest meets town, nuclear power plant meets wetland, booming car stereo meets residential street.
In her live work she is increasingly examining some of the ambiguities of field recording, pursuing a practice which blurs live foley work with field recording techniques. As such her instruments move from scientific rockers, massage guns, bird horns, frog rattles, watering cans to bug clickers in compositions which aim to trouble the associations of authenticity often attached to field recording, versus the sonic fictions of foley work.
As part of her practice Carr also runs the sound art imprint Flaming Pines. She has also founded the sound art duo RUBBISH MUSIC with Iain Chambers. Her music can be found on the labels Helen Scarsdale (US), Hasana Editions (Indonesia), Rivertones,
Persistence of Sound (UK), Longform Editions (Australia) Galaverna (Italy) as well as Flaming Pines.
See also
Rubbish Music (Iain Chambers & Kate Carr).
