Sonic Labs is a collective of sound artists, performers and community musicians from across Dumfries and Galloway. Drawing inspiration from place, environment, culture and the evolving relationship between music and technology, they create immersive sonic experiences that push the boundaries of contemporary performance.
For Cryptic Nights, Sonic Labs present Refractive/Aberrant, a new performance inspired by the spectrum of visible light. This innovative work explores the interplay between timbre and sound-worlds, both in relation to—and in the absence of—light and colour. Merging themes of landscape, culture and science, the performance unfolds as a dynamic audiovisual experience.
Constantly exploring new approaches to live performance, Sonic Labs transform spaces into fluid, interactive environments where audiences are free to move, engage and shape their own experience.
About Sonic Labs
Calum Walker
Calum is a composer, performer and community musician based in Dumfries who works across Scotland. His writing style and relationship with sound stems from his time as a guitarist in progressive metal bands and as a keen improviser. He is particularly interested in the balance of stability and instability in sound; the conflict of order and chaos. Integrating elements from a wide variety of influences, Calum continues to develop his direct approach to music creation.
Taylor Nuttall
Taylor is a composer, artist and sound designer. He has focused on improvisation, software based modular and iPad performance tools often using generative and ambient sound design. His work is often a hybrid of influences that incorporates found sounds and seemingly disparate though often very personal content. The environment, sustainability and climate change are a constant underlying thematic.
Liam Templeton
Liam is an aspiring sound artist and synthesist working across the mediums of live performance and installation. His practice involves re-contextualising found sounds using techniques reminiscent of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. In his professional life, Liam is a conservation biologist with a specialism in bioacoustics. In his work, he tries to honour the rich cultural heritage of field recording and its role in ecology. Drawing inspiration from John Cage, Liam is also interested in the role of random and chance in improvisation, as well as graphic scores as a means of exploring the space between visual and sonic arts.
Jamie Little
Jamie is an artist based in Dumfries. After studying Music at the University of Highlands & Islands, Jamie moved back to Dumfries and has been working as a guitarist, composer, teacher and practitioner. Whilst primarily a musician, Jamie has always had in interest in visual media. He has created short films and has used his skills to supply technical support for conferences and live streamed gigs.This interest in visual media and music has led Jamie to explore more creative use of visuals to support musical performance.
Brooke Biagi and Chris Mancini
Brooke and Chris make up two thirds of the Dumfries-based grunge band Life Plan and frequent collaborators in a wide range of musical settings. Brooke is a bass player and vocalist, whilst Chris’s main specialisms are electric guitar and percussion. In their recent partnership with Sonic Labs, they have enjoyed collaborating and improvising with local musicians.
