[2006•CE06]

Ting Qui – Listening To Autumn

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More than 100 recorded hours have been destilled into a 79 minutes long soundscape of meditative, minimalistic and organic music that you can keep on a low volume for a barely audible distant sound of crickets surrounding your habitat. Or you can turn it up for the cricket concerto that demands total awareness and attention, demanding the listener’s all encompassing presence.
16 page booklet with photos and info about crickets.


tracks

  1. Invocation - Invocation (1:07)
  2. Invocation - Three Harmonious Bells (2:31)
  3. Invocation - Youthful Folly (2:44)
  4. Prologos - Conference Of The Crickets (3:49)
  5. Prologos - Decollage (3:10)
  6. Prologos - Drifting On Clouds (4:06)
  7. Prologos - Dense Foiliage (2:11)
  8. Prologos - Towards Dusk Slowly (0:41)
  9. Listening To Autumn - Glowing Dusk (11:39)
  10. Listening To Autumn - Into Darkness (5:26)
  11. Autumn Night - Night Colours (3:45)
  12. Autumn Night - Pitch Black (5:10)
  13. Autumn Night - Penetrating The Cliff (12:24)
  14. Autumn Night - Oblivion (5:00)
  15. Autumn Night - Cricket Rules (4:06)
  16. Autumn Night - Truth Heard (4:58)
  17. Parting - Treading High (1:16)
  18. Parting - Morning Dew (1:21)
  19. Parting - Complete Part (3:52)

musicians

Lars Fredriksson & The Chinese Crickets Rosary Ensemble of 108 chinese crickets of various species:

The crickets in these recordings are mostly from Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Only a few, but very significant ones, are from the Beijing region.
The most prominent are the Bamboo Bells 竹鈴 (Oecanthus sinensis) and the Purple Bamboo Bells 紫竹鈴 (Oecanthus longicauda), heard here in many different constellations and in various numbers. They synchronize their singing, and it is very impressive to hear a large group of Bamboo Bells come in and out of perfectly joined stridulation.

The Ink Bells 墨鈴 (Homeoxipha lycoides) are more discreet, but also the most versatile. They have a larger repertoire than most other crickets and they also play differently depend- ing on the environment and time of day.
The Large Yellow Bells 大黃鈴 (Anaxipha sp. n) are probably the most indefatiguable of all cricket musicians, singing no matter if it is dusk or dawn, night or broad daylight. Its only requirements seem to be peaceful sur- roundings and some moist fruit to nibble at.

The Small Yellow Bells 小黃鈴 (Anaxipha pallidula) has a softer sound and does not sing for such long continuous periods as the Large Yellow Bell, but shows some more variety in its stridulations.

The Gold Bell 金鈴 (Svistella bifasciata) has a very high pitch, and is a distinct and clear addition to the overall soundshape of the group. It adds a certain crispness and struck crystal-glass tone quality.

Probably the most powerful singer of all, the Heavenly Bell 天鈴 (Trujalia hibinonis – known as the Green Lute 綠琵琶 in Northern China) is unsurpassed in volume. There are two main kinds on these recordings, the “single mouth” and the “paired mouth”, with distinct differences in singing.

Finally, at least among those recorded here, we have the wonderful brilliance of the Horse Bell 馬鈴 (Homeogryllus japonica – in Northern China known as the Golden Bell 金鐘), a most amicable and peaceful cricket that prefers to sing with the female present.

more info

RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 1, 2006

HOW TO LISTEN (to this naturally minimalistic recording):
• As an ambient record of a possible soundscape in nature. Turn the volume down to resemble a barely audible distant sound of crickets surrounding your habitat.
• As a nature closeup adjust the knob to a slightly higher volume.
• As the cricket concerto that demands total awareness and attention, demanding all encompassing presence of the listener. Turn the volume up to normal for any classical com- position or free-jazz concert.

Here is an interview in english with Lars Fredriksson (mp3 – 4 minutes) from Shanghai in 2007.
Here is an interview in swedish with Lars Fredriksson (mp3 – 7 minutes).
And one more with music samples from the concert (mp3 – 16 minutes).
Review from Global Rhythm, feb 2007.

CRICKETS ON THE WEB bolingo.org/cricket