Nimalan Yoganathan Léon Lo Soundscapes of Inukjuak
© N. Yoganathan, 2009
For Soundscapes of Inukjuak, Nimalan Yoganathan surrounds the audience with six speakers, immersing them in sonic portraits of this Northern community.
He complements his field recordings with live electronics and rhythms to accentuate the inherent musicality of Inukjuak’s environments hidden from the naked ear. Nimalan’s objective is to allow man-made synthesized sounds to harmonize with and mimic the natural sounds of Inukjuak and its traditions, similar to how Inuit throat singing employs the human body in imitating natural soundscapes.
Nimalan Yoganathan is the first artist to be funded by Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec’s recently established Nunavik Fund for the Arts and Literature program (in collaboration with Avataq Cultural Institute). As a result, in July and August 2009 he participated in an artist residency in Inukjuak, Nunavik where he was studying and recording the sonic environment to gain insight into the richness of Inuit culture and everyday life. This included both natural sounds such as wind and water, as well as cultural sounds including kayak building and throat singing.
© N. Yoganathan, 2009
Nimalan Yoganathan is a Montreal sound artist and musician. He completed his studies in Electrical Engineering at McGill University and obtained a BFA in Electroacoutic Studies from Concordia University. He currently focuses on the integration of field recordings into his works from his travels through bustling cities, desolate landscapes, and spiritual sites. Nimalan often attempts to mimic the timbral and rhythmic characteristics of such natural sounds using synthetic gestures.
Since 1999, Léon Lo has been looking to music as both goblet and nectar. His endeavours have been process-based, regardless of their myriad forms.