‘Lamaload’ is an acousmatic composition addressing the acoustic ecology of a rural setting. The presence of the Lamaload dam in the Peak District National Park, UK offers the listener a unique sonic experience. Its concave structure and geographical location captures, resonates and reflects sounds of the surrounding area. This occurrence alters the ecological infrastructure revealing a constellation of audible narratives. The sound material of natural and found objects was recorded at various locations at the dam. A B-format ambisonic recording technique was used to retain the soundfield. The ambisonic recordings were de-coded in the studio into eight discrete audio channels to convey a spatial experience that physically and metaphorically relates to the specific environment. Sound carries information about space, place and location; these parameters form a sound-image elucidating the relation between subject and object. When one of the parameters is displaced, we are acquainted with the experience of space. Lamaload continuously moves between many spatial transitions in the sonic content eluding to an imaginary landscape. Composed at the NOVARS research centre the University of Manchester during composer-in-residency 2015/16.

Mark Pilkington is a freelance composer and performer of electroacoustic music. His practice encapsulates sound and image in electroacoustic music, installation and screen-based works. His work have been performed, exhibited and screened at international conferences and festivals ICMC, ARS Electronica, MANTIS festival and Open Circuit. Collaborative interdisciplinary work with composers and visual artist/s. As an educator he delivers workshops and presents lectures about EA composition at universities, colleges and schools.