…drowned out… is a suite of four sound pieces that can be seen as the latest chapter of a postcolonial approach undertaken many years ago, first through academic writings then sound art.
…drowned out… main inspiration is a sonic document linked to the city of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso, West Africa) and its colonial past. “Messe des Savanes” was recorded in 1956, inside Ouagadougou’s cathedral. This catholic Mass sung in “pure traditional African style” inaugurated a concept that will be found in other recordings later in the 50’s and 60’s, the most famous in popular culture being Missa Luba (1958), a mass written by a Belgian priest and recorded by Congolese musicians.
Through a very elaborate resampling and rewriting of the original sonic material, SQUNCR seeks to question some processes – most of which are unconscious – that feed into clichés and deep-rooted prejudices. Behind the laudable intention of wanting to produce a universal piece of music, lies a form of symbolic violence, and possibly a form of domination.
From a sonic perspective, this project invites the listener to cross the boundaries between sound archives and music, between social sciences and art, beyond the restrictions of the disciplines.
