In MS16, we delved into texts exploring ecologies, systems thinking, and perception, to name a few. Among them was Dilip Da Cunha's The Invention of Rivers, where he argues that separating land from water was a fundamental act in modern human habitation. This separation, imaged on maps and embedded in our minds, survived through centuries and is naturalised in our perceptions of coastlines and riverbanks; for example, for Da Cunha, the naturalisation of the river as a line signifies more than visual demarcation. It's an act of separation that anchors and marks time.

This line is unique in that it separated water from land, holds water to a place, and calibrates time along its length so it is possible to appreciate a flow from an origin to a destination or at least an earlier to a later. More fundamentally, this line calls out a unique entity that can be named, touched, represented, engineered, but above all believed to exist.

In Sounds of Lea, I extend an invitation to the audience to step into this other territory through the act of listening. The journey involves navigating an immersive sonic world comprised of overlapping field recordings along the banks of the River Lea. This auditory experience fluctuates between the mediums of air and water; both encapsulated through my recordings. The intention is to actively challenge and momentarily blur the line that separates land and water. – Dilip da Cunha, The Invention of Rivers: Alexander's Eye and Ganga's Descent, 2018

Methodology: At the heart of the project lies a fundamental purpose—to invoke rather than document, aiming to stimulate an alternative understanding of the ethereal yet omnipresent world of water. To achieve this, at intervals of 100–200 meters, a hydrophone and an above-water stereo recorder were strategically positioned, capturing sounds concurrently from both above and below the water's surface. Following the meticulous data collection, a seamless sonic journey was edited together, guiding us through the river's audible and inaudible nuances to challenge our perceptions of the separation between land and water.

Inspired by sound artists such as Jana Winderen and Jez Riley French, the project intends to share a more nuanced and holistic view of our planet. Like water, it becomes a carrier and distributor of new ideas towards new stories and worldviews.