Conceptual. Detailed. Creative. Emotional.

These keywords could describe any design project that we love. But in the case of this post they refer to sound design.

Sound design is “the manipulation of audio elements to achieve a desired effect.”

A work of detail, exploration and technical research and directly connected to an emotional pursuit, sound design is more and more becoming “music” for itself (or if you prefer an aural experience) than the boundaries of the secondary role, that have been given to it, by the movie industry in the past.

Take for example the work of James Fahy aka ambienteer. James Fahy has recently released a 4 EP compilation on the netlabel PublicSpacesLab.

Part of a sound diary, James designs emotions, sculpts them into intricate and delicate sounds that are the soundtrack to moments of his life. The listening experience takes us on an unknown journey that, after the first tracks have invaded our senses, become our own.

The same principles can apply to the work of James Lowery aka Swaying Smoke.

“Hidden beneath the Soil” is an experimental work of cultivated beauty, convoluted paths and streams of consciousness that makes the listener forget his own (safe) environment in order to acquire all the emotions sustained in every track of his EP.

Like everything that challenges our senses, these two sound designers bring us onto new paths within our own.

To take the step to discover them, is now, up to you.

(Main Photo by f!t0)