Unstable Material

Rooted in sonic explorations of Marin Headlands (located in California’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area), Unstable Material is a collection of compositions and improvisations inspired by the park’s geologic, ecologic, and human histories. Sounds played live on found natural objects intertwine with recordings captured in and around Headland’s transforming landscapes. Works reflect on borderlands, timescales, and the intersection of human-made worlds and the wild.

“During lockdown in 2020-21, a massive landslide within California’s Marin Headlands became my self-assigned sonic study area. Here, a chaotic jumble of earth, vegetation, and old military bunkers collapse into the Pacific Ocean. Marked by a sign that reads ‘Danger, Unstable Material, Do Not Enter,’ a paved road tumbles off a precipice, casting itself into sea and sky. Unable to resist such an enticement, for months I visited regularly. Exploring this topsy-turvy borderland via field recording and site-specific improvisations, I listened, duetted with buoys and birds, performed for wind and surf. 

In 2022, I’ve continued to work onsite at Headlands, this time high atop Hill 88, where the decaying ruins of a radar station are also adorned with ‘Danger’ signs. I come here for the chilling, fierce winds which batter the tattered structures, their humbling force evoking the polar regions. Recording and playing with the wind, I am reminded that, in the long run, the elements are irresistible.”