FIELD TRIPS by Johnny Bell
Field Trip (noun): a visit made for purposes of firsthand observation.
FIELD TRIPS is a series of sonic collages that I built from found sounds, field recordings, tape loops, and improvised instrumentation (acoustic drone, 5-string banjo) created and captured in various locations near my home in northern New Mexico, at the base of the Chiricahua mountains in Southeastern Arizona, and along the Pacific Coast of California. Through this project I became interested in capturing ambient recordings as uncontrolled compositional elements, dissolving the distinction between musical and non-musical sounds even as I worked to bring them together into coherent arrangements. This process became a practice, wherein each individual capture became a journey or field trip unto itself.
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"Field Trips is a beautiful album. Johnny Bell is adding to the canon of my favorite genre, 'Twangbient'. This record fits right in with Scott Tuma, Padang Food Tigers, Lake Mary and Bruce Langhorne with deep droning banjo, tape hiss and field recordings. It also reminds me of my favorite aspects of Richard Skelton's 'A Broken Consort' project. It's like the two ugly duckling genres of Bluegrass and New Age combined to make one beautiful duck." - Dylan Golden Aycock
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All sounds created, found, recorded and mixed by Johnny Bell
Mastered by Andrew Weathers
Artwork by Ryan Parker
Layout and design by Matthew Hanner
Thank you to Andrew Weathers, Will Dyar, Ryan Parker and Matthew Hanner.
Unending love and gratitude to Shannon, Logan, and Riley.
Tracklist
| 1. | Alligator Juniper | 3:46 |
| 2. | Forest Floor | 2:54 |
| 3. | 25-Hour Day | 8:09 |
| 4. | Two Paths, Same Point | 4:58 |
| 5. | Under the Sycamore at Rock Creek | 3:05 |
| 6. | Cloud Shroud | 3:43 |
| 7. | Re-emergence | 4:59 |
| 8. | Refusing Easy Comfort | 10:53 |
