This week I am pleased to share a conversation with the Philadelphia-based, sound artist and sound designer, musician, field recordist, architectural designer, Saumon Oboudiyat. Saumon collaborated with PSO to create a sprawling intricate synth soundscape to a particularly vibrant dawn chorus of birds recorded from the porch at PSO HQ in Austin to create PSO no.234 Considering Transitions, but before we get into that, let me explain what PSO is.
Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project that explores the relationship between sound and images. Most images are taken on the site where the sound was created and/or recorded. Our orchestra is comprised of birds, guitars, artists, poets, and passing cars that spontaneously create ephemeral symphonic chance-inspired compositions. The original site and hub for all things PSO can be found at porchswingorchestra.org.
Saumon Oboudiyat is the founder of sohme production which is the moniker under which Oboudiyat conducts his sound practice. His practice includes, but is not limited to, music production, film scoring, & traditional and EMF recordings. sohme's work integrates analog & digital synthesis, acoustic instrument performance, and field recordings capturing the built and natural environments. He weaves these practices into experimental, textured, cinematic, and immersive compositions. Saumon is also one half of the singer-songwriter duo, MVSO. His debut solo album as sohme will be released under UK based Phantom Limb's Spirituals imprint on August 15th. He holds a M Arch from the University of Michigan and a BS Arch from Temple University, with nearly a decade of architectural design practice in NY, Detroit, and Philadelphia which informs his sound practice.
His debut solo recording under the name sohme will be released on the Spirituals imprint of the Phantom Limb UK label on August 1st.
His first single "These Are All My Thoughts" is out June 18th, wherever you get your music.
Saumon and I talk about his piece, his process, and his multifaceted practice. We touch on the triumphs and trials of making art in times of personal transition, while raising a family, and in a world that contains so much suffering. Saumon is a true gem and what he brings to this conversation is so generous and generative. After our conversation, we will hear our collaboration, PSO. no. 234 Considering Transitions followed by Saumon’s solo piece, If I Had Twelve Minutes (With Birds).
Sohme Production: https://www.sohmeproduction.com/
Phantom Limb Uk Records: https://www.phantom-limb.co.uk/
Porch Swing Orchestra Site: https://porchswingorchestra.org/
Porch Swing Orchestra Newsletter: https://porchswingorchestra.substack.com/
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