The Festival Genome

The things we will talk about, play and share in a decade from now will no doubt be different, evolved, perhaps devolved and so capturing and reflecting upon what has been covered in the past is an important reminder of where we have come from. Those things may well to help figure out where we are and where we might be heading. We become cultural historians, telling the story and making it new as we do so. Climate change, social change, a change of perspective. I Present more good stories to the mix, accessible and fun to engage with can only help the cause for creating a better world to live in. That’s what we will be enabling.

Recording music and video at a festival is unique opportunity. Artists, presenters, elders, scientists, environmentalists, intellects, musicians, bands, activists and industry professionals are all gathered in the same place at the same time. 52 musicians and presenters came through our 1959 caravan called the Pilot, over 5 days of the Woodford Folk Festival. Speakers gave engaging insights into their specialist topics from climate change to fungi. Musicians entered and put on headphones and were asked to spontaneously react to what we played to them, which was other artists we recorded and mixed earlier who were in turn reacting to artists they were hearing recorded earlier etc. We built layers and produced music that would never have been contemplated. They were making a track out of thin air with people they don’t know or may never meet. The artists loved it. It challenged them and intimately gave a rare insight into the mastery of a musician and their craft. This video attempts to explain the video production recording process.