no.249 | Slow Bell, Galveston, TX
“Slow bell” refers to the signal “1 bell, ahead slow” used in a ship’s engine order telegraph system, indicating a slow speed for the engine. It can also refer to a bell rung slowly at a funeral to signify sorrow and commemorate a death, a practice known as tolling.
Mom loved Galveston but also its brash touristy cousin, Kemah. I never understood the fascination with the latter. I do remember trips to Galveston as a kid. The Gulf was warm and would stain your suit brown. The water is much cleaner nowadays, the beach is public, and boulevards remind me of New Orleans.
PSO no.249 was recorded on the beach and the blanket of noise is the ocean. This is an edit from a much longer piece that will play in the space. The initial guitar field recording is augmented with a bass synth (Bolsa Bass), other field recordings of birds in a palm tree, and a chopped and screwed (H-town holla!) sample taken from my mom’s cassette dub of her vinyl copy of Keith Jarretts’ Köln Concert. I am excited to bring a whole new batch of work, all made in Galveston, to the GAC.
The image, as are most of those in the gallery, is composed of a mix of sand, sea, clouds and Galveston’s iconic seawall.
If you are in the area, Slow Bell opens, Saturday, November 15, from 6-9pm at the Galveston Art Center. I will talk informally about the work at 6:30 or so. We are working on setting up a live PSO event likely at the very end of January.
Mom loved Galveston but also its brash touristy cousin, Kemah. I never understood the fascination with the latter. I do remember trips to Galveston as a kid. The Gulf was warm and would stain your suit brown. The water is much cleaner nowadays, the beach is public, and boulevards remind me of New Orleans.
PSO no.249 was recorded on the beach and the blanket of noise is the ocean. This is an edit from a much longer piece that will play in the space. The initial guitar field recording is augmented with a bass synth (Bolsa Bass), other field recordings of birds in a palm tree, and a chopped and screwed (H-town holla!) sample taken from my mom’s cassette dub of her vinyl copy of Keith Jarretts’ Köln Concert. I am excited to bring a whole new batch of work, all made in Galveston, to the GAC.
The image, as are most of those in the gallery, is composed of a mix of sand, sea, clouds and Galveston’s iconic seawall.
If you are in the area, Slow Bell opens, Saturday, November 15, from 6-9pm at the Galveston Art Center. I will talk informally about the work at 6:30 or so. We are working on setting up a live PSO event likely at the very end of January.
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LETS'S MAKE SOMETHING TOGETHER
I love to collaborate, remotely or in person, but if you have a piece you would like to feature on PSO (without contributions by me), by all means, please reach out!Email us at info(at)porchswingorchestra.org
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ABOUT PSO
Porch Swing Orchestra is an art project begun by Barry Stone that explores the interplay between still images and sound.Photographs and musical improvisations build a framework for deep listening and visual contemplation. Barry Stone plays acoustic guitar with a Fahey-inspired picking style mixed in with electronic effects, like My Bloody Valentine for a campfire. The sounds of the outside—bird calls, stray conversations, passing cars—become part of the music.
Stone scrambles the code and layers images taken on-site to produce new imaginaries. We discover fresh ways to see and hear everything.
Since 2018, PSO has collaborated with dozens of musicians, artists, poets, writers, and activists to publish over 240 unique combinations of images and sounds.
Most PSO pieces are made on Stone’s front porch in Austin, Texas, but PSO has traveled to Spiral Jetty in Utah, the border town of Del Rio, Texas, Maine, the San Juan Islands, and performes live in unconventional venues such as the James Turrell Skyspace, The Color Inside as a part of The University of Texas Landmarks Songs in the Skyspace Program.
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Releases can be purchased on BANDCAMP or at BARRYSTONE.COM
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Exclusively here at PSO HQ.
Click on the PSO Radio Icon to Start the Stream
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LISTEN TO THE PSO PODCAST
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Orchestra Players:
Gregory Brooks, Bob Warner, Emily Scarlet Kramer, Rainey Knudson, Ryan Lauderdale, Tamara Gonzales, Katy Chrisler, Gibson + Recoder, Paul Stautinger, Sarah Hennies, Eric Zimmerman, Matt Bauer, Sandy Carson, Ryan Rhodes, Rebecca Marino, Shannon Spurgeon, Aaron Winslow, Ivy Stone, Mark Menjivar, Gavin Watts, Ryan Sprott, Brad Tucker, Caleb Churchill, John Hunt, Audra Wolowiec, Lauren Grant, Bill McCullough, Henry Smith, Anthony Francis, Xavier Gilmore, Ana Treviño, Ariana Gomez, Jessica Mallios, Thomas Hooper, SKLOSS, The Reformers, Zuriel Waters, Joe Williams, Jason Reed, Adam Henry, Saumon Oboudiyat
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