Mmabolela – A hybrid approach to working with ambisonics

From the palm-strewn banks of the Limpopo River to the dark depths of the Hippo Pool, Mmabolela transports the listener through the soundscapes of this remote location in South Africa. A series of interweaving “snapshots” and constructed realities based upon the many recording locations visited during the 2017 Sonic Mmabolela residency transport the listener to this hyper-real time and place. This work has been composed using a combination of stereo and ambisonics A format recordings, requiring a hybrid approach to working with ambisonics. The research statement addresses the aesthetics and workflow behind the composition, including the idea of soundscape composition and environmentalism within the work, recording in ambisonics, workflow and methodology (including a hybrid approach), aesthetic choices (including the idea of hyper-realism), the use of ambisonics to create a portable work that can be decoded to listen to on any loudspeaker system and the power of ambisonics to create an immersive listening