BJ Nilsen’s decades of field recording composition work leads the mind to essential associations with the much formorned environment. The sense of presence encouraged by deep listening is perhaps, more now than ever, a gift of essentialism whch unlocks the corridors of the mind and imagination as a transpostion of the beauty of our reality.
True than Nature invites the listener to focus on the intrinsic qualities of sound. Ordinary sounds—those of infrastructure, labour, ceramic or concrete objects, and natural acoustic phenomena like reflections and echoes—are brought to the forefront through electronic manipulation. These sounds, often relegated to the background, are now placed centre stage: This ‘bridging’ transforms their essence, leading to a shift in perception that alters the boundaries between the environment as we know it and what it could be.
True than Nature wants to encourage active listening. Details about the sounds, locations, objects, and techniques are intentionally not disclosed to prevent the recordings from being anchored to a specific place, allowing the sounds and their meanings to emerge organically—unmediated and immediate. The titles can be read as open-ended symbols; to act as starting points for personal interpretation. By creating space for multiple contexts and interpretations, listeners can engage more deeply, allowing their perception to shift and therefore leading to a more subjective experience.
BJ Nilsen is a sound and recording artist, composer and sound artist based in Amsterdam and has since the early 90’s been putting out work in various constellations. Primarily focused on the sound of nature and its effect on humans, field recordings and the perception of time and space as experienced through sound, often electronically treated. His work primarily focuses on the sounds of nature and how they affect humans. Recent work has explored the urban acoustic realm and industrial geography and mining in the Arctic region of Norway and Russia. He has worked for film, television, theatre, dance and as sound designer.
