Presented by The Radiophonic Institute and the Museum Of Sound, The Sound Of The Year Awards is an annual competition celebrating sonic life in its many forms from across the globe. We caught up with Mexican sound artistJorge Zurita Díaz, winner of the Best Imagined Sound award which asks entrants to “Describe a compelling sound that doesn’t yet exist”
Hi Jorge, what’s ‘Aural Layers’ all about?
“‘Aural Layers’ is a piece that seeks to investigate the possibility of imagining sounds that do not exist in reality through the combination of specific materials, as if it were a modular synthesiser. The idea is to bring the musical or sound notion into the field of memory, aurality and the personal experience of each individual.”
How does it feel to win a Sound Of The Year Award?
“For me it is very important to know that my work resonates with people from other places and makes me think that I am on the right path. These types of awards encourage the spirit to continue creating and searching for new proposals aimed at sound.”
Is there anyone you would like to toast?
“I would like to thank the Sound Of The Year staff for the work and love they have put into this project. Also, I’d like to thank my family, friends and teachers for shaping this journey called sound art.”
Tell us more about yourself and your work…
“I studied a bachelor’s degree in musical composition and then a master’s degree in Musical Technology at UNAM, Mexico City. My work has always focused on imagining other possible worlds for the perception of sound, whether material or immaterial.”
Who or what inspires you most?
“There are many artists that inspire me and that depends on the field – from the instrumental field composers such as Pieluigi Billone, Curtis Roads, Betehoven, Julio Estrada among others. A fundamental artist not only in this work but in many others has been Walter Marchetti, his ideas regarding music have questioned my way of understanding the field of sound. Also I love the work of artists like Peter Ablinger, Christian Marclay and Manuel Rocha.”
Any parting words of wisdom for other sound artists?
“Keep always working in sound ideas, all the time try to think in sound not just in a traditional way but in different media until you reach the ‘Eureka!’ moment.”
To find out more about the Sound Of The Year Awards, go to soundoftheyearawards.com
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