Karl San Jose

Karl_San_Jose_Palindromos.mp3

Listening Station: National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) (see UP Diliman Map)

Artist Statement

Palindromos is a collage of sound recordings of automobiles and transportation collected in and around UP Diliman. This includes the iconic ‘Ikot’ jeepney. An entire 12 minutes of this is a sound recording while on board an Ikot (rumblings of the rickety vehicle, coins being passed, and passengers interacting). The recordings used in the sound collage are categorized as: automobile drones; metallic rumblings; horn sounds; and walking and talking sounds of pedestrians. The recordings made while on waiting sheds of Arts and Science (AS) and Faculty Center (FC) were used as base sound files on which the collaged materials were fitted.

The inspiration for the form or structure of this piece is a palindrome or something that can be interpreted forward or reverse, much like how this project is called: IKOTOKI. This is not a literal interpretation of palindrome, but more the idea of it, just like Toki jeep does not exactly take the reverse route of Ikot jeep. 

Jairus Saldajeno

 Jai_Minsan Pa.mp3

Listening Station : Vinzon's Hall (see UP Diliman Map)

Artist Statement

The aim of this work is to "recreate" the UP Diliman soundscapes by the use of recyclable materials such as plastic bottles, glass bottles, rocks, and bamboo as its instruments. I entitled this piece "Minsan Pa" (Once Again) to help maintain/reminisce the natural sounds of UP in the fast-growing and changing campus environment.

Minich Cruz

Minich_Sa Loob ng Classroom.mp3

Listening Station: Asian Center (see UP Diliman Map)

Artist Statement

Music is everywhere. It may not be as astoundingly loud and obvious as we hear in bands, orchestras or radio, but music is everywhere and you hear them everyday. Imagine the sounds that you hear inside the UP classrooms- the chatting of students, the voices of teachers—those common sounds that we usually don't notice or perhaps, too familiar with it. Music IS there. And so this work captured how these sounds can be threaded as a piece of music, the thing everyone is fond of.

Jordan Peralta and Nico Valdez

Jordan_and_Nico_Area 2Ki.mp3

Listening Station: Shopping Center (see UP Diliman Map)

Artist Statement

Area 2Ki

Sounds were recorded while walking around Area 2, a residential area in UP Campus, which is now becoming famous as food-street and hang-out. Area 2 reflects a life lived in UP. There is innocence and idealism.  It is comparable to what is conjured by the imagination from the moment passed. Everything becomes more complicated as the grand illusions of campus life fades with the intricacies and burdens of being a scholar sets in. Similar to this composition, as it progresses, the sounds become more and more unrecognizable by modifying the recorded sounds of everyday life with different effects. Changes in the sound piece and UP life are only refinements. Hoping to still be.  In its core, hoping to keep the idealism of the university. 

PERFORMANCES

February 27, 2014
Audio:  area2ki_feb27.mp3
Time: around 4:45-5 pm
Place: Area 2 UP

Equipment: H6 Zoom Recorder using the MS mic
Preset : none

Recorders: Jordan, Nico

First show for IkoToki Para

Contributing Artists:
Ojen / Aya Cariño / El-la Cariño / Kelvin / Dayang Yraola / Christine Muyco / Dave

February 28, 2014, Morning
Audio:  area2ki_feb28am.mp3
Time: around 9:45-10 am
Place: Area 2 UP

Equipment: H6 Zoom Recorder using the MS mic
Preset : Limiter (General)

Recorders: Jordan, Nico

Second show for IkoToki Para

Contributing Artists:
Earl / CJ / Gia / Hannah / Tessa / Honey / Bargo / Roan / Ross / Shrell / Divine / Eva / Allison / Grace / Sol

February 28, 2014, Afternoon
Audio: area2ki_feb28pm.mp3
Time: around 4:45-5 pm
Place: Area 2 UP

Equipment: H6 Zoom Recorder using the MS mic
Preset : Limiter (General)

Recorders: Jordan, Nico

Third show for IkoToki Para

Contributing Artists:
MJ / Jasmine / Isab / Jimmy / Liza / Monica / Izzy / Meg / Yoey  / Rico Jay / Louise

March 1, 2014
Audio:  area2ki_mar1.mp3
Time: around 4:45-5 pm
Place: Area 2 UP

Equipment: H6 Zoom Recorder using the MS mic
Preset : Limiter (General)

Recorders: Nico

Fourth show for IkoToki Para

Contributing Artists:
Diane Samson / Carlo Patron / Janco Ante / Joyce Toricampo / Joanne Vinula / Camille Sarmiento / Camille Carrion / Angelo Ballieza / Christian Paras / Feliz Macahis / Tigoy Gapasid / Gigi Chua / Addy Chua

Feliz Ann Macahis

Feliz_Sa Loob ng Jeepney.mp3

Listening Station: Yllanan Avenue (see UP Diliman Map)

Artist Statement

This composition appropriates the sound and jeepney ride experience through the recorded and manipulated sounds from community areas in the UP Diliman campus. Sound materials were taken from Shopping center, Academic Oval, canteens, and the food stalls in Area 2. Other manipulated vocal and instrumental sounds were taken from the sketch output of the artist's collaboration with composer Tzu En Ngiao in Matralab, Concordia University last 2013.

Ikotoki Para is an audio archiving project

The rationale behind an archiving project is simple. We take photos of our selves and our surroundings with different motivations, but with only one reason—so we will not forget.  In photographs, we capture images.  We do videos to capture moments in motion.  We annotate conversations to capture proceedings in words.  In audio archiving, we capture the sound of a moment, an occasion, an occurrence or maybe an event.

Our contributors have been going around the Campus armed with their audio recorders. Some used professional recorders with multi-channel microphones, others used portable recorders of non-studio quality, while others used their ever dependable portable gadgets—mobile phones or tablets.

The sound of the Campus is something we often ignore. By capturing them and presenting them in this project, we hope to invite you to pay more attention to it and realize that the auditory experience on Campus is an enticing, if not actually more intriguing, than you thought.

Ikotoki Para is an art project

Engaged in this project are composers and visual artists.  After the audio files had been collected, the composers were assigned to create a work using and based on the materials that were given to them. Most of them did audio collage, wherein the exact audio files where organized to direct audience in a particular sonic or musical experience.  Others did compositions using various media, and the recorded audio files as inspiration.  There were others too who did a combination of recorded audio files incorporating it to sound that they produced. Collectively, the composers created a soundscape that challenges the mundanity of everyday sound.

The visual components highlighted the theme of the project by recreating parts of jeepney. The artists opted to create highly accessible, easily distinguishable pieces.  They have worked on the design of listening stations maintaining its position as staging ground or backdrop to the less popular type of project and a new creative stimuli—the sound project.

Ikotoki Para as a community activity

The University of the Philippines, Diliman is first and foremost a school. It is also home to many. UP Diliman is a small republic.  It is a school that has residential areas, churches, banks, commercial avenues, a medical center, and its own police force.  It even has its own wildlife.

This project attempts to represent as many of these characters by capturing the themes of the Campus, instead of just looking at it exclusively as a school with appendages.  This project views UP Diliman Campus as a narrative with the following themes:

1. Campus learning – capturing the UP Diliman campus as a school. Focusing on areas, spaces, events, activities on campus directed towards teacher, learning, research and creation
2. Campus residence – capturing the unique character of the UP Diliman campus as sub-urban residential district
3. Campus nature – capturing another unique character of the UP Diliman campus as a nature hub
4. Campus transit – capturing pedestrian, vehicular and other mobility activities on campus
5. Campus community spirit –capturing the character of community areas in UP Diliman campus; such as the Church, Shopping Center, Sunken Garden,  Alumni Center, Food stalls, among others
6. Campus in transition – capturing construction, renovation and structural and landscape rehabilitation on campus

To be faithful to this project being a community activity, organizers did not only involve students but also residents of the Campus, particularly Pook Amorsolo. They are at listening stations to entertain your queries and ensure the safety of the exhibit.