HILDERGARD WESTERKAMP- Beneath the Forest Floor

This piece is an atmosphere track however is unique as it uses sounds from beneath the surface. This gave the feeling of a claustrophobic atmosphere by using enclosed spaces when recording. I enjoyed the track as it gave a sense of tension that is hidden within nature and that we don't here but is always there. There are few layers used and a lot of almost silence throughout which enhanced the pieces effectiveness by creating a certain amount of tension and discomfort for the audience when listening. There is no voice or narration in the piece, no rhythm or beat that is noticable, just the creaks of trees and the running water and the animals moving past this part of the forest, for me it really showed the realistic side to nature, the silence and the animals moving about, the water trickling underground sounding like it is right in front of you. It really gave a good explanation of the sound of nature.

I enjoyed this and found it very inspirational when coming to write my 'Sense of Space' initial idea. I have decided to use a similar use of creaks in a dream sequence that involves a nightmare. I decided to use this as for me this track felt very tense and uncomforting which is the same atmosphere I wanted to create when taking the audience through the nightmare sequence.