LP – Pharmafabrik

The field recordings collected by Martina Testen and Simon Šerc over a decade—now published by Pharmafabrik—compose a sound fresco of seemingly silent woods, their delicate habitats, and the lives of the animals that inhabit them. It is an intimate and gradual celebration of darkness, organized into eight chapters—from dusk to dawn, through twilight, evening, night, midnight, after midnight, and first light—that poetically follows the transition from the end of the day to nature’s morning awakening, precisely capturing every nuance. What strikes most from Nokturno is the sense of proximity: the listener perceives no distance between themselves and the environment, as if the microphone were used not to document, but to immerse one in a living, moving, and unpredictable world. The voices of the forest emerge with an almost tactile realism—rustling sounds, wingbeats, distant calls, breathing, and vibrations—without ever sounding artificial. The choice of a measured, uncluttered editing allows the materials to retain their authenticity and fragile complexity. The audio captures proceed through subtle layers, working on micro-variations that reveal how a nocturnal ecosystem is anything but static. The central chapters in particular express a density that borders on abstraction while remaining anchored to the concrete experience of the place. The murmur of insects, the movement of herbivores, the calls of predators compose a constantly evolving plot, opening up mental spaces where time seems suspended. In the final sections, as the darkness begins to dissipate, the landscape shifts almost imperceptibly: first a sonic glow, then a progressive expansion of the spectrum, finally the controlled explosion of morning song. This passage is treated with a great sensitivity, capable of conveying not only a change of light, but a continuum that follows the discreet pace of nature, without evocative overloads. While drawing on their experience with Biodukt, here Testen and Šerc broaden their perspective, transforming the simple document into a listening experience that envelops us and deepens the connection between environment and perception. Nokturno does not interpret the landscape: it lets it speak for itself, inviting a broader, almost meditative attention. Overall, we are facing a work of remarkable rigor and delicacy, capable of making us perceive the night not as an empty space, but as a pulsating organism in constant dialogue. A listening experience that requires concentration and openness, but which rewards with a rare depth.

 

Martina Testen / Simon Šerc – Nokturno