The third edition of Full of Noises occupies sites of architectural and acoustic interest around the the industrial town of Barrow-in-Furness for three days of new compositions, performances, installations, talks and audio-visual works. Running biannually since 2009, past festivals and events have featured artists such as Faust, AGF, Philip Jeck, Hildur Gudnadottir, Tetsuo Kogawa, Dopplereffekt, John Wall and Richard Youngs. This year's programme takes a back-to-basics approach, working with analogue and acoustic sources, archaic and obscure technologies and talks focusing on the mavericks and pioneers of experimental and electronic music.
The festival launches on Friday night at Barrow's Lynchian cabaret club, the Nines, with Felix Kubin performing 'Tape Delinquents', artist in residence Lee Gamble presenting a multi-channel work sourced from an EMS Synthi and Ryoko Akama delivering the latest manifestation of her work for long string instruments. The Bohman Brothers bring their electroacoustic junk shop aesthetic to the mix and Ore present their brand of amplified doom tuba for the first of two appearances at FON, whilst Herb Diamante returns to his native Cumbria for a set of haunting cabaret, channelling Lee Hazelwood and Edgar Allen Poe. Howlround, a new collaboration between Robin the Fog and Chris Weaver, completes the lineup with a reel to reel tape loop quartet performance.
Saturday evening's programme moves to St James' Church for a series of newly commissioned works for pipe organ, piano, voice, handbells and brass ensemble. Composers / performers creating new work include Lauren Redhead, Jon Hering (a.P.A.t.T Orchestra/ Ex-Easter Island Head), Ore, Gail Brand, Tom Scott, Laura Cannell and André Bosman. Grizedale Arts provide food for the evening, highlighting the more unusual end of local produce. The programme continues into Saturday and Sunday afternoon with installations for Barrow's ornate public park. Sound Network and Simon Jones follow up their 2011 project 'Crazy Golf Hack' with 'Fairground Frameworks' and Steve Symons (Owl Project) creates an interactive outdoor listening space alongside an ad hoc performance programme on the bandstand from festival artists. Cooke's Studios will host afternoon talks from Felix Kubin on the German underground tape scene, Settimio Fiorenzo Palermo on Hugh Davies, John Dack on Pierre Schaeffer and founder of sound art gallery space SoundFjord, Helen Frosi. New moving image work comes from free improvisation film-maker Helen Petts and artist/inventor Dave Lynch's cloud projection project 'Nimbus', whilst John Richards' Dirty Electronics provides a chance to devise and perform with handmade instruments.