Duncan MacLeod, musician in residence for An Garradh has been kept busy lately. Using the natural surroundings present in and around the garden on North Uist, he's managed to capture its unique sounds and turned it into magical soundscapes. Take a listen below!

Buidheag-an-t-samhraidh (The little yellow of the summer). Focusing on machair, this work utilises bio-sonification where a device detects slight electrical variations in a plant (in this instance, a buttercup) via two electrodes placed on the leaves. These variations are graphed as a wave, which I translate into pitch material using a synthesizer. The work also features environmental sound recordings, captured at the Liniclate (Benbecula), to highlight the rich acoustic ecology of the machair.

Video footage was captured at Liniclate Machair.

Music & video - Duncan MacLeod, June 2022.

An Cuan Canach (The lower Minch). This work looks to highlight the importance of The Minch and North Atlantic in sustaining machair in the Hebrides and providing a vital fertilizer - seaweed!

Video footage was captured crossing the Minch.

Music & video - Duncan MacLeod, May 2022.

Find out what else Duncan is up to on www.duncanmacleod.org and give him a listen on Soundcloud.