True than Nature

BJ Nilsen’s decades of field recording composition work leads the mind to
essential associations with the much formorned environment. The sense of
presence encouraged by deep listening is perhaps, more now than ever, a gift
of essentialism which unlocks the corridors of the mind and imagination as a
transposition of the beauty of our reality.

True than Nature invites the listener to focus on the intrinsic qualities of sound.
Ordinary sounds—those of infrastructure, labour, ceramic or concrete objects,
and natural acoustic phenomena like reflections and echoes—are brought to
the forefront through electronic manipulation. These sounds, often relegated to
the background, are now placed centre stage: This ‘bridging’ transforms their
essence, leading to a shift in perception that alters the boundaries between the
environment as we know it and what it could be.

True than Nature wants to encourage active listening. Details about the sounds,
locations, objects, and techniques are intentionally not disclosed to prevent
the recordings from being anchored to a specific place, allowing the sounds
and their meanings to emerge organically—unmediated and immediate. The
titles can be read as open-ended symbols; to act as starting points for personal
interpretation. By creating space for multiple contexts and interpretations,
listeners can engage more deeply, allowing their perception to shift and therefore
leading to a more subjective experience.

BJ Nilsen is a sound and recording artist, composer and sound artist based
in Amsterdam and has since the early 90’s been putting out work in various
constellations. Primarily focused on the sound of nature and its effect on humans,
field recordings and the perception of time and space as experienced through
sound, often electronically treated. His work primarily focuses on the sounds of
nature and how they affect humans. Recent work has explored the urban acoustic
realm and industrial geography and mining in the Arctic region of Norway and
Russia. He has worked for film, television, theatre, dance and as sound designer