Built on modified pitch-controlled cassette decks and granular synthesizers, this performance layers field recordings from Split Oak Forest to create a textured soundscape honoring this endangered sanctuary as a natural treasure and a symbol of Florida's fragile conservation legacy.
Split Oak Forest, a 1,700-acre preserve named for its ancient split live oak, embodies the resilience of Florida's wilderness. Established in 1994 to protect habitats for species like the gopher tortoise and fox squirrel, it has been a refuge for biodiversity and a retreat for those seeking unspoiled nature. However, the approval of a toll road through its southern boundary has jeopardized its future, despite years of fierce opposition from conservationists and community members.
Using field recording cassette loops of birdsong, rustling leaves, and distant wildlife along with Kalimba, generative and granular synthesis, this work honors Split Oak Forest. It is a call for stronger protections for Florida's wild spaces. May this recording serve as both a requiem and a rallying cry for the preservation of irreplaceable natural sanctuaries before they are lost.
Recording available for purchase / download at Bandcamp.
Special Thank you to Circuit Church, Mac Rutan, Derek Morton and Jared Silva
Field Recordings: Split Oak Forest, Orange County, FL
Monome Norns Sheild, Kalimba, Cassette Manipulations and Granular Synthesis: Stephen Connolly
Mastered by: Derek Morton