Reflecting on Deep Assignments #01
Reflection and Documentation.
The inaugural Deep Assignments on the 12th of June, exceeded our expectations, we were really over the moon. We sold out Apiary Studios and couldn’t have asked for a more attentive and engaged crowd. The seed we planted with our manifesto began to take root. It was such a pleasure to feel that the spirit of what we are building resonates with people. The performances and talks on the night were exceptional, it will be a tough collection of acts to follow, but we’re excited about what’s next.
Kate Carr captivated the audience with her abundant table top of foley objects, smudging together the sounds of real and imaginary bird life, deftly processed and reformed in a refracted hypnagogic space.
The 6.1 performance of Machine Listening’s ‘Environments 12’ was outstanding.
James Parker followed the performance with his talk The Planetisation of Machine Listening, enriching our experience of Environments 12, with a deeply engaging exploration of the work’s research themes.
The talk sparked a lively Q&A — grounded and inclusive; a generous space for sharing thoughts and ideas. So many thoughtful discussion points were offered up.
Here is a recording of James’ talk, followed by the Q&A. The talk and discussion covered a lot of ground, so it’s great to be able to revisit some of the ideas with this recording.
Head to James Parker's website for more on his research and news of the upcoming publication of The Planetisation of Machine Listening paper
The Planetisation of Machine Listening talk by James Parker, followed by Q&A at Deep Assignments, Apiary studios, 12.06.2025
This recording was taken with a Reynolds A-Type 8 (Ambisonic mic) and has been rendered binaurally here, best experienced with headphones.
The recording captures the sound of the studio two space at Apiary Studios, including the quietly shifting bodies of attentive listeners, spontaneous vocalisations of surprise and enquiry, and the sounds of passersby on a warm June evening just off Hackney Road.
Thanks to all that came down to our first event! We’re looking forward to sharing news of our upcoming events and happenings soon.