In response to the question “What’s happening, exactly?” posed by Folkestone Fringe (and as part of the MagiC Carpets platform), Pent Happenings is a series of audio-visual works based upon geo-scientific data and research concerning the urban area of Foord in Folkestone, home to a community that has experienced a history of severe flooding due to its proximity to the Pent stream that flows between properties and below ground en route to the sea at Folkestone Harbour.
A virtual wind chime, created in Pure Data (Pd), reacts to real-time Met Office data. Wind speed and wind direction data is used to trigger a pentatonic scale of synthetic bell-like sounds. An automated text-to-speech recitation of the corresponding weather conditions is sounded at regular intervals, using descriptions from the Beaufort scale.
Live sea wave data streamed from a marine observation buoy is transformed into a continually evolving electronic soundscape. Using the Pure Data (Pd) programming platform, the various measurements are used to shape and control the different parameters of sound.
Created in collaboration with eco-poet Chris Poundwhite, Green Language offers a unique perspective on the ever-present Folkestone Downs. Through a blend of transportive soundscapes and poetry, we explore its rich ecosystem and consider our relationship to this integral part of the local landscape.