Most of the ‘recordings’ were made during his stay in Northern Ireland (2009-2015). 

Chaves was a student in the MA Sonic Arts programme at Queen's and subsequently took on a PhD at SARC entitled "Performing sound in place: field recording, walking and mobile transmission “ under the supervision of Pedro Rebelo and Paul Stapleton. Rui Chaves is a teacher, artist and scholar. His interests lie in performance, curation, music and writing. Visiting professor at the Paraíba Federal University visual arts department (2020-2024).

You can access the release here: https://berro-nusom.bandcamp.com/album/sl-inte 

"Acute listening and situated sonic knowledge mark this release by Rui Chaves for the Brazilian label Berro. Based on recordings in Northern Ireland between 2009 and 2015 while Chaves was pursuing postgraduate research at SARC, Queen’s University Belfast, this album is a fascinating sonic essay portraying an experience of urban and rural environments.

The layering of sonic textures, recognisable earcons and environments makes for fascinating listening. Always well timed and paced, Chaves shares his intimacy with the sound materials he presents.

The album is beautifully crafted, taking the listener on a seamless journey through sonic materials that might otherwise be incompatible; birdsong, water, wind, sounds of work, the city, human presence are constantly in interplay with one another in rewarding juxtapositions.

Divided in four ‘acts’ with durations between five and ten minutes, the album plays with scale, proximity and distance from the ‘first person’ perspective of act I to the expanse of act II with an unexpected yet poignant political use of music reference. An eavesdropping act III reveals a playful collage of incidental sound, improvisation and human presence. The album finishes with an engaging multilayered drone suggesting a sense of stasis and arrival after the inventive and at times jarring sonic journey in the previous acts.

A fascinating sonic journey with expert ears taking us through both recognisable and unknown worlds of sound.”

Pedro Rebelo, Director, SARC