We're thrilled to present two longform pieces from Yorkshire-based sound artist, Sophie Cooper. Composed during a week-long residency in the OTO Project Space in February 2022, Lean In was originally written for an 8-speaker surround set-up, here distilled into an equally expansive stereo version. Over 25 minutes, Cooper weaves fragments of on-site found radio sounds, processed trombone, electronics and voice to explore themes of broken family structures and the unspoken estrangement issue. We release this alongside the newly remastered companion piece, Intact, commissioned by hcmf// in 2019 and for which Cooper was nominated for an Ivor Novello Composer Award in 2020. Together, the pieces build upon each other in a way that uncovers new insights with each listen, revealing a multi-faceted work at once intimate and far-reaching in its emotional and sonic impact. "This release is a double A side of accompanying pieces both written during residencies for spatial audio systems namely the HISS (Huddersfield Immersive Sound System) for hcmf// and the set up at Café Oto project space. These versions have been designed to be listened to on stereo set ups. Both of the pieces deal with the topic of family estrangement using verbatim sourced with permission and support from a UK based charity called Stand Alone who support adults in this situation. Intact was the first piece made of the two in 2019 and Lean In was written in early 2022 so you’ll hear references to how people’s lock down experiences impacted on their estrangements in the second piece. It was really interesting to come back to this topic after a break and reflect on changes between the texts in both years." – Sophie Cooper, February 2023 -- Enormous thanks to: Everyone involved with the HISS, hcmf//, Cafe Oto, Arts Council England, Kathy Hinde and Matthew Olden for the support with these pieces. -- Cover photography by Maryanne RoyleMastered by Oli Barrett

AFinding My Feet / Who Put This Amp Here? / If Only This Phonebox Could Talk / Imprisoned / Up And Down / If You Put This Tape Against Your Ear You Can Hear The Ocean / What The Fuck Was He Thinking? BTribute To La Monte Young And Marian Zazeela's OCEANS (Recorded On Location At Cushenden Beach, Northern Ireland. Featuring Natalia Beylis, Willie Stewart And Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh) / Back To Work / Push The Button / Keep It Running / 25 Paintings / Phonecall From A Friend / A Little Thing / For Ailbhe -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sophie Cooper’s, 'The Curfew Tower Recordings' consists of two collages produced from recordings of various musical pieces, actions and field recordings taken during the artists week-long IMPOSE||LIFT residency, part of The Penthouse’s 18 month curatorial programme (thepenthousenq.com), at Bill Drummond’s, The Curfew Tower, Northern Ireland. The work presented here documents Cooper’s questioning of the potential for dialogue between trombone and voice within the song-writing process. These sketches document an intuitive exploration through improvisation. Cooper’s tribute to La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela’s Oceans is a wholly apt reference point in relation to The Curfew Tower Recordings, as the influence of Minimalist pioneers, along with the early electronic experiments of Daphne Oram, for example, can be heard through the undulating, shimmering abstractions that blur the lines between Cooper’s layers of effected trombone and vocals. Interspersed through these explorations are recordings of Cooper’s Dial-a-Bone project - personalised trombone improvisations, performed in response to random callers’ requests… from within a public phone box. All recordings taken during the IMPOSE||LIFT artist residency at The Curfew Tower, Cushendall, Northern Ireland, presented as part of The Penthouse NQ, Manchester's 2017/18 curatorial programme. Many thanks to Debbie Sharp and Roseanne Robertson for the opportunity. All music recorded, mixed and mastered by Sophie Cooper.