Fox, Larnie – “In The Cathedral of Airplanes” – [eh?]

lexi glass   10/30/2016   A Library, CD

Larnie Fox is a Bay Area painter, sculptor, and noisemaker who is involved in several local art and musical organizations; most recently, he served as director of Arts Benicia until his retirement in 2015. Fox is known for his installations – intricate kinetic sculptures constructed from recycled or natural materials that make sounds – such as a working bamboo airplane that flew across the Burning Man playa. This CD, inspired by two powerful dreams, is Fox’s first recording project, released in 2004 for free on his website and on eh? The tracks blend choral sounds with field recordings from Fox’s everyday life: falling water from his leaking roof (T2), the family dogs barking (T1), airplanes taking off from of the San Mateo airport (T7), the din of SF traffic (T5), dial tones and operator messages from an actual landline telephone (T6, a live piece with the SF Sinfonietta). Scot Jenerik and Aaron Ximm assisted with the recording. This work has a subtle way of drawing (but not demanding) your focus, to luring you into noticing the sounds as they come.