David Rothenberg

In his work, Rothenberg explores the relationship between humanity and nature. Like John Luther Adams, Rothenberg shows interest in the sounds produced by animals.

He explores them in his own recordings and compositions as well as in his writing. Overall, Rothenberg´s recordings and interactions with animals are of a distinctly experimental manner as they allow for alternation and improvisation within the process. However, this feature must be considered inherent as Rothenberg may not predict the animal’s vocalized response to the confrontation induced by his approach to communicate. Supported by his recording and research technique, the interplay of the sounds he and the respective animal(s) produce is strongly emphasized and put into focus.

Strikingly, Rothenberg´s recordings require their listeners to actively engage with the sounds they perceive. Overall, courtesy and sensibility are required in order to listen to and recognize each facet of the sounds and songs produced by the animals. Thereby, his recordings break with the conventions suggested by most popular music and associated releases as they essentially lack extensive layering of different instruments, beats, vocals, and rhythmic patterns. Instead, the sounds produced by Rothenberg and the animals appear isolated and autonomous in their natural environment.

Also being discussed extensively in the field of visual art, the tendency of interacting with - and attempting to depict - one’s environment, ideas of nature, and especially the animals within, shapes the work of various contemporary artists. Even before artists such as Pierre Huyghe started to implement living components (primarily animals and flora, as for example in his 2013-2014 exhibition in the Centre George Pompidou) into their installations and exhibition practice, Joseph Beuys had brought a coyote to the New York Gallery to cohabit with him for three days and nights in 1974, and Jannis Kounellis´ 1969 installation at Galleria had featured twelve horses. What fundamentally unites Huyghe, Beuys, Kounellis, and Rothenberg is the idea of de-and recontextualization. By recording and releasing the results of his experimental interplays with animals, Rothenberg shifts their environment and with that their accessibility. A phenomenon which could previously only be experienced in certain places (for example next to the ocean or in a forest) now appears in the context of music and may be consumed via headphones at any given time and in any place.

This does not only mirror Rothenberg´s appreciation for the animals but enables larger audiences to have a share of the imposing utterances and develop a feeling for and understanding of ways in which humans and other species interact. Apart from arguable scientific values of Rothenberg´s artistic practice, his recordings do most certainly give rise to reflect on one´s interaction with and relationship to the  space in which we linger.