WAV File Series #1: Potomac River

WAV (WaterAudioVisual) File Series:
River of Swans (for the Potomac) by sTo Len
Recorded on the Potomac River, Alexandria, VA

Limited Edition of 20, 5” x 7”, signed and hand numbered.

WAV File is a limited edition series of sonic postcards that are each dedicated to a body of water and feature an engraved audio recording that is playable on a regular turntable. The process is inspired by similarly etched sound postcards prevalent in Communist Poland during the 1960s, which were used to smuggle in and distribute banned Western music.

For the first card, sTo Len captures his memory of kayaking on the Potomac River with a photograph and a field recording created on that trip. The recording was then played live through analog effect pedals and re-recorded for the River of Swans. The title references the English translation of “Patawomke,” the Algonquian name for this section of the River that is south of Great Falls in Virginia. The end result is a lo-fi watery drone missive with rhythmic rowing sounds, chirping insects, locked grooves and shimmering waves.

Each card can be addressed to the recipient with an optional personal message by the artist or left blank. Due to the lo-fi nature of the engraving, there may be unintentional locked grooves and background hiss but a longer and more pristine download version comes with the record.