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“Noise Terrorists” Will Broadcast Music in a Vast Scottish Forest, Then Destroy It


June 24, 2013 | Julia Dawidowicz

This August, dozens of musicians will use a solar-powered FM transmitter to broadcast never-before-heard songs for 24 hours… in the middle of Scotland’s Galloway Forest.

Songs from artists like Mogwai, Clint Mansell and Eccentric Research Counsel will be forever erased by a “government-strength deletion program” after they’ve played through the forest. There will be no cell phone reception or public transport into the woods. Only those who choose to trek into the certified “dark sky park”  — no light pollution, ideal for star-gazing — will experience the aural spectacle.

The music will be composed specifically to fit into one of three categories: Evening, dark, and day. It will play just loudly enough to make people outside of the forest wonder what is going on.

“It’s humbling to think that you have a silly idea about playing music in a forest that no one will listen to and that won’t really do anyone’s career any good, but it strikes a chord with people,” said Stuart McLean, the so-called “noise terrorist” who conceived the project. “People like the idea that there’s music playing in a forest but they don’t know if anyone’s listening to it. There’s a romance to it.”

Amazing.