The Tragic Art of Eco-Sound

In this article, the author analyzes the work of two artists, Miki Yui and Jana Winderen, who respond to unprecedented ecological change by using nature field recordings as the foundational element of their compositions and installations. Their works replicate environmental dissolution and dislodge listeners from the habits and assumptions of everyday life. The author draws upon the work of sociologist Henri Lefebvre, defining rhythmanalysis, the everyday, and, in Lefebvre’s words, the “dialectical dynamic between tragedy and daily life.”