The SARS Virus

Owing to increasingly difficult navigation, downloads and other problems with Last.FM, SARS is migrating to Archive.Org very shortly. New material will follow as soon as this is complete.

The Sonic Aggregate Reappropriation System (SARS) is a FREE downloadable archive of RAW MATERIAL sound recordings by artists for artists. The SARS Virus is an open source-style experimental sound project initiated by artist Seth Guy (Brignell) in 2009 . His own contributions to the project includes a vast amount of raw material resulting from object actions and material manipulations recorded as material for solo & collaborative works conducted from 2001 to the present.

Background

The concept for SARS arose in 2008 from working with a wealth of submitted material as part of a file-sharing project (see www.last.fm/music/London+Concrete, Reaktions). What became apparent was not simply how different the material was, but how different the methods, media and construction of that the artists employed. What also transpired was how common it was for a great amount of material recorded by artists was never used and was simply discarded. Why discard when one can share?

It became clearer and clearer too that it isn't possible to fully explore every avenue of sound-making, that methods and approaches, not to mention access to different technologies etc was out of the question to most people as they learned so in settling for one approach their work invariably took on the identity of that way of working.

SARS hopes to readdress this by giving artists the opportunity to share their raw materials so as to diversify the sound field, expose the actual substance of compositions to others and get people working out of their genre boxes. Its also hoped that as the catalogue grows and diversifies that it thus acts as much as an educational tool as it does a sound resource, a library within a library.

Contributions from artists:

Contributions are welcome from practicitioners working in any style/field but who would like to submit surplus RAW MATERIALS made by them for use by others. Contributions MUST be raw material, recorded/edited/manipualted by you. Raw materials include: field recordings, voice/vocals, different/handmade and adapted microphones, audio walks, concrete recordings eg object play/manipulation, acoustic instruments, mixes, contact mics, unusual/handmade instruments, hacks/bends, pick-ups, faulty kit, noise, self-made loops, scratching etc. Plunderphonics are also accepted but contributors must be selective and manipulate the material in some way. Make your sampling your own, play with it. All submitted material will be reviewed prior to uploading.

Remember this is a resource for other artists and musicians like you.Please see below for how to submit material. Contributors will be acknowledged below with links to their work/websites etc. If you download and use material from SARS please drop us a shout in the box below and provide a link to your work too.

All contributors must understand they waive their rights to their material, and acknowledge that others will download and use & manipulate they contributions and that they will receive no renumeration etc.

Contributions must be in mp3 format and recorded at 192kbs or higher at 44.1kHz..

Contributed tracks should ideally be small file sizes, short and grouped together if necessary in albums for ease of review and to simplify searches by visitors.

Some DO's & DON'TS:

Do contact SARS in the first instance, lets get to know each other!
Don't use FX. Thats for visitors to do post-download.
Don't send finished tracks or examples of your work.
Don't send things which already exist in abundance online or elsewhere.
Don't send huge amonts all at once, one at a time please!
Do check what others have done before making your selections.
Do understand this is not about money and copyright, its about the progression of ideas.

This is an experiment so teething problems are inevitable but all should work out fine with time.
Contact SG at: sbrignell@yahoo.co.uk