Fans of the party will know that between 5pm – 6pm we have a Meditation Hour. We appreciate that not everyone has the desire to sit still with their eyes closed for an hour, so we take an expansive view of what ‘meditation’ can encompass. We define it simple and loosely as anything that can help us become more aware of what’s going on outside our usual (and often anxious and repetitive) thoughts.
Past sessions have included Tai Chi sessions from Susanne Lin Jen, At Ease Guided Meditation from Gary Lawson, Breathwork Sessions from Jake and Sound Baths from Bill. It’s been a great way to get folk down to the party early and a great way to help people loosen up and relax into the night.
This time round we have Glasgow-based artist and DJ Emma Diamond leading a deep listening meditation session. We caught up with Emma to learn more about her artistic practice, what meditation means to her and what we can expect from her Meditation Hour on the 28th.
Hi Emma, we’re really buzzing to have you along to Good Clean Fun – for those who may be unfamiliar with the different projects you do, can you tell us a little about what you’ve been up to this year?
Thanks, I’m really excited for it! Looking back, this year has been quite a whirlwind actually. I was lucky to secure a space on the GLOSS (Glasgow’s Library of Synthesised Sound) Introduction to Electronic Music (aka. ITEM) workshop in January, which really lit a fire in me and gave me the confidence (and knowledge) to explore electronic music and sound design deeper. In April, I held my first sound-focused exhibition ‘hair.wav’ at Listen Gallery, collaborating with Loris S Sarid on the immersive sound piece and with Jordan MacRae on the video work.
I’ve travelled a bit with music this year, playing at a lovely listening bar in Amsterdam called Murmur, as well as an all-vinyl set in one of my favourite record shops – Objects & Sounds in Ghent. I’ve also played at various clubs and events across Glasgow, standouts including Sub Club, Rum Shack & Berkeley Suite – I also had a lovely full circle moment playing tunes in between live acts for an ITEM party at La Chunky. At the moment, I’m attending an online course through platform Soundial with the artist Slowfoam, focussing on Sonic Worldbuilding – I’m excited to see what extra layers my practice can gain through the elements we’re exploring on the course.
We try to take an expansive view of what meditation can mean and take the view that it can be anything that helps us be a little less stuck in our own heads and a little more aware of our surroundings. What sort of ways do you try and do this in your day to day life? What sort of things help you get out of your head?
I resonate with that idea, I think it’s important to view mindfulness as more of an approach to life, rather than something we try to do seated for 30 minutes a day. I used to attend more structured weekly group meditation classes, which I loved and gained a lot from. Nowadays I used what I’ve learned about mindfulness over the years in a bit of a more practical, every-day way. For example, the fundamental basics of any mindfulness practice – focussing on the breath, as well as body scans to check in with tensions we’re holding, or simply taking a moment to explore the sounds, smells and sights in our current environment.
I’ve felt really drawn to exploring the sounds around us in a curious way, encouraging myself to listen non-judgmentally, imagining them as separate from their source – especially sounds I’d usually find unpleasant. I used to always wear headphones and listen to music while walking, now I’m finding a lot of enjoyment in listening to the constantly changing sonic environment around us. This helps me feel present and reminds me to appreciate how unique each moment it.
We’re very curious about what your deep listening session will involve for us. Without giving too much away, could you give us a little hint of what to expect?
I view music as a tool for connection, whether that’s on the dance floor or at a deep listening ambient set, the goal for me is to allow people moments of both escapism and complete presence. I hope to take people on a journey – listening back to my past sets, it’s a theme I always find present. For this particular set I’m drawn towards a wide variety of genres, from Japanese environmental music to experimental electronics and classical.
How does preparing for this sort of setting differ from preparing for and DJing in a club?
The main difference for me is not having the expectation of keeping people dancing, especially in Glasgow where people typically favour fast-paced music. While, of course, dancing is lots of fun, I love the opportunity to design sets with different intentions too. This is music I listen to at home alone, on long train rides or in headphones at the beach and it feels really special to have the opportunity to share it with people. When selecting music for this kind of set, I’m much more focused on the overall journey I hope to take people on, encouraging reflection and escapism in a safe, non-judgemental environment, that we’re so lucky to have through Good Clean Fun!
Finally, a couple of your favourite tracks that help you unwind?
This one is really uplifting and beautiful, I find that the emotions it evokes vary a lot depending on my mood.
And this is my go-to song to help me fall asleep. Pauline Oliveros is endlessly magnificent and this track is from an album with a tongue-in-cheek title, Deep Listening, as it was recorded in a cavernous cistern in Washington. This underground water tank possesses a 45 second reverberation time, allowing for those incredibly vast sounds that you can really feel in your chest.
