VA - MAGMA: Materia en Vibración (2026)

This collection of sonic artworks is a gift for lovers of sound art, experimental music, and acoustic ecology who seek to explore new frontiers in listening and field recording via unconventional instruments. Using a device called MAGMA, a rich diversity of artists from across the planet has captured subtle vibrations, resonances and underlying rhythms of elements like water, earth, wind, and electromagnetism, in such contrasting locations as a beach in the periphery of the Torness nuclear power plant, in Scotland; a frozen river in Berlin; windy Patagonia; or the roots of a tree in Medellín. Conceived and carefully handcrafted in Medellín by Colombian artist and curator Jorge Barco, MAGMA is an amphibious device in the shape of a magnetic sphere. Based on piezoelectricity, this highly sensitive and resistant contact hydrophone was specifically designed to allow for deep sound exploration by apprehending the vibrations of natural, urban, domestic or studio environments. Within this compilation, pure and processed soundscapes come together —while everyday objects morph into musical instruments, and performative gestures explore the acoustic properties of various geological environments, territories, materials, and textures— based on the shared notion that the matter of the world is in constant vibration, and that listening to the non-human sounds contributes to more empathetic and ecological relationships with other forms of life. This compendium of creative exercises with piezoelectricity also hopes to provides fresh insight into a technology that continues to stimulate musicians and sound artists alike, by enabling a particular form of listening through physical contact, thus revealing both sonic materials and the materiality of sounds. MAGMA - Materia Vibrante can also be acquired under the shape of an actual MAGMA hydrophone. We love the idea of sharing such a tool within the context of a release, since it represents an open invitation for future MAGMA owners to participate in the next volume of this same record series. Additionally, we welcome you to download the free collective sound bank that weve put together —comprised of raw recordings and edited samples, which were used by some of the artists to create their sound works— and to use them in anyway you see fit. Curatorship, microphone design & manufacture: Jorge Barco Mastering: Lucas Palmeira Cover illustration: Lägrima Cover design: Nayara Siler Project management: Hugo Branco, Jorge Loura & Sofia Marques Translation: Ana Rita Lopes