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What Passes Through the Earth, 2024
By Aurélien Caillaux and Benoit Bories
Co-production: Reconnexions Département de l'Aude / RTBF La Première / Les Voix de Traverse / Faïdos Sonore
Versions: 14.2 for live performance and stereo for radio and podcast broadcast

Premiere Performance
What Passes Through the Earth was presented for the first time on September 21 at sunset in the village of Villerouge-Termenès, one of the central locations in the narrative. The performance took the form of a concert, with the audience seated in a field facing the mountain range adjacent to Villerouge-Termenès. The sound creation was broadcast through a spatialized setup of fourteen speakers surrounding the audience.

A Journey Through the Gestures and Knowledge of the Hautes-Corbières

Meeting daily with a starling, a master imitator of village sounds.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of the nightingales' songs.
Being continually amazed by the variations in the blackbird’s calls.
Observing a plant beyond the reductive label of "weeds."
Keeping alive the myth of mushroom spots "somewhere around here."
Feeling the excitement of spotting a scavenging fly long absent from view.
Reading the landscape to uncover the history of peasant practices.
Working the land, but also taking the time to do it collectively.
Listening to the elders to learn how to work together.
Taking these moments as opportunities to celebrate.
Experimenting with new farming practices rooted in ancient knowledge.
Recognizing the unique traits of farm animals.
Treating fragile places with care.
Sharing the magic of these treasured locations with newcomers.
Playing like a child, letting yourself be carried away by the rhythms of bottling machines.
Handling the earth to create natural coatings for a home.
Watching and waiting patiently to spot a genet while tuning into the rhythms of wildlife near a watering hole.

This list is far from exhaustive. It captures only some of the gestures and know-how we recorded while following the inhabitants and farmers of the Hautes-Corbières over four seasons.

What Passes Through the Earth is a documentary and musical sound story composed of the everyday sounds that reflect a profound connection to the land, passed down between generations.