Forma works with sound recordist Chris Watson to produce his sound installations formed from wildlife and on location recordings. Whispering in the Leaves was the first major sound installation Forma produced with Chris, a commission by AV Festival 08. Derived from Watson's extensive archive of recordings in Central and South America, the surround soundscape is diffused through the tropical foliage of the enclosed botanical environment. At the AV Festival, this space was Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens. More recently, Whispering in the Leaves was shown at Perth International Arts Festival. From May - September 2010, the work will be part of Kew Gardens' Summer Festival, installed in the iconic Palm House. The work uses sound recordings to transport visitors to far-flung and extraordinary places. Another major sound installation is currently in development.
Chris Watson is a sound recordist specialising in natural history, with a particular and passionate interest in recording the wildlife sounds of animals, habitats and atmospheres from around the world. His work as a wildlife sound recordist includes both television documentaries and experimental music collaborations.
In 1971, he was a founding member of the influential Sheffield–based electronic music pioneers Cabaret Voltaire. Watson's sound recording career began in 1981 when he joined Tyne Tees Television. In this year, he also became founder member of the experimental music group The Halfer Trio.
He has released three solo albums of field recordings: Outside the Circle of Fire, Stepping into the Dark (which won an Award of Distinction at the 2000 Prix ARS Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria), and Weather Report. He has also released a variety of works in collaboration with other artists, including Star Switch On with Mika Vainio of Pan Sonic, Philip Jeck, Hazard, Fennesz, AER, and Biosphere. He has also released two CDs with Swedish sound artist BJ Nilsen. All of these recordings were released on Touch.
His work as sound recordist for BBC TV includes The Life of Birds for BBC TV – BAFTA Award for Best Factual Sound 1998 (David Attenborough), The Life of Mammals for BBC TV 2001/2 (David Attenborough), and Big Cat Diary for BBC TV 1998-2002 (Simon King/Saba Douglas–Hamilton/Jonathan Scott).
For Radio, his sound recordings can be heard on A Swallow's Journey for BBC Radio 4 – Sony Radio Award Nominee 2002, A Small Slice of Tranquillity for BBC Radio 4 2003, Soundscape for BBC Radio 4 2004, The Oak Tree for BBC Radio 4 2006 – featured in BBC Radio's Pick of the Year, Sounds of the Galapagos for BBC Radio 4 2006. Nature: Starling Roost for BBC Radio 4 2007, TouchRadio, The Galapagos Islands – an audio diary 2006.
In 2006 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology degree by the University of the West of England "in recognition of his outstanding contribution to sound recording technology, especially in the field of natural history and documentary location sound".
