The composition Cais do Sodré is based on a field recording of the ferry terminal of the same name in Lisbon, which connects the city across the Tejo river with locations on the opposite bank. Central to the recording are sharp metallic sounds that resonate in the rhythm of the waves, possessing a powerful and industrial sonic quality. Voices in the terminal’s access corridor acquire a distinctive coloration through the acoustics of the covered, enclosed space, while distant boat engines create a field of tension between proximity and distance.
The composition is derived from the sonic parameters of this material — microtonal structures, spectral profiles, and rhythmic patterns — and is written for electric bass, electric double bass, and electronics, unfolding between documentation and abstraction.
In its final phase, the unaltered recording re-emerges as a return to the origin and as a reflection on the relationship between environmental sound, artistic transformation, and perception.