Cover image: Listening Devices by Caitlind r.c. Brown & Wayne Garrett. Photo by Caitlind Brown
EARS HAVE EYES // Episode 52
Airing Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 11 am & 8 pm MST
on CJSW 90.9 FM, NAISA, & Golden Co-Op Radio
GRIEF 3:
rituals of listening
FEATURING:
Bill Vine
Justinas Stirblys
Michele Callà
Seah
Unlucky Ninjas
This program is co-hosted by Caitlind r.c. Brown & Wayne Garrett and edited by Caitlind Brown. Thanks to CJSW, Golden Co-Op Radio, and NAISA (especially Kaamil, Claire, and Darren) for supporting the show.
EARS HAVE EYES is a monthly sound art radio program airing on CJSW 90.9 FM in Calgary/Mohkinstsis, Golden Co-op Radio in Golden, BC, and NAISA Radio in South River, Ontario. You can listen to podcasts of previous episodes here.
This is Part 3 of our exploration of Grief, inviting a more elongated ritual of listening. Slow your breath and take your time as you listen to this episode. Allow your ears to guide you, gently, through a ritual of listening.
Thanks to the participating artists and our friends at CJSW, NAISA, and Golden Co-op Radio!
Bill Vine
Bill Vine is a UK-based composer and sound artist whose work spans modern classical chamber music, electroacoustic composition and theatre. He is Composer-in-Residence at Norwich Puppet Theatre. His recent work includes the premieres of five Occitan sonnet settings with French counter-tenor Paulin Bündgen, and “Ariéjo”, commissioned by veteran composer Gavin Bryars for his Gavin Bryars Ensemble (a world first as until this point they had never played music other than Gavin’s own). Bill holds a PhD in composition from the University of East Anglia.
About A Small Aperture:
“A Small Aperture is a composition made in celebration of the life of a dear friend, Daniela Bowker, taken from us far too soon by a particularly aggressive form of leukemia at the end of 2024. I am not a professional singer, but perform all parts and all instruments within this piece, which combines field recordings, clarinets, piano, and the words of Rabbi Sylvan Kamens and Rabbi Jack Riemer. The composition commemorates and celebrates, and reminds us that those we have lost will always be a part of us, and in that sense will always be here in some way. This was not a piece I wanted to write, but it was a piece that I had to write.“
Justinas Stirblys
Justinas Stirblys is a 44-year-old electronic music composer currently in the first year of the Master’s programme in Composition and Digital Technologies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Justinas artistic practice explores experimental sound, combining electronic synthesis, field recordings, and cultural archives. Alongside Justinas studies, the artist collaborates with local performance artists, developing interdisciplinary works at the intersection of sound, ritual, and contemporary art.
About Raštai:
“The philosophical and conceptual foundation of this work is grounded in the cyclical processes of birth, death, mourning, and rebirth. The composition integrates sampled Lithuanian kanklės and traditional funeral laments with electronic sound synthesis, noise, and glitch aesthetics. The kanklės function not only as a musical instrument but also as a symbolic medium: in Lithuanian tradition, it was believed that when a person was born a tree was planted, and after their death that tree was cut and transformed into kanklės, allowing the soul of the deceased to inhabit the instrument. This belief becomes a central metaphor within the piece, where sound itself undergoes transformation — moving from ethereal stillness through chaos and grief toward renewal — merging collective memory, ritual heritage, and contemporary digital processes into a continuous sonic passage.”
Michele Callà
Michele Callà is a contemporary composer and researcher specializing in musical theatre and film, he integrates traditional instrumental writing with advanced electroacoustic transformation and immersive audio technologies. Holding degrees in Composition from the Bonporti Conservatory and a Master’s in Music Theory, his award-winning catalog includes international successes like the 2025 production PUTTANA, recognized at New York’s Soho Playhouse and Edinburgh’s Summerhall for its innovative individual sound systems. An active member of GATM and SIMC, he manages the entire creative and technical workflow—from the initial score to the final master—while contributing to international musicology through scholarly publications and conferences.
About De Profundis:
“An electroacoustic journey inspired by Psalm 130, “De Profundis.” This composition explores the depths of anguish and supplication through the radical transformation of the human voice. Utilizing advanced techniques such as granular synthesis, spectral processing, filters, modulation (AM/FM/Ring Modulation), and dynamic phase shifting, the piece carves the voice, moving from ethereal whispers to distorted laments and dense sound clouds. Each vocal element is manipulated to evoke a sense of immersion and quest—from the initial darkness of the abyss to a culminating cry of hope or resignation. “De Profundis” is a sonic exploration of the soul, where the boundary between the human and the electronic dissolves, creating an intense and contemplative acoustic landscape.”
seah
seah is the artist name for Chelsea Heikes, an eco-somatic art practitioner working within the space of deep listening and critical feminist posthumanism. Their work spans performance art, video art, sound art, still image, and writing. seah is also half of the sound art duo, post doom romance and co-curates “morphological echo” on CAMP radio in France.
About between the lakes:
“‘between the lakes’ is how local authorities described the location of my brother’s death last February. This stretch of land is specifically between Pathfinder and Alcova, just outside Casper, Wyoming. Later I was actually able to glean a specific mile marker in an attempt to go out there and find his energy, but the poetic nature of the description resonates and I felt nothing out there. Nothing of my brother, really, since his death. I spent the next several weeks practicing the meditation rituals described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, while my brother traversed another liminal space of 49 days in the Bardo. This composition is about traversing liminality, searching for something when nothing is there, and holding space for uncertainty. It is made from one single live take of me playing the harmonium with synthesizer, flute, violin, bell, and field recordings layered in.“
Unlucky Ninjas
Unlucky Ninjas is an experimental Iranian trio based in Tehran, exploring microtonal music and world soundscapes. The ensemble features Arash Zarabi on contrabass, Bistquit on microtonal guitar, and Moli on tonbak. Over recent years, the group has collaborated with artists and vocalists from Afghanistan, Armenia, Japan, Turkey, and Iran, integrating diverse musical traditions into their experimental framework.
Their music combines ancient Iranian modal systems with contemporary improvisation, layered textures, and trio dynamics. The ensemble’s latest project, “The Sound of Hope: Return of the Light”, reflects resilience and creativity in times of conflict, crafted entirely in Tehran’s underground scene. Drawing inspiration from historical and cultural motifs, the group creates a sonic dialogue that is both intimate and universal, resonating across borders and traditions.
Unlucky Niinjas’ work is a testament to innovation, cross-cultural collaboration, and the transformative power of sound, inviting listeners into a world where microtonality and improvisation illuminate hope amidst darkness.
About Dokhtar Zholide Return of the Light:
“‘Dokhtar Zholide Return of the Light’ reflects resilience and creativity in challenging times. Inspired by the richness of Iranian modal systems and ancient musical forms, we blend them with modern microtonal experimentation. The project embodies a journey through trio improvisation, layered soundscapes, and cross-cultural dialogue, capturing moments of hope amidst darkness.”
Thank you to the artists & listeners!
Special thanks to CJSW.
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