Breton Cassette will proudly share this little treasure;
release # 50
Eeehhh— [inhale] — Mhm — i-is this an emotional question?
by Clara Mosconi
This is Mosconi`s second cassette publication on Breton following up on Voicing a choreography of Echo in 2022.
So thankful for being able to shed a light on Mosconi´s work again, truly an anniversary edition!
Eeehhh— [inhale] — Mhm — i-is this an emotional question?
On this cassette tape, you will listen to a conversation between me and Sara Mlakar about multilingualism. The recording is one of many. Since 2022, I have been gathering interviews with bi- and multilingual people to explore the challenges and potentials of having multiple linguistic tongues.
Growing up bilingual, yet experiencing my second language fade over the years, I became interested in how communication extends beyond language, and fascinated by the gaps and uncontrollable nuances of the non-verbal sphere — such as sighs, laughter, hesitations, or pauses —
the spaces in speech that carry emotional subtleties and bodily traces of communication.
While listening to the many interviews I have recorded, I marked and categorized all instances of non-verbal communication that emerged in our conversations. This process resulted in 32 sounds, each assigned an intuitive symbol and representing a specific non-verbal utterance. Together, they constitute the Paralingual Index.
Flipping the tape, you will hear the very same conversation between me and Sara — but without words. I collaborated with Italian soprano Felicita Brusoni on a vocal interpretation of the graphic score accompanying the cassette. The score is composed using the 32 symbols from the index.
From the gaps of Sara’s multilingual tongue, a new language emerges — one that shapes and sounds both peculiar and strangely familiar. I see these paralingual transcriptions as portraits of unique voices — as new graphic materials open to sonic interpretation.
I see these paralingual transcriptions as portraits of unique voices — as new graphic materials open to sonic interpretation. The Paralingual Index also exists as a digitized typeface in the form of a
font, which is free and available for download at: claramosconi.com/Paralingual-Index.
Thanks for listening!
Clara
Released by Breton Cassette /25
Clara Mosconi (b. 1995, DK/IT) is educated at Malmö Art Academy (SE), Bergen Art Academy (NO), and the Iceland University of the Arts (IS). She works with voice and language, particularly within the context of multilingualism, through spatial sound installations, performances, and publications. Rooted in the gradual fading of her second language, Italian, her work with paralinguistics explores what is lost—and what can be reimagined—when words slip away. In response, she has developed practices that resist and redefine the boundaries of linguistic belonging.
Breton Cassette is a small, artist-run initiative that operates in the free field and serves as an archive and independent alternative platform for sound projects and publications. Based in Oslo, Breton
Cassette publishes physical releases of auditory projects on cassette in collaboration with visual artists who work interdisciplinary with sound, music and visual art. Breton Cassette was founded in 2019 by Pernille Meidell.
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