by Ricky Garni

If I could be anything in the world,
I would like to be a sound effects record
of various airplanes in flight.

Airplanes sound powerful because-they are!

Sound effect records of airplanes in flight
sound powerful not because they are, but
because they know the right people, like,
for instance, sound recording engineers, and
also they know airplanes without whom none
of this would be possible. They know airplanes
intimately.

They are the rosin on the bow of the
violin of the airplane in flight before it does
a power dive.

Their hearts beat in unison during a barrel roll.
Whose hearts? Their hearts.

Imagine a dusty recording studio, a bunch
of recording mics, a guy, or even several
guys, all in white shirts that are rolled up
to the elbows, and many cigars lying around,
in ashtrays. Filthy ashtrays, and a palpable
anticipation.

Now imagine putting all of that stuff in a
big Waring blender and turning it on to -9-
which is -liquify- and waiting around a few
minutes. Watch the violin bow fly out.

There is nothing like the sound of a steady wire
whine of a dying DC-2 motor as it plummets
to earth.

No one knows the DC-2 anymore. He walks
among us: silently, regally, old. He walks
but does not plummet. Once he was the king.
Now he is silent, regal, old & also, bald.

I am glad that I am a sound effects recording
of it, and not it per se, or at least I am glad that
this is what I want to be, instead of it really,
which I don’t.

You can do what you want!

As they say on vinyl: start on the outside,
and work your way in.