An incredible piece of writing that means a lot to me - https://overgroundunderground.co.uk/blog/f/kin-listener
“Minton is the king whisperer, beginning with some magnificent whispers. I hear and read these sounds as a way of calling Fowler to him as a chimpanzee might call out the discovery of fruit trees. Minton is signaling the promise of something fruitful to come. The opening encapsulates their shared history, beginning with the Feral Choir. Fowler and Minton’s performance is different in the sense that they have become each other’s ideal listener here.
Fowler is the kind whisperer in the beginning of the duet. It is important to note that he is hosting the event which creates a kind of liminal double of himself. He is both human and chimpanzee. Fowler’s whimpering should not only be interpreted as an expression of his emotional state or pure imitation of chimps, it is giving the audience information about his relationship to Minton. The whimpering sounds he emits signal his position in the social hierarchy relative to Minton. He is identifying himself as more junior and lower in prestige. It is not uncommon for male chimps to form close friendships even and especially when they have unequal social status. In this performance, professional status is equated with social group hierarchy to reveal the similarities between literary scene and the forest.
Fowler and Minton are commenting on the nature of community and the community of nature in listening. Their familiarity is made a metaphor for the relationship between chimpanzees and humans. I felt that I was observing an interaction in the way a scientist might observe two highly intelligent individuals and it felt immaterial to me whether they were chimpanzees or humans. This discussion of literary and primate community building is especially well suited to the university setting. It does not matter whether the students are poets or anthropologists. Fowler and Minton performed their duet as part of the Writers Kingston event: Sound Poetry and Sonic Literature (01/02/22), at the Town House Building, Kingston University, London; an event open to the public. …. /
Fowler is the king listener. He is using sound poetry not simply to imitate, but to develop a greater sympathy for chimpanzees within himself and without the audience. Fowler’s exploration of chimpanzee vocalizations has been an ongoing project. When reflecting on his participation in the Feral Concord at Cafe Oto in February 2018, he considers the difference between solo and collaborative performance. Fowler writes: ‘I am therefore often at a remove, which is a grand thing most of the time, but also cautious, in this case, to not be the chimp whistling when others are singing or singing when others are whistling.’ [5] This conflating of human and chimpanzee sounds is intentional. Fowler is illustrating the complex dynamics of an improvisational collaborative performance by representing himself as a chimpanzee and the other performers as humans. ……………”