Name: Nicholas Maloney aka Blanket Swimming aka Thar Desert
Occupation: Composer, sound artist, field recorder, producer
Nationality: American
Recent release: Nicholas Maloney's latest album under his Blanket Swimming alias, Chase The Cloud If You Are Not The Cloud, is out via Anticipating Nowhere. He also has a new album under his own name, Listening to time passing by (Silent Series #2, 2022). The latter is available via his personal bandcamp store.

If you enjoyed these thoughts by Nicholas Maloney and would like to find out more about his work, visit his official website. He is also on Instagram.



Can you talk a bit about your interest in or fascination for sound? What were early experiences which sparked it?

For me, the experience of sound is a door to the imaginative realm.

I mean this in the sense that we are constantly receiving sensory input and processing (or unconsciously blocking it out) in some way with our mind / body. When engaging with sound in a conscious way, this for me engages the creative mind since I am putting forth the effort to listen actively and therefore create a new experience / reality for myself.

In this way the possibilities and ways of engaging with sound and the created sound world of the mind become limitless. I think this is why I am so fascinated with it and am never short on ideas.

My earliest experiences with sound as a kid were being drawn to classical music, learning piano, and listening to cassettes and CDs on a small, portable stereo boombox. I think I was equally fascinated by the medium of the cassette tape as I was the music coming off of it. The fact that there was actual sound embedded in some mysterious way on these physical items sparked my intrigue and imagination.

Also, having one of those noise machines meant to help you fall asleep was a big influence. It would never actually help me fall to sleep because I would be so interested in the different ambiances, such as the white noise of a waterfall or ocean, that I would just lay in my bed until late at night and listen.

Which artists, approaches, albums or performances using sound in an unusual or remarkable way captured your imagination in the beginning?

When I discovered Merzbow for the first time my entire world changed. At the time, I was playing in a post-rock band and so I was listening to groups such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, etc. I was very drawn to the heavy noise these groups would employ, the dynamic changes, the field recordings and samples … but I had never heard actual noise music yet.

The album Dharma by Merzbow was the first noise record I actually sat down and listened to front to back and is still one of my favorites.



I never knew that music could be like this. It was in fact the sound I had been searching for all along but never knew existed, never knew was possible, or even acceptable to make as it shattered all of my traditional musical notions and framework.

Working predominantly with field recordings and sound can be an incisive step / transition. Aside from musical considerations, there can also be personal motivations for looking for alternatives. Was this the case for you, and if so, in which way?

There’s personal motivations for most things, so yes. I think this decision to work with sound was something I needed to do in a way.

I enjoyed playing guitar and writing music in the post rock band I played in. I just wanted to explore the limits of my instrument through heavy effects and make winding, long songs. Really, with all of the groups I was a part of early on I was seeking to do something unconventional. I also felt I had something that could not fully be expressed in a band setting.

I think the shift towards a sound-focused practice allowed me to fully get the things out that I needed to, only later to realize that sound is universal and it was no longer about me or making music.

How would you describe the shift of moving towards music which places the focus foremost on sound, both from your perspective as a listener and a creator?

The great thing about working with sound as your primary medium is that it’s easier to be both the listener and creator, at least for me. Often I listen back to something I made a month later and I don’t remember all or most of it, allowing me to hear it in a fresh way.

Regardless, it is now being heard by a different me in a different time and sounds different because of that. Sound has so much nuance it is easy to listen to something repeatedly and notice different things each time in yourself and the music. You are also traveling to a different headspace each time.

I curate a label called asonu and focus on music with long durations. When your focus is unbroken for a long time you can rest in spaciousness.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and working with sound? Do you see yourself as part of a tradition or historic lineage when it comes to your way of working with sound?

Definitely. I cannot deny the link between certain predecessors and the influence they have had on my work. Particularly Pierre Schaeffer’s idea of acousmatic music. It is this idea of freeing a sound from its cause-object relationship that forms much of the basis of my work.

[Read our Jean-Michel Jarre interview about Pierre Schaeffer, the originators of electronic music and his time at the GRM]

For me, this does not mean a complete veiling from the listener of any background or conceptual information on the processes and methods used to produce a piece or the place in which the sounds were recorded for this can often provide relevant or interesting layers to the holistic work. Instead, this freeing of sounds from their origin acts as a method of engagement that aids in an openness to alternate modes of sonic perception.

This idea (of a way of listening free from preconceptions or cause-object pondering) does not just apply to the music I make with field recording / environmental sound but also the more musical / ambient works I make as Blanket Swimming. It is not that important for me to explain myself, processes, or sound sources in-depth when presenting a new work, regardless of the concept behind the piece. I simply wish for the recordings to act as sonic-palettes for individual exploration.

No matter the "source" of the sound, when a recording is made it becomes its own entity. When we engage with sound with this in mind, it is possible to go beyond attempts at preservation and move towards expansion.

What are the sounds that you find yourself most drawn to? Are there sounds you reject – if so, for what reasons?

I am not a perfectionist when it comes to sound or recording and tend to welcome the “imperfections” when recording a synth or guitar track in the studio or if a surprising interjection happens in a field recording. Depending on the context of what I am using, the newly made recording for, I may choose to edit certain sounds out to achieve a specific result.

This is not to say I “reject” any sound but I do tend to hone in on a specific aesthetic for each new piece and discard sounds or instrument takes that do not fit. This could mean extensive EQing to remove a particular frequency range that distracts from my intended focal point. In regards to sounds I am most drawn to, anything that promotes a sense of openness of mind and senses.

In my work as Blanket Swimming, this typically means soft synth pads, dreamy string samples, washed out guitar, or warm analog distortion … In the work under my given name this could mean the quiet whirr of an air conditioning unit, the white noise of a vent, the subtle rumbles picked up by a contact mic on a window…

I am drawn to the sound of air and water especially. There is a certain lightness that is captivating to me. This fascination is how my project Thar Desert started.

As creative goals and technical abilities change, so does the need for different tools of expression, from instruments via software tools and recording equipment. Can you describe this path for you personally starting from your first studio/first instruments and equipment? What motivated some of the choices you made in terms of instruments/tools/equipment over the years?

I am not by any stretch a “gear person” and have always utilized what I have readily available. Since I come from playing guitar in bands, my first setups were always focused around guitar pedals, arranging them in unique ways, experimenting with feedback loops and various sound sources. I still use the same core effects units for my hardware rig, only now I utilize the laptop much more for processing / arranging.

I am typically not concerned with conventional notions of fidelity and have always welcomed the use of recording via any means. Over the years I have used everything from 4-track cassette recorders, handheld portable recorders, and even iPhone recordings to capture sound. I most often use a Zoom H4N or just my studio interface+laptop for recording purposes. I do much more work “in the box” now than I ever have before.

The most recent change was learning the basics of Max/MSP, which has opened many new avenues and realms of possibility in terms of production, composition, and improvisation. No matter the “source” of the sound, using a DAW, laptop, or software such as Max, opens up the possibility to achieve virtually any timbre or sound I can imagine, which of course if pretty useful.

Where do you find the sounds you're working with? How do you collect and organise them?

It depends on the project. Generally, I tend to record very intuitively and spontaneously. When the urge comes or inspiration strikes, I act upon it immediately using whatever recording device I have readily available. Once I have started a project and have an idea of where it is headed, then I will plan things more intentionally, for instance going to a specific outdoor area and bringing certain microphones with me to gather the sounds I think will be appropriate.

I find my sounds in my immediate, daily environment most of the time. Of course I will bring my field recorder if I am going on a long hike in a new area but most of the time daily life is filled with enough sounds that I never tire from recording sounds around my apartment or neighborhood.

The transformation of sounds is the crucial act for me. Gathering the sounds is the start but it does not matter if they are perfect, clean, or recorded “properly.” Transforming and arranging the sounds with the DAW then creates the imagined environment I am inspired to create.

The possibilities of modern production tools have allowed artists to realise ever more refined or extreme sounds. Is there a sound you would personally like to create but haven't been able to yet?

I would like to create a piece that lasts several days but does not cause ear fatigue. The perfect combination of meditative frequencies and soothing white noise that envelops the listener in a cloud.

Lately I have been producing my longest works to date (such as Thar Desert - Transmission SD87522b which is a continuous 6 hour track, and Blanket Swimming - Cloudlands which is 12 tracks totaling over 10 hours).



I want to keep exploring the possibility of extended durational works, given that this is possible now with today’s production tools, and see how far I can take it. When you are in a certain sound-space for so long, really interesting things begin to happen …

How do you see the relationship between sound, space and composition?

These three things are very closely interrelated.

Sound can only be experienced in space. This might mean vibration traveling through the air in a room or your physical body picking up vibration from the surroundings. Composition is a way to exert will in combination with sound and space to achieve an outcome / listening experience. Being conscious of the relationship among these is critical in my practice. To create a new space via composition, sound and space must be shaped in a certain way.

The idea of acoustic ecology has drawn a lot of attention to the question of how much we are affected by the sound surrounding us. What's your take on this and on acoustic ecology as a movement in general?

Our environment has a pronounced effect on our daily lives. The traffic outside my window can cause me physical discomfort sometimes. Even still, I use these sounds and turn them into something I enjoy to hear. I am drawn to ambient music as well as quiet sound because it creates a world that exists within but separate from the noise of humans. I think we need this now more than ever.

As far as “acoustic ecology” as a movement and as it relates to sonic art, I am not so much interested in this. Though of course there is some link between recorded environmental sound and the physical space that the sounds originated, my motives are not documentary in respect to the environment.

We can listen to a pop song or open our window and simply take in the noises of the environment. Without going into the semantics of 'music vs field recordings', in which way are these experiences different and / or connected, do you feel?

What converts a sound into music is a decision. When the decision is there, so is the music.

The difference for me in taking in the noise of the environment vs. listening to a recording is aesthetic in nature. When I record a sound I believe it becomes abstracted. It is easier for me to listen to a recording and let go than it is to deeply listen to an environment without headphones due to my relationship to the physical place.

Not to say one is “better” than the other but when it comes to the experience of the two, listening to an environment tends to feel more like a universal, human experience whereas a recording feels more personal.

From the concept of Nada Brahma to "In the Beginning was the Word", many spiritual traditions have regarded sound as the basis of the world. Regardless of whether you're taking a scientific or spiritual angle, what is your own take on the idea of a harmony of the spheres and sound as the foundational element of existence?

Funnily enough, I named a Blanket Swimming album that was released last year after this concept of Nada. Sound is vibration and all physical and extra-physical things that make up the universe vibrate at some frequency. So, I would agree that sound forms the foundation for existence.



I would also say my artistic practice is a spiritual practice. By creating new sound, new life and new vibrations come into the world. It is easier for me to not take much credit for my own work. It originates from somewhere else (non-physical / non-localized sphere) and I simply help bring about the conditions necessary for it to actualize.