News and events

December 2024 // Audio piece // Awakening

Working on the final mix of Awakening, an exciting collabration with composer and musician Mhairi Hall, at Gorbals Sound Studio with Kevin Burleigh. Supported through the Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes and Livelihoods seed fund scheme and the Scottish Funding Council. Sounds coming soon.

November 2024 // Sound sculpture // Land Curves: Finse

Land Curves: Finse - Our interactive sound sculpture (Holbrook, U.A.S. and Mair, K.) features as a public installation at Waterstone’s bookshop Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, during Nordic Music Days.

November 2024 // Masterclass // Intro to Field and Alternative Recording Techniques

Presenting a masterclass in alternative sound recording techniques with Ulf A.S. Holbrook at NordEX Music Exchange Programme during Nordic Music Days. Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow.

July 2024 // Scientific research // Sounding Out the River

Hydroacoustic research on Monitoring and Modelling Sediment Transport for Risk Management at the School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh.

June 2024 // Sound recording // Indoor hidden sounds

Recording weird and wonderful hidden indoor sounds using unconventional microphone techniques for a new project with composer Mhairi Hall supported through the Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes and Livelihoods seed fund scheme and the Scottish Funding Council.

April 2024 // Paper published // Stratigraphy and structure of Chachahuén Volcanic Complex, southern Mendoza province, Argentina

Our paper on the Chachahuén Volcanic Complex, Argentina is now published in the Journal of South American Earth Sciences. Thanks to the team for their efforts getting this out.

October 2023 // Panel presentation // Sounds of water environments under stress

Panel presentation with Eleni-Ira Panourgia on Sounds of water environments under stress during UNESCO Week of Sound, Edinburgh 2023.

September 2023 // Listening project // 100 Found Sounds

100 Found Sounds is a listening project to seek out, record and share sonic snippets of daily life, every day for 100 days. Part of the 100daysprojectscotland2023.

July 2023 // Paper published // Impact of permeability evolution in igneous sills on hydrothermal flow

Ole Rabbel’s paper, combining geological field observations from Neuquén Basin (Argentina) and numerical modelling of hydrothermal fluid flow, is open access for all to enjoy.

June 2023 // Paper published // Creating Soundtracks for Geoscience

This project based on our Friction EP explores the use of non-speech audio as a tool for accessible or augmented learning. Read about the project or download pdf here.

May 2023 // EP release // Friction

Friction EP - a sonic exploration of frictional processes at play as geological faults slide (Termote E. and Mair K.) released on soundcloud and bandcamp

December 2022 // Launch // KarenMairDesign

Launch of my freelance company KarenMairDesign, Edinburgh, Scotland

November 2022 // Installation // Land Curves: Finse

Land Curves: Finse - Interactive sound sculpture, Territories Exhibition, Lydgalleriet Bergen, Norway (Holbrook, U.A.S. and Mair, K.)

November 2022 // Album release // Murmuration 3: Species

Compilation album of field recordings, Glenshee, Scotland (curated by Jez Riley French and released on Bandcamp). Responsible for track 14, Linn of Dee Tree (Mair K. and Sturgeon J.)

2022 // Exhibition // Our Porous World

Science communication exhibition, University of Bergen Museum, Norway (provided recordings of rock crushing sounds)

April 2022 // Invited Talk // Sonification for geoscience

Invited talk on Sonification for Geoscience: Turning data into sound, in GeoWednesday (Geoønsdag) lecture series, Science library, University of Oslo, Norway

January 2022 // Invited contribution // Ramsay lecture

My fold sonification work is featured in Professor Clare Bond’s moving tribute on the life and work of the iconic geologist Professor John G Ramsay at Tectonic Studies Group Meeting, 2022

November 2021 // Degree awarded // MScR

Awarded the degree of Master of Science by Research (MScR) in Sound Design, Reid School of Music, Edinburgh College of Art, The University of Edinburgh

Thesis: Fieldtrips through sound

November 2020 // Degree awarded // MA

Awarded the degree of Master of Arts (MA) in Design Informatics, Edinburgh College of Art, The University of Edinburgh

Thesis: Sounding out the environment

November 2018 // Public engagement // Interactive listening lab on rock music

Presented an Interactive Listening Lab on Rock Music during public engagement Science Saturday event as part of Rip it up: The Story of Scottish pop” exhibition, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK, (Mair, K. and Barrett, N.)

September 2018 // Promotion //

Promotion to Full Professor in geomechanics at the University of Oslo, Norway