ArtistDirect News
Saint Silvas Forager Turns Vermont Soundscapes Into an Audio Collage Album
From the misty banks of Indian Brook to the rhythmic waves of Texaco Beach, Vermont’s wilderness is about to become an audio collage. Benjamin Cooley—who performs as Saint Silva—has crafted a full‑length record that transforms those natural sounds into a sonic tapestry. Titled Forager, the album will drop on July 17, arrive on cassette, and be celebrated with a release show on July 24 at Big Lake Recording Studios in Burlington. The project promises a fresh listening experience that blurs the line between field and studio.
Cooley’s journey began in the field. With a handheld recorder tucked into his backpack, he hiked the Milton Town Forest, the Dead Creek corridor near Vergennes, and other local sites around Indian Brook Reservoir. The sounds—water lapping, bird calls, wind rustling, and the distant hum of waves—served as raw material. Later, he layered these recordings with synthesizers, tape loops, and other electronic processing, turning the landscape into a living, breathing collage.
The album’s concept emerged from a collaboration with a multimedia artist who taught Cooley how to assemble disparate pieces into a cohesive whole. He describes Forager as “inspired by collage” and notes that the partnership forced him to rethink sound collage beyond traditional boundaries. This new perspective is evident in the way he blends organic field recordings with synthetic textures, creating a dialogue between nature and technology.
Cooley’s musical roots stretch back to piano and guitar lessons and his high‑school band, Fever Blanket. The COVID‑19 pandemic gave him time to experiment with synthesizers and electronic production while working from home, eventually birthing the Saint Silva persona. Unlike many electronic musicians who rely on commercial sound libraries, he built Forager almost entirely from his own field recordings, even incorporating sounds captured on his rewilded backyard where birds and other wildlife now thrive.
Musically, the record balances organic and synthetic elements. On one track, irregular rhythms formed by Texaco Beach waves converse with a soaring synthesizer line, while other tracks weave bird calls, running water, and ambient environmental sounds into the musical landscape. Cooley argues that the supposed divide between ‘man‑made’ and ‘nature’ is a false dichotomy, and his album exemplifies that convergence.
By day, Cooley works in data visualization and creative coding. He sees a parallel between turning numbers into pictures and turning recorded sounds into sonic images. This synergy has led him to merge generative visuals, coding, and music, bringing his professional and artistic worlds closer together. The result is a holistic creative process that informs both his visual and auditory outputs.
Forager marks several milestones for Cooley: his first full‑length album that he views as a complete artistic statement, his first release backed by a record label, and his first physical cassette edition. The cassette will be available exclusively at the July 24 release show, where Nashville‑based pedal steel guitarist Luke Schneider will join him on stage. Through his Instagram @st.silva.music, Cooley shares field recordings, studio experiments, and invites listeners to co‑experience the music.
Cooley’s journey began in the field. With a handheld recorder tucked into his backpack, he hiked the Milton Town Forest, the Dead Creek corridor near Vergennes, and other local sites around Indian Brook Reservoir. The sounds—water lapping, bird calls, wind rustling, and the distant hum of waves—served as raw material. Later, he layered these recordings with synthesizers, tape loops, and other electronic processing, turning the landscape into a living, breathing collage.
The album’s concept emerged from a collaboration with a multimedia artist who taught Cooley how to assemble disparate pieces into a cohesive whole. He describes Forager as “inspired by collage” and notes that the partnership forced him to rethink sound collage beyond traditional boundaries. This new perspective is evident in the way he blends organic field recordings with synthetic textures, creating a dialogue between nature and technology.
Cooley’s musical roots stretch back to piano and guitar lessons and his high‑school band, Fever Blanket. The COVID‑19 pandemic gave him time to experiment with synthesizers and electronic production while working from home, eventually birthing the Saint Silva persona. Unlike many electronic musicians who rely on commercial sound libraries, he built Forager almost entirely from his own field recordings, even incorporating sounds captured on his rewilded backyard where birds and other wildlife now thrive.
Musically, the record balances organic and synthetic elements. On one track, irregular rhythms formed by Texaco Beach waves converse with a soaring synthesizer line, while other tracks weave bird calls, running water, and ambient environmental sounds into the musical landscape. Cooley argues that the supposed divide between ‘man‑made’ and ‘nature’ is a false dichotomy, and his album exemplifies that convergence.
By day, Cooley works in data visualization and creative coding. He sees a parallel between turning numbers into pictures and turning recorded sounds into sonic images. This synergy has led him to merge generative visuals, coding, and music, bringing his professional and artistic worlds closer together. The result is a holistic creative process that informs both his visual and auditory outputs.
Forager marks several milestones for Cooley: his first full‑length album that he views as a complete artistic statement, his first release backed by a record label, and his first physical cassette edition. The cassette will be available exclusively at the July 24 release show, where Nashville‑based pedal steel guitarist Luke Schneider will join him on stage. Through his Instagram @st.silva.music, Cooley shares field recordings, studio experiments, and invites listeners to co‑experience the music.