top of page
Gregor Burney

The Distillation Of Sound

An audio-visual project by SKapade Studios and Glenfiddich Distillery



To celebrate World Whisky Day, we are pleased to share with you our collaboration with Glenfiddich which explores one of Scotland’s oldest and most loved industries through a shared love of electronic music. Glenfiddich is a family run distillery which has been making globally revered single malt Scotch whisky since 1887, and to partner with them on this has been an honour

The new documentary reveals how SKapade director Stephen Kirkwood worked alongside Glenfiddich ambassador David Allardice, to produce an ambient-electronic masterpiece using only sounds recorded from the Highland distillery.



As it turns out, we at SKapade and one of the country’s oldest distilleries share a very similar approach to production - using a blend of carefully selected elements to create one, perfectly balanced product.

Whisky barrels, copper pot stills and huge industrial machines were all used as original sounds in the project. However, perhaps the most significant and unique addition to the track was the voice of whisky making legend Dennis McBain, who has worked in the industry for almost 60 years.


The coppersmith’s lifelong passion for Glenfiddich runs throughout the track, providing an authentic listening experience that perfectly encapsulates the love that has gone into 130 years of making Scotland’s favourite whisky.




Based in the village of Dufftown, The Distillation of Sound celebrates Scottish heritage with a glimpse into one of the country’s most beautiful distilleries; and the creative process behind the production of a piece of music like no other.


Dave Paradice, Glenfiddich ambassador and project creator said: “The idea came to me a couple of years ago to fuse my passion for electronic music and whisky by creating a unique track using sounds recorded at the whisky distillery. I needed to find the right partner. Someone that could bring their own creativity to the project and that had an appreciation for all the elements involved - whisky, music and Scottish heritage.”

“An old friend of mine, Andy Begg suggested that I connect with Stephen on Instagram. I was already aware of Stephen’s reputation as a DJ/ producer and we started to message via social media. Within a few months we had built a rough plan. We lined up an amazing video production partnership with Enterprise Screens and off we went to the Scottish Highlands to record the sounds of distillation!”

Our very own Stephen Kirkwood said: “I was approached by Dave about a project that involved two of my favourite things - music and Scottish Whisky! As soon as we got chatting about the idea, I knew I was the person for the job. Ideas started flowing between us and before we knew it, we had Glenfiddich’s distillery booked out for a couple of days to record sounds of the whisky making process. What an honour it was to get the chance to go behind the scenes of one of the world’s most popular and sought-after whiskies!

“The documentary we produced gives a window into the traditional process of whisky making, a beautiful distillery and its people, as well as a unique look at how everyday sounds can be creatively transformed into a piece of music. What a truly amazing experience.”

Check out the documentary below and be sure to let us know what you think on social media with the hashtag #distillationofsound



51 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comentários


bottom of page