About Sounds of the Desert Lighthouse

Sounds of the Desert Lighthouse is a sonic portrait of  a fully functioning lighthouse in the Mojave Desert located near Hinkley, California. Militarized airspace, a toxic plume below the ground, and a nearby town on the fringe of society - the vicinity of the Desert Lighthouse is a diverse cross-section of the American West in the 21st Century. Listeners will hear: local residents telling conspiracies and folklore about the Desert Lighthouse, sonic booms ringing out overhead as fighter jets perform war-games, nearby gun battles breaking out, intercepted radio transmissions - all over a chorus of sounds made from the lighthouse including: creaking and crackling from it’s thermal expansion in the extreme climate, whistling and rattling from the harsh desert wind blowing against the structure, and more.

Recorded by “Keeper of the Hinkley Light” Daniel Hawkins using the Tascam Portacapture X8 in 32-bit Stereo - this unique collection of recordings carries forward the tradition of Moses Asch’s Folkway Records “Sounds of” Series. Additional select recordings were captured with the Flanger FA-01 Contact Microphone and the Rode Link with Lavalier Microphone.

About the Desert Lighthouse

Desert Lighthouse was conceived by Daniel Hawkins during an agoraphobic panic attack while traveling through the Mojave Desert. After nearly 10 years of planning, construction on the Desert Lighthouse was completed in 2017 and operations began July 1st. Standing nearly 50ft tall, the Desert Lighthouse features a marine rated rotating beacon as well as internal LED lighting and is powered via Solar Panels.

Since it’s inaugural lighting, the Desert Lighthouse has provided nearly uninterrupted illumination to a complex area of California’s High Desert. Located on the edge of the PG&E Hexavelant Chromium environmental disaster - not far from militarized airspace and the I-15 corridor to Las Vegas - Desert Lighthouse has become a beacon of hope for locals who have faced decades of turmoil. The location has become a gathering place for locals, art tourists, sightseers, wayward travelers, as well as a staging ground for rescue operations for individuals lost in the surrounding desert. Locals were inspired by the lighthouse’s unwavering beacon to build a makeshift memorial for their passed away loved ones at the site.