Exploring the Locus Onus app has been an eye opening experience, giving me much insight into the process of live streaming. I was given the opportunity to create a collage of sorts by melding various streams from different locations. Using Locus Onus’ sound map I decided to overlay a Wave Farm Pond Station in New York, Sounds picked up by a mic set up in a Brazilian rainforest and the auditory environment of a Dutch Farm. The ambience that ensued was fascinating as I was able to scultpure a completely different soundscape, giving the illusion that the resulting sound piece described a completely different location. The prevailing weather patterns, flora and fauna and general environment from all three rural locations gave rise to a very different sonic context. Specifically, I felt, a soundscape of a tropical beach, wind turning to waves. A subjective observation utilising the objectivity of the respective environments.
I also found the live stream broadcasting aspect much more engaging than listening to pre-recordings as the anticipation of discovering something unexpected in real-time felt exciting and inclusive.
Using my iphone to stream sounds from my garden via the Locus Cast app I pondered on the nature of streaming my own immediate environment and felt that it was interesting to hear sounds on my stream that have a place in my memory through day to day conscious and subconscious listening. Sounds that I may be used to, but now can hear in a different perspective. This idea of hearing your immediate environment in third person made it seem somewhat ghostly and voyeuristic, as if being watched (by myself). Simultaneously being the listener and the recorder. The Geo-locater (Sound map) added to this oppressive feeling of invasiveness of privacy and issues of self perception, despite having willingly chosen to stream my surroundings. A slight delay from my iphone to the actual stream (between 4 – 8 seconds) was also intriguing as it felt as if I was hearing a version of myself that no longer existed. Travelling through time via a sonic mirror.