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Global Sonic Cultures VISITING PRACTITIONERS

Exploring Khyam Allami

Intro

Possibly my favourite speaker from the visiting practitioner series, Khyam Allami offers a very different perspective on the relationship between the western musical system and other more marginalised musical cultures. Specifically honing in on tuning systems and microtonality, his opinions on the subconscious western bias we are all subject to has definitely made an impact on the way I now view western confines of music.

Khyam Allami – Background

Born in Damascus, Syria, Khyam Allami migrated to London at the age of 9. His renewed interest in cultural history and ethnography was born from the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Spurred by a need to reconnect with his roots he started playing the Oud as his primary instrument in his twenties, achieving much renown as a performer of the ancient instrument. Alongside this he studied ethnomusicology at the university of SOAS, specialising in Arabic and Iraqi music. He is currently in the process of finishing a PhD in composition at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, giving him the platform to further his research into the application of ‘contemporary acoustic, electro-acoustic and electronic compositional techniques and processes to Arabic music through the use of technology and various instrumentation.’

An ancient short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped, fretless stringed instrument

Pythagoras and Historical Misconceptions

Khyam’s research into microtonality and tuning systems lead him to the ancient Ionian Greek philosopher Pythagoras. Not only credited with ‘many mathematical and scientific discoveries’ he is widely seen to be the discoverer of the relations between music and mathematics. Upon deeper introspection however, the reality of it is that many of the ideas that Pythagoras, and the pythagoreans that followed him, developed were already being practiced across the east. Some examples include a clay tablet in Mesopotamia, dated to 2500 B.C. that talks about a specific tuning system that was used to tune the Mesopotamian lyre. There is also documentation of a Chinese technique for creating tuning systems using bamboo panpipes, dated at around 1700 B.C. Cross referencing this to Echo Ho’s work, it brings to mind the Guqin instrument that can be traced back to the Zhu dynasty in China (1046 BC – 771 BC) and is ‘one of a few instruments which changes the pitch tunings in order to change the key.’ Paradoxically, Pythagoras and his theories are only dated back to around 500 B.C. and according to Greek theorists, documentation of divisions of strings originated from the revered mathematician Euclid at around 300 A.D., revealing a very worrying discrepancy between the actual origins of tuning systems and the western view on the matter.

Origins of Western Bias On Music Theory

Khyam Allami claims that Pythagoras is the first point in the musical bias that society has developed. The misplaced reverence of Greek history and philosophy and the historical view of ancient Greece as a hub of western civilisation unwittingly ostracises many important practices within other ancient cultures that have made transformative contributions to contemporary western society. This is controversial as the representation of the Greeks being the centre of these ideas nestles into the heart of discussions about music theory. These inherent biases are then inherited by following generations creating a mass confusion and misinterpretation of musical history.

Equal temperament and the Limitations of Digital Software

The majority of digital tools today use equal temperament which is the western system for dividing the octave into 12 equal steps. This default tuning system thats available in the majority of sound based softwares and hardware we use today is representative of western music theory, yet is used by countries all over the world, a lot of whom use tuning systems that don’t rely on equal divisions of the octave.

Khyam opened up about his experiences with digital softwares, expanding on how the encoded equal temperament led him in a different direction to his Arabic foundations. The tools intrinsically went against the way he had learnt the Oud and music in general. The difficulty he met from using such softwares and the resulting frustration drove him to work on a creative solution for applying more marginalised tuning systems to digital music making. His work in max for live saw him create a device called ‘Comma’ that enabled one to tune any synthesiser by ear using specific values.

Whilst studying for a PhD on composition, focusing specifically on contemporary and experimental Arabic music, he again found himself developing pastiche ideas based on his predecessors in composition. Dissatisfied in his approach to his work he realised that, whilst his previous imperative had always been to find some sort of end result in which he could apply his accumulated knowledge, his underlying aim had always been to liberate himself creatively as opposed to having a means to an end. In a more understandable sense, the ability to discover a creative spark through the process of making music, instead of trying to execute a preconceived idea within the confines of western technology. This ultimately lead him to his work with the browser based applications Apotome and Leimma.

The Apotome Project

The Apotome project is a transcultural musical venture based on two browser based software applications, Leimma and Apotome, that provides a formula for the creation and exploration of tuning systems. While Leimma solely focuses on the creating of individual tuning systems, its sister application Apotome is a generative music making environment focused on making tuning a fundamental element of it.

A4 = 440Hz is a well known figure in western music and has become ‘the tuning and manufacturing standard for instruments.’ In reality tuning is a far more complex matter than simply ‘A being 440hz.’ This very idea contains an exclusion of other musical cultures that uses scales with more notes than the traditional ones used in the west.

Remnants of colonial perspectives of what music is supposed to be is inherited in the tools and softwares we use. Apotome and Leimma are so crucial to unpacking these biases as they deconstruct scale systems and de-colonialise musical preconceptions. These tools treat musical culture as equally as possible, but also encourage not only cultural, but individual identity.

After having tried Leimma myself, I found it to be a very user friendly and intuitive application. Through creating my own tuning system, mapping chosen frequencies to my midi keyboard, I was able to hear things I normally wouldn’t, exposing myself to a whole world of compositional ideas and concepts. Moreover, one can send their personal tuning system by simply copying and pasting its URL link making collaboration and feedback very accessible. I was disappointed to find however that I was limited by the amount of keys on my keyboard, unable to create a tuning system with more than 12 notes in one octave. Liberated in a sense by this application, yet once again confined by the amount of piano keys in one octave. I wonder whether seeking out a midi enharmonic keyboard, if one even exists, would alleviate this problem.

A screenshot of my work in Leimma

Another interesting thing to note is that ‘Comma, Leimma, and Apotome, all take their names from ancient Greek terms used to describe specific microtonal intervals that result from various mathematical nuances associated with creating tuning systems.’ The re-appropriation of these terms are fitting as they subtly expose misconstrued histories but also ‘advocate for celebration of difference across cultures’

Eggs – A Metaphor for Societal Crutches

At one point in the lecture Khyam tells of the unexpected dissatisfaction he experienced with the culmination of his initial Max For Live project (Comma). Despite having a tool he had yearned for so long at his disposal, he was unmotivated as the difficulty in developing the idea was the main drive in the first place. He likened this realisation to, what I found to be, a very intelligent anecdote describing a group of housewives asked to bake a cake.

Instructed only to add water to a provided cake mix, most of these housewives felt like they were not able to creatively represent themselves in the process. Consequently, the egg was removed from the mix and a new line was added to the packets instruction, asking its users to add a single egg themselves, whilst following the rest as required. As soon as this update was undertaken the cake mix soared in popularity.

He compares the idea of this ‘egg’ to the way in which people approach composition, but also life in general. I agree with his observations of people and the sense of agency that is generally needed to feel good about what we do. This agency has fused with instant gratification in todays world and causes society to rest on the crutches of technology in order to complete a task. “Most music technology that we deal with today revolves around this idea of the egg – all these defaults and settings are in place and all we are asked to do is break an egg and feel like we have some sort of agency or ownership to what we are doing – the ingredients are all laid out for us and they’re framed in a way that harbours a specific way of thinking about music”

So eloquently put, I feel this comparison really puts form to the pitfalls of western modern man in a spectacular way. It asks us to be self critical and to make sure the choices we make are not just ‘eggs.’

Cultural/ Social Ramifications

A final point to make is that the western dominance of the musical software and hardware market is another issue, in that it imposes its ideologies through its software onto people of other cultures. People, who may have differing notions of music to the ones coded into a certain device’s framework, have no choice but to use the western softwares they are limited to. Another interesting point, in the form of a question asked in the Q n A session, shone a light on the price of Ableton and its inaccessibility for those of a certain class. The very fact that people seem to be drawn to Ableton for its notoriety as the most (or rather coming closest to) creatively freeing music software brings social ramifications with it when considering the class based disenfranchisement that can occur for people from a poorer background.

Conclusion

I feel Khyam Allami is a prime example of someone who engages in consistent self reflection, constantly recreating himself in line with his changing theories on music and life. It can be hard to dig deep into our self conscious in a self critical way and unpack the biasses that we’ve inherited. Yet Khyam demonstrates the huge advantages that come with it. I feel as if his work resonates with me on a strong level as I often times feel disconnected from my heritage. His work has spurred me to get in touch with my roots more so then I have currently done. As someone who has a deep appreciation of many musical cultures outside the western sphere, whether that be the Malian blues of Boubacar Traoré, the ancient sounds of the Persian Ney or the Brazilian funk of Azymuth, Khyam has taught me the dangers of western centric, surface level exotification of said genres, and that personally delving deeper into these marginalised forms of music will only aid me in my outlook on music.

References

“Apotome: Khyam Allami X Counterpoint — Khyam Allami.” Khyamallami.com, khyamallami.com/Apotome-Khyam-Allami-x-Counterpoint. Accessed 19 May 2021.

Festival, C. T. M. “Microtonality and the Struggle for Fretlessness in the Digital Age.” Microtonality and the Struggle for Fretlessness in the Digital Age, www.ctm-festival.de/magazine/microtonality-and-the-struggle-for-fretlessness-in-the-digital-age.

“Guqin Tunings.” Wikipedia, 1 Aug. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guqin_tunings#Method_of_tuning. Accessed 19 May 2021.

“Roel’s World – Blog» How Did A4=440Hz Became the Standard?” Roel’s World, 19 Oct. 2013, roelhollander.eu/en/tuning-frequency/standardization/. Accessed 18 May 2021.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Pythagoras.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras.

Categories
VISITING PRACTITIONERS

EXPLORING – TATSUYA TAKAHASHI

Tatsuya Takahashi – Background

A refreshing lecture in which Tatsuya documents his progress from an amateur teenage engineer in suburban North-West London to working in Japan for the renowned electronics company Korg. He has been involved in designing and creating the Korg Monotron (the first analogue synth Korg released since the 1980s), Monotribe, Volcas, Ms20, a reimagined Arp Oddyssey and the Microkorg to name a few.

After working with Aphex twin on the Korg monologue, he discovered a more intuitive way of designing and engineering hardware by collaborating with other musicians during the process. Where Korg as a company would have typically made decisions internally without much input from actual users, the Korg Minilogue’s creation was informed by Aphex twin, giving it many interesting features otherwise not seen in previous models, such as micro-tuning with preset scales, an ‘OLED oscilloscope for visualising sounds, filter, modulation, drive’ and ‘LFO controls capable of generating powerful basses and sharp leads, among others.’ An enlightening process that lead Tatsuya to leave the company and Tokyo shortly thereafter to seek out more interesting ventures with more of a collaborative grounding.

Korg Minilogue

After securing another job at Yadastar – the brand agency for Red Bull – he was commissioned to work with the renowned sound artists Ryoji Ikeda on his sound installation ‘A [For 100 Cars]’.

Ryoji Ikeda – A [For 100 Cars]

In the form of a unique site-specific project, 100 cars were gathered in Los Angeles in order to explore the phenomena of standardised sound. Each driver was given a special device that generates various sine waves, known as the ‘fundamental building blocks of sound,’ all tuned to the historical concert pitch of ‘A’ at slightly differing frequencies. The fascinating thing about this is the oscillation that occurs when slightly different sine waves of the same pitch are played together, creating complex textures and resonances. Ikeda designated each driver with a simple musical score to follow. 100 cars. 100 unique sound-systems – 100 custom built synthesisers – 100 different tunings of the note A – all amassing to the worlds largest orchestra of superimposing sine waves, creating on ocean of sound from individually colourless tones. A study, I feel, into the complex interactions that can arise between innately simple sources.

As with most projects there were obstacles to overcome. People typically tend to customise and tune their car’s sound-systems by cranking the highs and boosting the lows. The frequencies being emitted were all around 440hz and without much happening in the mid-range frequencies of these sound-systems Tatsuya and Ryoji had to push the sound to get the required levels they needed. The sine wave synthesisers had a calibration mode fitted that enabled Tatsuya to measure the sound pressure level of each car throughout the frequency spectrum, allowing him to correct it. This was done 400 times. Tatsuya had numbered each car according to what their audio specs were on a spreadsheet and they were placed in a specific way on a grid in order for the performance to work. The sheer mass of cars however provided difficulties in navigating this, even with the help of hired valets. The opportunity to hear Tatsuya speak on these difficulties gave me an insight into the unapparent pitfalls during any projects conception, and a deeper appreciation of installations in general.

 An arial image from A [for 100 cars]

Tatsuya briefly touched upon the self destructive nature of working on such an installation, as the devices made for it were only ever intended to be used once. A stark contrast from the mass production of hardware he was so used to when working for Korg. I find this outlook interesting as it perhaps can make the creative process more meaningful. Could it perhaps alter the way in which one approaches a task? As there is only one opportunity to get it right. A mindset that could be beneficial in my approach to some of my personal work. There is a beauty to this way of working, but also quite wasteful perhaps as I am yet to find in my research that these sine wave synthesisers have been reutilised in some shape of form instead of becoming obsolete forms of technology.

Another interesting thing to consider is the fact that this installation was only made possible by the funding of a very big marketing campaign for the drinks brand Red Bull. It made me ponder on whether corporate involvement in the creative sphere is inherently bad or not. Does the facilitation of creativity by corporate companies, that can bring important issues to light, cancel out their unethical or unsustainable practices? A rhetorical question on integrity and art. How much is one willing to sacrifice to showcase their work?

Tatsuya Takahashi and life after Yadastar

After being cut loose by Yadastar he was immediately rehired by Korg to build and help run a headquarters for the company in Germany. Hindered by the 2020 pandemic they have only recently started fabricating and designing prototypes for upcoming synths and other kinds of hardware and he claims that by the end of next year they will be mass producing products. Despite being back at the company he started working for, it seems that Tatsuya has learnt a great deal from his hiatus from the company. He stated in the visiting practitioner lecture that he intends to be very strict on the instruments he puts out from his branch of the company. ‘Not creating and releasing products because it is required of them, but because the world needs it.’ An abstract statement but a revitalising ethos nevertheless.

References

“How We Built 100 Sine Wave Synthesizers with Ryoji Ikeda.” Daily.redbullmusicacademy.com, daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/10/ikeda-tech-feature. Accessed 18 May 2021.

“Korg’s New Monologue Synth Includes Presets Made by Aphex Twin.” Fact Magazine, 1 Nov. 2016, www.factmag.com/2016/11/01/korg-monologue-analog-synth-aphex-twin-presets/. Accessed 18 May 2021.

“Ryoji Ikeda  |  A.” Www.ryojiikeda.com, www.ryojiikeda.com/project/A/. Accessed 18 May 2021.

Categories
Global Sonic Cultures VISITING PRACTITIONERS

Echo Ho

Guqin

The oldest traditional Chinese string instrument, Guqin, is made from two pieces of wood with 5 strings, although modern versions of it include 7 strings on its body. The instrument is acoustically low in tone, with its open strings tuned in the bass register. It has a range of around 4 octaves. Traditionally, the Guqin’s strings were made from very thin pieces of silk twisted together. After the 50’s however, nylon strings are now used on the instrument giving it a fairly different sound aesthetic. The dots on the Guqin shows the position of harmonics on the instrument. In total there are 91 possible harmonic sounds that can be made on it. It is seen as the “father of Chinese music” by the Chinese and is tied to Confucianism and other modes of spiritual practice and philosophical thought. A culturally important and ancient instrument that has not only been a tool of music, but a catalyst in the conception of prehistorical concepts such as Qi and Tao.

Guqin instrument

Slowqin

Echo ho, a Phd candidate researcher at the Tangible Music Lab, is an experimental performer and composer. Her main body of work has involved reinventing the Guqin into a more modern context, driven by an interest in exploring gesture-based composition. Named the Slow Qin in ode to it’s predecessor it is made from transparent plexiglass, fitted with a piezo pick up under its bridge and boasts ‘7 switches, 4 pushbuttons, 8 potentiometers, a light sensor, 2 pressure sensors, and a long slide potentiometer’ to allow for gesture based composition and provide ease in ‘wireless connection to computer software.’ Primarily using the software Supercollider which intelligently facilitates ‘real time data and sound sampling and processing,’ Echo has hybridised the instrument in a way that enables many possibilities within improvisation.

Echo playing a Slowqin

A cross cultural challenge

The Slowqin is so contemporarily engaging as its very nature brings together the ancient and the modern, paving the way for Echo’s cross cultural work that interweaves Chinese traditions, Western experimental music and the Guqin’s representation of a practical philosophy. Grounded in Confucianism and Taoism, the Guqin is historically seen as a medium to cultivate ones mind and an interface between man and nature. Tied to these philosophies the instrument has rarely been explored outside of its meditative qualities and ancient scores. Treated as a ritualistic object, it is believed to have been created by anceient shamans. While the historical imperative of the Guqin remains important, it can be said that these old values may impede the progression of the Guqin as an instrument in its own right.

I feel that ‘Crossroad Bridge Chronicles’, an installation and karaoke performed by Echo and Karin Harrasser serves as a metaphor for this. Inherently a science fiction and ethnographic performance, it tells a story of two woman who travel to Chinese cities in 2020. One of them is possessed by the idea of playing the Qin, going back to old traditions and becoming more in tune with nature, while the other is an ethnographer fascinated by the magic of modern megacities. Two personalities. Two states of mind. Yet both have a justified outlook on what they wish to safeguard and explore, respectively.

‘Substituting the environment of nature with
the landscape of contemporary mega-cityscapes, skyscrapers become the new mountains, highways the new rivers,
and the SlowQin becomes the new Guqin.‘

Performing with the Guquin and Slowquin

Ancient Guqin tablature is known to have been accompanied by images of animals that poetically evoke the type of gesture needed to play the instrument successfully.

Top: a flowing spring illustrates juan: three fingers pluck inward as one   
Bottom: a crane dancing in a breeze illustrates pi: inward thumb pluck
Examples of animal representation in ancient Guqin tablature

Echoes work with the Slowqin takes this a step further by using the Supercollider application to open up her articulate artistic gestures to a world of self reflective improvisation, continuously rethinking the Guqin’s possibilities. This is evidenced in her work on her performance and installation ‘Still Noise’ for ‘Guqin, SlowQin, and electronics
to be performed in public space’. Featuring modular structured improvisation and an electronic ensemble, an elaborate sonic landscape is created where performers react to one another by triggering sounds in response to a graphical notation on a sheet of manuscript paper, all of which increase the immersivity of the sonic environment .

Taken from the article ‘The SlowQin: An Interdisciplinary Approach to
Reinventing the Guqin’

Related works that also delve into the gesture based nature of the Guqin include the ‘Physical Gesture acquisition system for Guqin Performance,’ developed by Jingyin He. It involved a ‘wearable sensor system for the Guqin player’s hand, enabling Guqin playing technique to become meaningful physical gesture control that interacts with a computer.’ Another individual, Eng Tat Khoo used an interactive system of lasers and physical sensors to allow performers to use full body gestures to play notes on a VST Guqin.

Conclusion

I feel that the Guqin, an instrument rich in historical context, has been given even more context in todays society via Echo’s philosophical and sociopolitical work with the Slowqin. Her historically informed performances bring light to many modes of traditional thought that must be challenged in order to reap the benefits of the old and the new. The ideologies attached to the Guqin and of Echo ho have helped me reconnect with the concept of physicality within art and how motion is exceedingly important in expressing oneself. I see the Slowqin as a device that naturally allows one to tap into their creative stream more intuitively, providing inspiration for an open-ended design process, conjoining the mechanical body and digital brain. I view both the Guqin and the Slowqin as not only an instrument but a vehicle of thought.

Personal notes

PLEXIGLAS® is the brand name of the transparent plastic acrylic, just like Perspex. … Acrylic has a very high light transmission and with 92% this is much higher than glass. In addition, it is 25 times stronger than glass and only half as heavy. Acrylic is also easy to work with and will not shatter, which glass does.

Particularly fascinated by the concept of image based gesture notation, I wonder if a similar tablature can be made, or exists for a more well known instrument like the piano perhaps…

References

Behance. “Slow Qin.” Behance, www.behance.net/gallery/13587311/Slow-Qin. Accessed 17 May 2021.

“Guqin Aesthetics.” Wikipedia, 24 July 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guqin_aesthetics#Philosophy_of_the_qin.

Ho, Echo, et al. The SlowQin: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Reinventing the Guqin.

“Qin Playing Technique.” Www.silkqin.com, www.silkqin.com/07play/fngrng.htm. Accessed 17 May 2021.

“Zo-on Slows.” Goechospace, goechospace.com/echospace/performance/crossroad-bridges-chronicle. Accessed 17 May 2021.

Categories
Global Sonic Cultures Personal/ Relevant

Account of a Gig Based on Geertzian ‘Thick Description’

‘The term thick descriptions was first used by Ryle (1949) and later by Geertz (1973) who applied it in ethnography. Thick description refers to the detailed account of field experiences in which the researcher makes explicit the patterns of cultural and social relationships and puts them in context.’

In a shabby dim-lit basement room, underneath an Italian Restaurant in Dalston, somewhere around 50 sweaty people huddle around a low rise stage, occupied by various machines adorned with wires wrapping around one another like vines. Blueish purple hues of light intermittently scatter over their heads as a silhouette emerges onto the stage. As the overhead light reveals the figure in a flurry of deep red, wolf whistles and applaud fill the room, drowning out the remains of quiet chatter. Seemingly transfixed on the hardware in front of him, he proceeds to engage with its knobs and buttons. Before anyone has a chance to prepare, a cascade of notes dance into everyone’s ears, shortly followed by a wall of soothing bass tones. The crowd sways in response, moving as one, to the rich chordal harmonies emanating from a sound-system hidden behind a sea of people. As if in some form of premeditated choreography. As the music comes to an end the clink of glasses and the shuffle of footsteps slowly become audible again. A second figure steps onto the stage, warmly welcomed by cheers and whistles. After briefly addressing the crowd he makes a hand gesture to the first figure and the sound of a drum loop cuts through the room. Dusty in texture and solid in pocket, all members of the crowd succumb to its groove, invited to move their bodies in unison with it. Flesh rubs on flesh as people compete for space to express themselves through movement. The heat contained within this relatively small room starts to become more and more noticeable. Beads of sweat glimmer in the hazy lighting as the crowd, one by one, start stripping off their outer layers. The second figure starts to rap into a mic, decorating the drum loop with poetic efficiency. The heat, whilst borderline unbearable, is forgotten about for a brief moment as the crowd find themselves hypnotised by the performance. United in a common appreciation for this particular vibe, the crowd is comforted in the unspoken camaraderie that a shared music taste can bring.

Categories
Global Sonic Cultures

The Power of Silence

Sat in front of a piano and a blank piece of manuscript paper, John cage famously subjected his audience to 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence. Widely misunderstood as a deliberate provocation or a hoax, aimed at mocking the audience, its meaning is still debated. Whatever the supposed intention, I feel this Cagean silence acts as a catalyst for its listeners to expand the mind to the fact that all sounds are music. A deeper, perhaps more meaningful approach to listening. This notion of silence reminds me of an animated film I once saw called ‘The Red Turtle’ (dir. by Hayao Miyazaki). While the film is not silent, there is zero dialogue throughout. I found myself sitting in anticipation for the moment that the protagonist would utter his first words. But the moment never came. I think it may have served as an important lesson, much like Cage’s 4’33, to abandon expectation in the face of silence, freeing up your mind to its immersivity and in turn paying it the respect it deserves. To be truthful, there is no such thing as complete and utter silence on our planet, unless fabricated by some acoustic/ technological means. Which only shows that there is always something to tune into, whether we realise it or not.

Categories
Global Sonic Cultures

When Silence Rises From Earth

Silence is powerful. This is the message I received in response to watching the short audio-visual piece ‘When Silence Rises From Earth: 4’33” (More Than Cage Imagined Mix)’ by IR : Sankara Future Dub Resurgence. Both an audio-visual global collaboration/ installation and community event, taking place in the Dub Museum located in Kampala, Uganda, it gives an insight into its indigenous resistance and provides a stage for other countries experiencing political strife. During a ritual preparation of a Djembe drum (Warming up of its skins as is traditionally done before any performance) a handful of members engage in a silent, politically charged meditation.

Poster collages, rich in colour, are seen plastered on each wall adjacent to the group’s members, providing a rich cultural context to what they stand for. Plentiful in Anarchist symbolism and quotes from philosophers and activists, we are invited visually to ponder on anti colonial resistance and are advised that the true path to fulfilment in oneself and society is via the spiritual means, as opposed to the material. This is shown through cosmological figures such as Sun Ra, ideological concepts such as ‘The Fourth World’ and ‘Siba’, meaning ‘a pious distance from power’ and quotes by revered resistance figures such as ‘Free West Papua’ and ‘No-one makes any progress on the spiritual path until they are of benefit to their fellow human beings’. These messages, not heard in the networks of global corporate media, invoke a sense of responsibility within us to be of help to our fellow man in some shape or form, and coupled with the narration of a Palestinian mother and her South American-born son instructing us to ‘please prepare the silence’ in Arabic, Spanish and English, we are shown the importance of inclusivity, in that we are all equal and deserving of the same treatment, regardless of race, class or gender.

In an immediate sense, however, this project was brought to life amidst the 2020 global pandemic, but more locally so during the Ugandan political crisis. Furthermore, many setbacks that recording studios in the global north aren’t exposed to, such as power outages, roadblocks and disconnected telecommunications only increases the sense of urgency in Sankara’s piece.

Inspired by John Cage, Sankara focused on silence as a tool to bring light to the multiplicity of ideals they stand for. The minimal sounds juxtapose the maximalist images we see on the walls, that almost demand to be seen, and consequently colour our auditory experience of the Dub Museum. This synthesis of audio and visuals give the silence that ensues an ethical imperative.

What makes this project so meaningful is the unique nature of the Dub Museum. An autonomous area, free from ‘the institutional worlds of political parties, NGOs, corporate funding, electronic music festivals, academic universities, and avant-garde art scenes.’ The location itself points towards a time where non hierarchical societies existed in pre-colonial Africa and within it contains an anti-imperialist agenda. Silence may be misunderstood, but in a place such as this it is given context, form and purpose.

I am able to liken it to my own experiences of prayer or widespread remembrance and feelings of solidarity and togetherness come to mind. In a world full of noise, the power of silence is definitely underestimated.

Categories
Creative Sound Projects Personal/ Relevant

Radio Art – Wide-band WebSDR

‘Wide-band WebSDR is a web controlled receiver located at the amateur radio club ETGD at the University of Twente’ which can be used as a tool to explore frequency bands. Using the waterfall display, that graphically illustrates the signals across a frequency range, I quickly discovered through trial and error that the varying shades of purple showed where I could tune into radio stations. It seems as if the colour coded nature of the waterfall display attaches lighter shades of purple to stronger signals.

The waterfall’s visual take on frequency ranges and all the signals across its spectrum is quite intuitive and a lot easier to navigate than having to scan across bands, as you would on a traditional radio, in my opinion. It gives us more control to locate radio stations, jumping from frequency to frequency at will. I also found switching the view from waterfall to spectrum showed stronger signals using transients in place of colours.

Exploring this system, comprised of a Mini-Whip antenna and a homebuilt SDR board has been so insightful into the form of frequency spectrum in short-wave radio.

References

What is a waterfall display (2013). What is a waterfall display? [online] Amateur Radio Stack Exchange. Available at: https://ham.stackexchange.com/questions/889/what-is-a-waterfall-display#:~:text=A%20waterfall%20display%20is%20a,or%20strength%2C%20displayed%20over%20time.&text=Pictured%20in%20the%20image%20above%20is%20a%20number%20of%20signal%20traces. [Accessed 15 Feb. 2021].

Utwente.nl. (2012). Wide-band WebSDR in Enschede, the Netherlands. [online] Available at: http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ [Accessed 15 Feb. 2021].

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Categories
Creative Sound Projects

Sonic Recursion

Given the task of finding samples/ fx and creating atmospheres/ percussion to accessorise the script written by Raul and Jack for our groups radio collaboration I decided to further expand my knowledge on soundscapes by exploring the practice of creating feedback soundscapes.

A form of sound design known as ‘sonic recursion’ introduces tonal variety to feedback sources using various modulative effects. It is driven ben randomisation making it an organic way and semi-uncontrollable way of creating sound. A very specific use of feedback by using a number of sends in any chosen daw.

I attempted this by using 3 channels. The first being the source (containing a violin sample in one case), the second being an fx return that acts as the hub around which the feedback sources pass through, and varying effects channels called the feedback sources, where the source is sent to before being routed to the fx return. Limiters were placed on all channels and one on the master buss for safety as I’d be working with feedback which can be unpredictable at times. In this instance sonic recursion was achieved by sending the signal from the feedback source to the fx return and back again (a feedback loop). Using the pedal and reverb audio effects I’ve been playing with the dry/wet signal to create the right tone for the piece by cutting and boosting certain eq’s to create a variety of responses.

Ive also discovered that using the resonator here creates new melodic tones which I find fascinating as it allows feedback to be used compositionally. In many instances of radio art I’ve found the atmospheric textures to be meticulously complimentary of the set theme. In this case, whilst exploring ‘The Society of the Spectacle’ I aim to create an eerie vibe to match the supposed bleakness of a screen-led society, to contradict the enthusiasm in our chosen speakers voice and to emphasise the implications of social media.

References

Boon, H. (2020). Sonic Recursion – Sound Based Music : WestminsterResearch. Westminster.ac.uk. [online] Available at: https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/v1289/sonic-recursion-sound-based-music [Accessed 15 Feb. 2021].

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Categories
Creative Sound Projects Personal/ Relevant

Radio Art – Locus Sonus

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.

Categories
Creative Sound Projects Personal/ Relevant

Radio Art – Lance Dann, The Flickerman (INC) 2009

I noticed many clever auditory techniques used in Lance Dann’s, The Flickerman. Immediately, the overlapping of hushed vocals stood out to me, creating a seamless conversation that also, however, felt like a collage of words. A sense of hurriedness is apparent through this and starts the piece with an air of nervousness and secretiveness. All of this is cleverly coloured with well placed drone sounds and deep gong like drums. I also picked up on the muffledness of the backing soundscape and the stretched, pitched down background vocals once the narrator says ‘and then everything started to happen really slowly’ as the first climax starts to begin. It seems that throughout the story the actual sounds involved in the tale, whether that be birds taking off or the sound of vocals, as opposed to external unrelated sound effects or instruments, are manipulated to accompany the scripts current mood, integrating the story itself with our auditory experience.

At times it seems as if the surrounding voices feel distorted as they get louder. This brings into question the grain of the human voice and its importance in radio art. Having been given the role of interviewer in my groups sound piece this observation may be useful to implement. Taking special care in how I present/ project my voice in order to compliment its theme. Though it may be more important in the actual editing of the vocals, exploring ways in which the tone of the voices involved can be altered.

Silence too plays an important role in emphasis, but also as a marker for the direction or culmination of events. This can be heard at the end of The Flickerman’s sound effect sequence, just before what seems quite obviously to be an explosion of some sort. The silence makes it all the more potent but also gives the listener an even more accurate idea of what is being experienced, as if the world stands still for us and the characters just before the inevitable explosion.

After this weeks lecture I discovered that the ‘whooshing’ that follows the silence was achieved by reversing a sample. Further to this, at another point in the piece, the sound of birds flapping their wings seems to be drowned in reverb. These examples of manipulating the stories inherent sounds to aid in the visual imagery will make the process of curating samples for the group collaboration more specific, as I’ll be searching for sounds and effects that actually identify with the piece.