A Line Listening to Itself

Sound sculpture. 2016.
8' x 3' x 5'. Microphone, boom stand, 7 reclaimed speaker cones, cables, electronics.

A single microphone tilted at a slight angle points downwards towards an extended line of reclaimed speaker cones. Using computer-controlled feedback networks, the microphone listens to its own amplification through each speaker, generating a 7 note feedback chord. Each tone in the chord emerges from a single speaker, undulating individually and collectively as the computer software adjusts itself to the changing acoustic environment.

Starting from silence, each chord begins slowly, building one note at a time until the full chord rings out; following, each note begins to fade, leading back to silence. This sonic ebb and flow takes place over 4-6 minutes, functioning as a slow breathing rhythm on a scale dwarfing human breath. As one chord ends, it gives rise to a new chord, leading to an ever-changing harmonic cycle.

photos by Andreas Lutz (top) and Katja Goljat.