Russian artist ::vtol:: (aka. Dmitry Morozov) creates physical gadgets that deploy algorithms in the sound making process. This project, Red, combines optical projections with electronic sound synthesis. The sound has four channels, each of which interacts with the various physical components, including position of the motors and brightness of the light. For more on Red, see the Creators Project post.
Category: Inspiration
Ethan Rose: Elements
What if the weather can drive the sonic environment inside? Similar to John Luther Adams’ The Place Where You Go To Listen, Ethan Rose has constructed a locally weather driven sound installation. The piece translates wind speed, temperature, precipitation, and sunlight, into an emergent sound field that mimics what we see outside.
See Ethan’s website for more details: http://www.ethanrosemusic.com/elements
Nikola Bašić: Sea Organ
Water comes in. Music comes out. That’s what you’d expect from a “sea organ.” Inspiration today comes from architect Nikola Bašić, and his organ built on the Adriatic Sea in Zadar, Croatia. As noted on Colassal.com, “The acoustic jetty spans some 230 feet (70 meters) and incorporates 35 polyethylene tubes of varying diameter. As waves flood each tube underwater, displaced air is forced through large whistles tuned to play seven chords of five tones. Day in and day out, music seems to emanate from the ground, a playful interplay between nature and design.” Wunderbar.
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/11/the-sea-organ-makes-perpetual-music-with-ocean-waves/
Architectural interview and breakdown (with sketches)
http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9359/1/nikola-baiae-author-of-the-zadar-sea-organ.html
Marc Berghaus: Proof #1 (Stone)
Finding inspiration in acoustic properties of objects and work that involves DC motors. In Berghaus’s work, a DC-motor moves a steel file against a stone. A microphone transduces the sound of the filing, which is sent to an array of guitar pedals before being sent to an amp. The sound is “equalized with heavy bass, then run through two layers of two-octave drops and heavy reverb.”
Link: Installation video
Phillip Archer: What’s the Worst That Could Happen?
The concept is simple. Water spills onto a circuit board, making connections that elicit electrical sound. His work was installed in the 2006 ‘Unsafe’ festival at the Safehouse in Poole. A water feature continuously poured water onto the circuit board.
Link: Phil Archer’s website
Shawn Decker: Prairie
Taking inspiration from Shawn Decker’s Prairie (2013), a work that creates a natural system through 432 DC motors, tiny speakers, and relational rule-based code.
Tempescope
The tempescope is an ambient physical display that visualizes various weather conditions like rain, clouds, and lightning. By receiving weather forecasts from the internet, it can reproduce tomorrow’s sky in your living room.
Land Art inspiration?
Cornelia Konrads land art pieces contain individualized particles of natural objects. The structures reveal as they defy… Inspiration as applied to water droplets or chunks of dried dirt within the California water crisis.
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/04/gravity-defying-land-art-by-cornelia-konrads/
Berndnaut Smilde: Indoor Nimbus Clouds
Taking inspiration from Netherlands-based artist Berndnaut Smilde who creates nimbus clouds indoors, “relying on a delicate balance of smoke, moisture and light.”