I_LAND
Ambisonic spatial sound composition (2007-2009)
There are wishes and desires that are too strong for the constraints of our earthly lives,
that we could surely search for a state of being, in which they become winged,
carried by an element to islands, where they can rest.
Novalis
For the composition of I_LAND, I delved into the phenomenon island for two years.
I recorded and documented the raw material for the composition during my residency at kunst:raum Syltquelle on the island of Sylt in April of 2008. But what is presented in the end is not a collage of original sounds nor is it a soundscape catalogue. The descriptions and the (historical, literary, mythological, geographical, etc) interpretations and constellations of the respective recording locations played a large role in the content and form of the sculptural sound composition.
I_LAND was premiered 7.04.2009 at The Cube, IEM Graz.
Over the given time period I tried to develop a unique form of spatial sound composition in Ambisonics environments. The basic idea was not only to use a certain given technical setup for yet another electro-acoustical composition but to search for its artistic gestural possibilities, and at the same time to find a way of using these on a subject relevant to our everyday lives.
My thesis was that this kind of 3D sound-projection can be both
a sound projecting technique and a utopian construct enabling
the composer to create sound objects that exist only within
this special setup but still hint and refer to forms and states
outside its physical borders.
While working on these technical
aspects, I also approached the idea of the ‘island’, carrying
out a comprehensive research into the literary, mythological,
geographical and historical background of the subject.
When do we talk of islands, where and how do islands appear, what is an insular situation, what is an insular sound?
Thus I sculpted space-related constellations of sound sources, clusters and fields according to insular models derived from my research and realised in my artistic language.
The work is documented in a binaural recording. As this kind
of “music” cannot be exactly reproduced with ordinary sound-
reproducing devices, I chose the binaural rendering taking into
account that headphones are more and more popular, and now
almost an everyday tool.
The rendering was implemented by Martin Rumori.
The piece was presented in the context of an exhibition at NEU/NOW Festival Vilnius and Chargesheimer-Grant exhibition at BBK Cologne with listening stations.
