Output Layer, 2022
A collaborative installation with artist Kathi Schulz featuring quadraphonic composition/diffusion.
12 and 13 minute asynchronous sound loops combine with video, text, light, and plastic over undefined periods of time.
I began working with Kathi on this installation during its infant stages. She had a loose concept and a room with walls covered in a free-associative thought diagram about perception and the internet/technology. We discussed her ideas and decided that the sound component of the installation should focus on unearthing typically imperceptible sonic phenomena in personal spaces and devices. Inspired by the work of Toshiya Tsunoda, I placed contact mics on the window and door of my bedroom to reveal the low-frequency vibrations that my room “hears” at all times. I took these long recordings and edited them into two looping sections. I then used an elecromagnetic field microphone to hear the sounds contained within my laptop and smartphone. I found interesting activity on each device and mapped out spaces appealing sounds happened. Improvisations were recorded over the two sections using this setup. One loop features the electromagnetic field of the laptop, the other the smartphone. Kathi listened to these recordings while continuing to flesh out the visual aspects of the work–she also added a loop of her own voice paired with a video. I mixed the two sections for quadrophonic diffusion, carefully placed the speakers in the space, then let the loops run asynchronously, creating a new sonic environment.
