For this task to find a piece that utilises sound shaping, it took a while for me to find a good choice but I decided on Hailod Zerrox Copy 9 by Alva Noto.
The reason I think this piece can be well described and understood through spectromorphology is mostly due to the use of subtle automations and movement throughout the entire composition, creating layers of white noise and bass. As well as this, small bursts and oscillations give the track lots of character.
I really enjoyed today’s class studying Ableton’s session view, and I felt that it helped me clearly understand the benefits of the software compared to the FL Studio (my most used DAW). After the lesson, I made a quick remix of a song from a game I have been passionate about for ages mainly due to its soundtrack- Ace Attorney!
I used a mix of drum loops and bass from my drive, as well as a field recording of birds (the firework-esque noise) as well as basic filters and effects. I added these into session view and recorded them live by using the different scenes :).
My choice for a laptop DJ performance is one of my favourite DJ’s- Dazegxd’s- set at Wazeima in February 2024. Even though the set isn’t incredibly experimental in any way, his blending of genres is flawless and the set has an incredibly high energy. I was surprised when I saw this set as I was familiar with Dazegxd as a jersey club / house artist on Spotify / Soundcloud, but his sets incorporate original jungle and techno tracks, as well as mixes of rap songs.
Underneath is a video of when I saw him live in February this year, and the energy was some of the best I’ve ever seen. I find it hard to articulate the technical side of what I enjoyed about dj sets as it’s not a medium I’ve ever deeply explored, but seeing him resonated a lot with me and came to mind when set this task.
For my task to choose a song that utilises the sound of the medium, one that immediately came to mind was the Smashing Pumpkins’ mayonnaise. The song was recorded on Billy Corgan’s cheap guitar with broken pickups- this made it create high pitched feedback whenever he stopped playing. You can hear it clearly at 1:58 in the song, and it’s one of the most interesting and defining elements of the composition!
As well as creating the iconic squeal noise it also forces the Guitar to be played nonstop which creates a really full and almost overwhelming sound when paired with the distortion.
For my task to worldize sound, I wanted to focus on the sounds of different parts of London. I decided the best way to do this was to accompany the sound with a video to visualise the space it was being recorded in! Overall, I’m happy with the outcome of the piece although I was surprised that through the mic of an old iPhone, the sound was still clear and didn’t change massively between most of the clips. The subtle differences and background noise still come through clearly though!
The song recorded is a part of a jungle track by me from January this year 🙂
All my life, I have been interested in sound and music. Whether it was just listening to a favourite song or hearing the noise the tracks made when a train comes, listening to sound has always been a significant part of my life.
My introduction to Sound Arts was definitely through learning the drums around 7 years ago, because it was the first real chance I had to create my own sounds and music rather than just consume or appreciate it. At the start of my practice, I wasn’t familiar with the term Sound Art, and although I definitely would have considered music to be an art form, I never consciously created anything with the intent of making ‘art’.
What really got me immersed in the art world was through meeting artists at my job as a gallery assistant for the past 3 years. To be honest, I spent a lot of the time I should’ve been painting the walls or taking down work talking to various artists about their practice, motivations, and experiences. They gave me a new perspective on art, and through them asking for my opinions on their work / how to curate the exhibitions, I felt like much more of a participant with art rather than an observer.
Essentially, I chose to study sound arts because I am hoping it will allow me to use my technical skills in music to develop my own creative art practice. Films and games are also two of my longest standing and biggest interests, hence why I chose design! Personally, effective and interesting application of sound within media is almost always what most resonates with me for the longest time after consuming. For example, the film that accompanies Daft Punk’s ‘Discovery’: Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, tells a complete and captivating story even with the lack of any dialogue, due to its use of music.
Sound, particularly within a 3D environment such as VR, has the ability to entirely immerse the user in a way that traditional music cannot. Being interested in this aspect of sound design, I am looking forward to experimenting with audio engines such as Wwise and Steam Audio in the coming months.