soundart
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Author: Eleanor Anderson

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Collaborative Projects

First Glance – Sound With Visuals

This was my first glance at the finished audio. After spending time on the individual sounds, I found that my opinions of the audio changed when it was presented with the visuals. Adding another layer of medium immerses you as a player; however, I felt that some of the noises were a little too harsh and overpowering. A loud noise can ruin the immersion and illusion of a realistic virtual reality experience. The perception of distance and depth can be distorted by excessive noise, which can also drown out minute details. It throws off the harmony between audio and visual cues, making it difficult to fully immerse oneself in the virtual world and thus jeopardizing the overall experience.

In response to this I had to go back and retouch the mixing; changing certain sound effects. In the future, I will save more post-production time for the mixing once I have viewed the sound with the visuals in-game.

Categories
Collaborative Projects

Final Crit Analyse

Overall our final crit went well and we were able to contextualise our processes as a whole group – merging both artistic sides. As a sound artist having worked on the project I felt that the crit helped me reflect on the whole project. Previous to the crit I had not heard the other people’s process of creating the virtual reality. Sonically mostly as individuals we went and worked on our auditory practices separately. I do believe that we could have incorporated each other’s views as a group within the work more. Some of the sound effects felt separate and detached which could move the viewer away from a realistic empathetic reaction to the game. Aesthetics are important when creating a virtual reality world as it needs to be as believable as possible.

To further this the crit was not entirely prepared; having no working sound. This looked extremely unprofessional and ruined the initial first opinion of the project as a whole. In reflection, I believe this should have been more rehearsed and ensured that all the technical aspects were working.

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Collaborative Projects

Collaboration Within Performance Art

I recently decided to collaborate with a friend – to create a sound piece for a fine art performance. As an artist, I feel it is important to cross mediums of art forms within my sonic practice. This expands creative possibilities that working in virtual reality doesn’t. I felt that when I was creating the sonics for the performance I could make a more personal space. This type of work gives space for the incorporation of identity within the work. Identity must be incorporated into art to reflect the individual viewpoint, life experiences, and cultural background of the creator. It encourages empathy and tolerance while celebrating variety and questioning social norms. Art becomes a potent vehicle for individual and group narratives, giving voice to underrepresented groups and tackling social challenges. Artists forge deep relationships, arouse debate, and stimulate conversation by embracing and expressing their identities. It encourages inclusivity and gives people the confidence to accept their unique identities, generating a more varied and vibrant artistic scene.

Finley’s use of spoken speech and personal identity within the poem used within the sound gave an empathetic result; very much contrasting the sonic work I created for the virtual reality.

Categories
Collaborative Projects

Foley Session

I decided to conduct a foley session for the sound effects within virtual reality. My goal was to make the sounds as realistic as possible; ensuring the experience is as immersive and convincing as possible. For a virtual reality experience to be immersive and credible, realistic sound is essential. Sound cues convey important information that improves depth perception and spatial awareness. The virtual environment sounds realistic, which gives gamers a sense of presence and makes it easier for them to find and use objects. Realistic soundscapes can also elicit feelings, which increases player immersion and engagement. Authentic audio provides layers of realism, enhancing the authenticity of virtual reality settings with sounds like the rustle of foliage, footfall echoing in a tunnel, and engine roar. It completes the sensory immersion, improving the virtual reality experience as a whole.

Despite the fact certain sounds were not used in the result in hindsight I do believe that Foley recordings were the best method for creating the most realistic sonic experience for the player. It reflects auditory norms towards reality.

Categories
Collaborative Projects

Collaborative Session:

As a group, we decided the most effective way of creating an equally shared artistic view sonically was to carry out a collaborative session. We hired out a synth room and chose to have no pressured end goal within the sound. This allowed a space for creative freedom; ensuring we could bounce off each other’s natural creative instinct. We also incorporated the Virtual Reality students within this session – which allowed us to gain opinions on how they viewed their world.

As I have reflected on this session I strongly feel that it helped us create a sonic aesthetic to the piece as a whole. Despite the fact we all added in our creativity, as a project it felt important to have an overall thematic house style.

In a virtual reality environment, the home style establishes the mood, aesthetic, and atmosphere, improving immersion and player involvement. A coherent experience is fostered through consistency in design, architecture, and graphics, which promotes familiarity, emotional connection, and a memorable journey. In a virtual reality setting, an established house style also demonstrates professionalism. It exhibits the developer’s focus on the small things, aesthetic vision, and dedication to providing a polished experience. A consistent and aesthetically pleasing design improves the overall calibre and legitimacy of the virtual reality environment and leaves gamers with positive memories.

Overall I think the collaborative session is an extremely successful way of creating a well-matched end result. It helps create an overall aesthetic and professionalism within your work; allowing everyone to include their artistic input.

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Contemporary Issues In Sound Art Second Year

Future Sound Study Idea:

Throughout my research centred around deeper listening I have found myself fascinated with the juxtaposition between manmade noise and the natural environment. As global change prevails around us – while living in a city it was vital to recognise the man-made human sonic influence.

Coming from the countryside I grew up with minimal noise pollution around me. When I then moved to London my new auditory environment entirely changed. In the beginning, I saw this as only a negative however as I have opened my ears beyond the first layers of listening I have discovered that there can be something beautiful found within this jungle of sounds.

London College of Communication is a centre piece for “noise pollution” however I am beginning to retire away from the word “pollution” but instead see this as an opportunity. Every sonic noise has stories to tell about the community and architecture that is based there. In the future, I feel inspired to take a field recorder and listen beyond this branding of “pollution” and delve into the sonic stories we can find. After I have recorded these noises I would love to create a soundscape that highlights the contrast/ similarities of sounds made by nature vs sounds made by humans. Exploring the beauty of both sides and potential areas in which they can influence each other. Se Below for contrasting areas in which I would like to record.

Categories
Contemporary Issues In Sound Art Second Year

Joseph Kamari:

I found Joseph Kamari’s work profoundly moving as he talked about his awareness of the world around him. His work focussed so deeply on the everyday noises but simultaneously felt like something new and fresh. After watching his new live stream at HÖR Berlin if felt highly inspired by his sonic positioning and art.

Kamaru works with familiar noises in our society and applies different synths and drones which almost mask what are hearing. These sonic effects make his sonic sound inaudible to fully understand; I find such beauty in this. Blurring the boundaries between understanding and unfamiliar can almost place a mediative effect on the listener. Complications and chaos of civilisation can tarnish how we hear sounds. Our ethnographies build up a list of connotations linked to sounds we hear and can almost create a negative and presumptuous mindset. How his work blurs these certainties within this live stream leaves thinking space for the viewer to create new preconceptions around the sound.

As humans, we are so driven physiologically to the source of sound and how it looks. However, Kmaru’s work has inspired me to listen deeper beyond the context and around the sonic itself. Humans think about the source of sound when listening due to a combination of innate cognitive processes and learned experiences. I researched into this, finding that the main reasons stem from us having, survival instinct, spacial awareness, social interaction and being environmentally aware.

I will talk about the idea of this deeper listening within my essay and express the vitality of how we chose to hear and see rather this listen beyond the what who and where.

Categories
Contemporary Issues In Sound Art Second Year

Auditory Documenting:

When creating my sound piece around indigenous sonic work I have to be careful not to appropriate this culture and heritage. By appropriate their auditory sonic practice this would be exploiting centuries worth of heritage without understanding or having lived their culture. Equally, I want to express the preservation of the first nation Powwow celebration and its continuing traditions to this day. Due to these hesitations, I decided to form a piece of auditory documented work; sampling historical sounds and interviews taken from first nation indigenous people themselves.

Other sound artists such as Alan Lomax, Sarah Koenig, and Chris Watson have all used sound to document their own stories. Their work blurs the lines between journalism, art, and narrative while providing a distinctive viewpoint on social, environmental, and cultural concerns. They immerse listeners into fascinating auditory environments through their precise artistry, which effectively captures the spirit of a moment in time, a location, or a community. The success of these sound artists resides in their capacity to challenge standard narrative techniques and broaden the boundaries of aural creativity while also emotionally and intellectually engaging listeners.

As a whole I wanted my documentary-styled sound piece to reflect the strength of heritage and community within first nation culture. When the music begins to drown out the interviews I wanted this to be heard in a positive stroke of optimism; highlighting its power and strength. The variations of the powwow song drown out Native Americans talking about their struggles and oppression living as an indigenous society. However, with the music overpowering this sonically it indicates the forceful connection powwow holds on preserving heritage. Within my research, I found the first ever recorded Powwow song which felt vital to include. Below are the first 15 seconds of the sound piece I am working on.

Categories
Contemporary Issues In Sound Art Second Year

When All Is Said – Changing Medium In Live Performance:

Media art has been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic, as have many other facets of our existence. Artists and curators have had to come up with new ways to present their work and interact with audiences as actual galleries, exhibits, and events have either been shut down or limited. The main method of presentation is now through virtual exhibits and online platforms, which enable viewers to enjoy art in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. The epidemic has also drawn attention to social and political themes, like loneliness, connection, and the influence of technology on our lives, that media art frequently examines. Despite its difficulties, the pandemic has inspired fresh kinds of creativity and teamwork in the media art community.

After the pandemic, this has continued within areas of live performance. I recently attended an online live show over the telephone – ‘When All Is Said’. This was a 5 short play written by black trans people. The play was completely improvised and delivered by their voices over the phone. The technological barrier between the actors and the audience became a bond within the mood and context of the play; mirroring a phone call. I found the piece extremely moving and effective. It proved the effectiveness technology within live performance can bring; making it more authentic to our reality.

The face of live performance is slowly changing and I would love to experiment in ways beyond the auditory and involve different mediums just like ‘When All Is Said’.

When All Is Said
Categories
Contemporary Issues In Sound Art Second Year

Characteristics of Powwow:

Within my new sound piece, I wanted to present the identity of Indigenous first nation people and how they use this within their sonic auditory. With my case study being ‘A Tribe Called Red’; they focus their work on the merge of EDM and Powwow music. I decided to sample traditional Powwow and learn the characteristics of the traditional sound and what it means.

Powwow music is a form of Native American music that is traditionally performed at powwows, which are social gatherings and celebrations of Indigenous culture and traditions. Here are some characteristics of powwow music:

Powwow music is an old heritage that more often is a social gathering to celebrate their culture and centuries of tradition and community. The first characteristic consists of Drumming. The Powwow drum is usually a large 2 sided drum which is played in unison by a group of drummers alongside singing. Secondly, the music usually has a strong vocal throughout. Mainly in a style of call and response between the lead singers and other members. Lyrics usually consist of indigenous first nation language – telling stories and spiritual messages about heritage and lore. Rhythmically the music depends on what dance they are performing during the Powwow performances. Sometimes, melodies may be incorporated through a flute, fiddle or guitar.