Do we always hear what really is resounding? To what extent does the visibility, the feeling, and the knowledge of the sound source, as well as knowledge about its origins, our interpretation, technology, and processing of the already recorded material influence our perception of the sound? The issue of masking or uncovering the source of the sound during sound adduction revealed in the conflict between Pierre Schaeffer and Murray Schafer is becoming more and more important and sometimes involves seemingly unrelated aspects of the perception of a sound piece.
Fountain sound performance is dedicated to how these specificities of the perception reveal the reality and the mystery of the origins of the sound or produce sound mystifications. The performance uses the recording of the sounds of one of the fountains near the Moscow State University’s main building. The fountain is out of order but emits noise. There are several legends related to this place. According to one of them, it masks an air-shaft leading to a secret laboratory established in the middle of the twentieth century. A custom-made software analyzes the sound produced by the fountain and lays out spectral components to reveal its components. Several sound-producing devices are used (broken speakers producing snapping sounds, spring reverberators) having their own no less than twenty-five-year history. These devices do not function properly and work in the wrong modes.
Field recording of a fountain, unique software based on Pure Data visual programming language, two old JBL Control 1 monitors with damaged speakers, spring reverb block out of a guitar amplifier, and sound processing devices.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Aleksander Senko—sound artist, composer, performer, author of multichannel audio pieces and interactive installations, founder of the Acoustic Images Lab, sound engineer, teacher. Uses his unique developments in the Pure Data visual programming language. Combines various electronic and electroacoustic musical techniques, improvisation, and algorithmic composition, uses mathematical regularities. Gives audiovisual performances, composes and performs electronic and electroacoustic music, collaborates with academic, jazz and rock musicians. Often offers new sound interpretations of paradoxical theories. Participated in 4th Pure Data Convention (Germany), PIKSEL[X] (Norway), Prepared Surroundings (Russia), LPM 2013 (South Africa), Electric Nights (Greece), FILE SP 2014 (Brasil), (h)ear XL II (Netherlands), The Engine Room (Great Britain), Arsenal Electronica 2015 (Austria), MADATAC 07 (Spain), ISSTA’17 (Ireland), OUA Electroacoustic Music Festival 2017 (Japan), Synthposium 5, Audioblast (France) and many others. Finalist of the Radical dB 2014 sound art competition.