People say I am a talkative person, always looking for a chance to express my often-bold opinions on matters regarding social structures or culture. Whether it is about the importance of intersectionality in the feminist movement, culture critique (cheers to Adorno), or simply taste, the waterfall of thoughts in my head just won’t stop. But now, it is time to write. This moment reminds me of Hank Moody, the rock star-like fictional writer from “Californication”, who started blogging for Hell-A Magazine (a reference to LA). Trying to avoid clichés, maybe I should seek inspiration in Anthony Bourdain’s insightful, yet comedic approach to this matter. Both Hank and Tony loved grunge, my favourite musical movement… and music is art, so here is my take on what sound art is, or what it can be!
Firstly, when talking about sound arts, music is probably the first thing to come in one’s mind. Music itself can take many forms: DJs spending hours upon hours through their vinyl collection curating their next set; someone using a looper or their laptop and a DAW to put samples on grid creating techno; or some teenagers gazing at their shoes while stomping on pedals and playing heavy guitar riffs through blasting amps.
Secondly, films, which in my opinion are the most complex form of art, (besides their script, acting elements, or cinematography) wouldn’t be the same without audio. Sound, if crafted by a passionate sound designer, can further immerse a viewer through its dynamic surround aspect (5.1 or Dolby Atmos/DTS X). An example of this is Stanley Kubrick’s cult classic “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), whose notes and some of the props somehow ended up in LCC’s archive just a few days ago. With the help of Phil Coy, who just released his new book called “Stereo Pair”, students can now see and touch the famous watch from the film, which ironically represents a metaphor of my academic journey. Picked up by Coy in 2019 (the year I started “uni” for the first time) from the rubbles of a demolished building at Brunel University (where a scene from the movie was shot, and where I studied International Business for 1 year), the defunct watch ended up between the walls of LCC the same year I started university again.
Nonetheless, “Stereo Pair”, whose launching event I attended, documents the creation process of the eponymous sound art installation placed at Brunel University, which also contains parts of cement used in the now-gone building. Consisting of two gramophone shaped concrete pieces (representing the L and R channels), this form of acoustic architecture explores resonant phenomena, by reacting to the sounds around it.
To conclude, it’s good to be back! As the Clash said… “London (is) calling” again, but this time in stereo, or maybe in surround.