The sound installation “ENCOUNTER ONE” consists primarily of freely arranged and congruent sets of light-dependent resistors (LDRs) on the two sides of a large windowpane. The sensor cables are connected to the analogue/digital converter inputs of a control voltage/MIDI processor. Here, the measured light variations of the LDRs are converted into MIDI signals, which trigger sound samples under a MAX/MSP program on a computer. The sounds are kept to a minimum. The computer’s audio outputs are transmitted to a stereo amplifier, which then transmits the signal to two special vibrating loudspeakers. These are fixed (glued) to the windowpane, because they need to be coupled to the glass surface as rigidly as possible to achieve the maximum effect of the vibration converters. The windowpane thus becomes a loudspeaker.
1. Performance:
The basic idea behind the “ENCOUNTER ONE” sound installation is the dematerialization of a transparent glass surface (a large windowpane) through the musical interaction of the performer with the audience on the outside. The windowpane, made to vibrate by special sound converters, is used as a loudspeaker. In addition, the glass loudspeaker is used as sound-altering interface, which requires a special sensor system. The movement of those on the outside triggers sound sequences on the inside with which the performer interacts. The performer’s task is to interpret the sounds caused by the “listeners” through sound-altering instruments and to relay them to the recipient. A dialog is started. The tangibility of the windowpane is dissolved by the intangibility of sound and interaction. The sound structure created reflects and breaks up the interaction: the metaphorical dissolution of the glass partition takes place. Sound and rhythm are both contingent and controlled. In the space in between, made up of coincidence and manipulation, a location-bound interaction arises – a momentary event that cannot be reproduced.
2. Sound installation:
“ENCOUNTER ONE” is also intended to be a sound installation. The recipients act on both sides of the sound-altering interface. The task of each recipient is to interpret and relay the sounds triggered by his/her counterpart on the other side. The tangible nature of the windowpane is broken up by the intangible nature of sound and interaction. The blanket of sound created reflects and breaks up the interaction: the metaphorical dissolution of the glass partition. The sounds are separated acoustically and spatially, into internal and external sound material. Specific piano notes have been selected as external sounds; electronically distorted sound structures have been selected as internal sounds.
