Graduation Project

Forward/Introduction

In my fine art practice, I have been exploring how I am, as a human being, conscious to my surroundings. I discovered sound as my primary media to explore this theme. In my last work, I made work on our perception to sounds around us and how they affect our consciousness. I used sampling techniques of found sounds, field recordings. However this time, I want to further develop this topic, to actually engaging myself to produce sound from pure voltage, electricity. I want to research on sound synthesis process and how they could be merged into meditation practice.

Central Question

Sound Synthesis as Meditation/Immersion, How sound affects our consciousness, Pattern-based, repetition, development, real-time interaction

Relevance of the Topic

Sound as a mean for meditation has been explored quite far on minimal music movement. Artist, musicians like La Monte Young, Steve Reich, explored drone music, etc. Since sound is the most bodily sense for me, engaging oneself not only listening, but also to produce sound is physical activity (like playing the instrument), which can bring you another state of mind. Especially nowadays in this technology age, people are losing focus and struggling to be mindful to the present. Meditation and mindfulness became new media phenomena in contemporary digital media culture, when in fact they originated from ancient time Buddhist and spiritual traditions. Technological development brought us new kind of consciousness, therefore we need to accept new media technology as our tool, in the age of cyborg.

Hypothesis

Sound Synthesis

Handmade Electronic Music

To make an analogue synthesiser, I need; a battery powered amplifier (as a speaker), audio cable, audio jack, breadboard, CMOS Hex Schmitt Trigger Integrated Circuit, resistors, capacitors, diode, potentiometer, LDR,

Pure Data

Algorithmic Composition Digital Audio Processing
http://lwmmusic.com/learning-lswpd-1.html
Live Performance: Using microphone to make instruments (flute, violin, etc.) as input

Minimal Music

La Monte Young