23 July 2007
Bellytastic at The Arts Organisation
21 July 2007
Bellytastic
My practice has become site specific due to the technique of recording binaural audio. It is important that the sound is gathered on site and reflects the environment and the events that take place.
Bellytastic was a celebration of belly dancing put on by the Shimmies and Shakes group at The Arts Organisation. The group was a mixture of women of all ages and abilities that had been attending regular belly dancing classes to put together individual and group dance routines. The binaural recordings picked up the sounds of the belly dancers performing their routines, music, audience conversations and mistakes made by the local DJ and host; accompanied with impatient whispers to correct them from the audience.
13- 21 July 2007
Unheard Sounds
MA Exposition, Nottingham Trent University
MA Exposition, Nottingham Trent University
My position as an audio artist in contemporary art is motivated by my drive to present an auditory experience that can disrupt the balance between the actual and the virtual by placing the listener in a position of uncertainty.
The site
After the success of The Sound of the Playhouse I felt that the site was an important part of the practice and that for the experience to be authentic the sound had to be recorded on site. Many of the ‘virtual worlds’ including the death of the narrator were recorded on site to give the listener an experience of an event actually taking place.
Recording binaural audio
The narrators voice was initially going to be both in the head of the viewer and in the ear. The intention of this was to separate directional instructions from dreams, memories and
Virtual worlds. However I found that the combination of the two layers of binaural audio fought against one another, almost cancelling each other out. This was a problem when, for example there was loud music and narration in to one ear. To resolve this I decided to record all the narration in mono, the directions were given in a clear and stern voice and when the soundtrack moved to a dream like sequence the voice soften and showed emotion.
Working with the university as a site to produce an audio walk was different to the Playhouse because this time the environment was empty and quiet.
I found it difficult to choose a route because I knew the building so well and wanted to include all its ‘best’ bits, included creaky doors, windows, steps, etc. However the route I had planned to do was taking ten minutes to get around and I felt that this was far too long. There would also be too many instructions due to the complex layout of the building. The route was finally shortened to four minutes, which allowed for extra narrative to be added when the audio track referenced the physical and virtual worlds.
Influences and research
A reference to the uncanny and how sound has been used to produce dream like scenes from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me were added to the soundtrack.
The narrative was based on the notion of my personal fear; therefore it included a reference from horror and psychological thriller. I felt it was significant to include my experiences and translate these to the listener.
The audio walk was influenced by my research into the sublime, and I found that by demanding high quality sound in my work I was able to reproduce an experience of that similar to the sublime by referencing dark and light spaces and the fear of being followed
Using new audio recorder for narration
I had discussed my concerns with NTU technicians regarding the Edirol MP3 recorder that I had been using to record binaural audio. I wanted to use it to record mono narrative but the quality was poor and there was a lot of hiss in the background. I was given a Marantz and professional microphone to use instead and this solved the problem.
New binaural Microphones
I had previously sampled audio from the university to gather ideas for the narrative using the clip tie microphones taped to my ears and the dummy head, however I wasn’t satisfied with the quality of sound. It seemed that the last audio walk (The Sounds of the Playhouse) didn’t have any blaringly obvious audio mistakes but this could have been because the background environment was loud and hid any clicks or pops that the microphones may have produced.
I decided to purchase a set of in ear microphones to record binaural audio.
The microphones were fantastic, they were much more inconspicuous and sat inside my ears like headphones. They were brilliant at picking up every single sound, so good that my breathing can be heard on the audio walk for the MA Exposition.
I feel I have developed the technique of binaural audio in a very short time, but feel confident in the technology and the practice to immerse the listener and temporarily transport them in and out of reality. 
After the success of The Sound of the Playhouse I felt that the site was an important part of the practice and that for the experience to be authentic the sound had to be recorded on site. Many of the ‘virtual worlds’ including the death of the narrator were recorded on site to give the listener an experience of an event actually taking place.
Recording binaural audio
The narrators voice was initially going to be both in the head of the viewer and in the ear. The intention of this was to separate directional instructions from dreams, memories and
Virtual worlds. However I found that the combination of the two layers of binaural audio fought against one another, almost cancelling each other out. This was a problem when, for example there was loud music and narration in to one ear. To resolve this I decided to record all the narration in mono, the directions were given in a clear and stern voice and when the soundtrack moved to a dream like sequence the voice soften and showed emotion.
Working with the university as a site to produce an audio walk was different to the Playhouse because this time the environment was empty and quiet.
I found it difficult to choose a route because I knew the building so well and wanted to include all its ‘best’ bits, included creaky doors, windows, steps, etc. However the route I had planned to do was taking ten minutes to get around and I felt that this was far too long. There would also be too many instructions due to the complex layout of the building. The route was finally shortened to four minutes, which allowed for extra narrative to be added when the audio track referenced the physical and virtual worlds.
Influences and research
A reference to the uncanny and how sound has been used to produce dream like scenes from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me were added to the soundtrack.
The narrative was based on the notion of my personal fear; therefore it included a reference from horror and psychological thriller. I felt it was significant to include my experiences and translate these to the listener.
The audio walk was influenced by my research into the sublime, and I found that by demanding high quality sound in my work I was able to reproduce an experience of that similar to the sublime by referencing dark and light spaces and the fear of being followed
Using new audio recorder for narration
I had discussed my concerns with NTU technicians regarding the Edirol MP3 recorder that I had been using to record binaural audio. I wanted to use it to record mono narrative but the quality was poor and there was a lot of hiss in the background. I was given a Marantz and professional microphone to use instead and this solved the problem.
New binaural Microphones
I had previously sampled audio from the university to gather ideas for the narrative using the clip tie microphones taped to my ears and the dummy head, however I wasn’t satisfied with the quality of sound. It seemed that the last audio walk (The Sounds of the Playhouse) didn’t have any blaringly obvious audio mistakes but this could have been because the background environment was loud and hid any clicks or pops that the microphones may have produced.
I decided to purchase a set of in ear microphones to record binaural audio.
The microphones were fantastic, they were much more inconspicuous and sat inside my ears like headphones. They were brilliant at picking up every single sound, so good that my breathing can be heard on the audio walk for the MA Exposition.
I feel I have developed the technique of binaural audio in a very short time, but feel confident in the technology and the practice to immerse the listener and temporarily transport them in and out of reality.
My experience of recording and sampling sounds via binaural audio technology was short, however, I felt confident in the technology and my ability to create an audio walk for the Offstage exhibition.
Playhouse Theatre history
I had been testing and listening to samples of binaural tracks for roughly a month and wanted to create an audio walk that was site specific and related directly to the Playhouse Theatre. My initial reaction was to research the history and the opening of the theatre, however I didn’t feel a strong connection with the issues surrounding the opening or Coriolanus, which was the first play to be performed at the theatre. I decided to take inspiration from the recent showing of J.B. Priestley’s I Have Been Here Before and the theory attached to the play regarding individuals repeating their life cycles unless they can seize opportunities to free themselves from repeating past errors by Russian philosopher P.D. Ouspensky.
How and what was recorded at the Playhouse Theatre
I decided to gather a variation of binaural recordings during the day and in the evening. I recorded the sound of the environment using my own head (with two microphones attached to my ears) rather than a dummy head. I found the most successful recording to be in the evening with crowds of people pouring out of performances as their voices could be heard from the exhibition space (start of the walk) and became louder when I reached the reception and bar area (end of the walk). I found the daytime ‘sounds’ to be very quiet and I wanted the listener to experience something that would happen at night during the daytime. I felt that if the sound and situation was too similar to the audio walk the experience wouldn’t be as enchanting.
Recorded sounds that made up the murder mystery narrative
All the sounds experienced on the audio walk were created by myself using binaural audio technology the only sound that was sampled was the short interlude of music. To help with the narration and structure of the audio walk I watched psychological films that played with twist endings and plot devices such as the Usual Suspects. The way in which The Usual Suspects is narrated converges and diverges between time and reality, past and present. The film presents the audience with a crime- drama full of twists and turns with a surprising climax ending. As the narrative progresses, The Usual Suspects constantly raises the stakes. The audience is only slowly let into the story at the beginning, everyone on-screen knows more than we do. Gradually, however, the skein of deceptions and plot devices is untangled by the switches back and forth between present and past. This film requires that a viewer pay careful attention to details.
How the route and narrative was formed
The Playhouse Theatre has a very limited space for the listener to walk around; this is why the track only lasts for 4 minutes. I used the space and objects such as photographs and clocks to reference J.B. Priestley’s play and to give the notion of a murder mystery in a reality that the listener could partly observe and partly take part in.
Audio equipment
I decided to use noise-cancelling headphones, as these are great for blocking out other environmental sounds. I used small handheld MP3 players that were easy to transport while walking. However, the MP3 players were inexpensive and the volume couldn’t reach a level I was satisfied with, this problem was resolved by contacting the Phonography group and they suggested that I layer the audio track to get the required volume level without losing quality.
Installing audio walk at the Playhouse Theatre
The audio walk is an intimate experience and the listener will require a set of headphones and MP3 player, which will be available once a week when I will be invigilating the exhibition. Dates and times were added to the installation space to let visitors know when the audio walk was available.
Critical Review and Development
I felt the audio walk could have been longer and the narrative developed further. I also feel as though I didn’t exploit the binaural audio, as I should have, because there wasn’t a lot of change between environments. When you are recording audio you discover that each room has a different ambience and binaural audio picks this up as if you were hearing it with your own ears. This change of level and tone of sound is something I want to explore further through developing the audio walk by taking the listener outside of the Playhouse Theatre and into a deeper narrative formed by their physical surroundings.
Feedback from listeners:
“You really scared me! When I was standing next to the picture and the music started, I could hear someone running.”- Soo
“I followed your instructions and ended up sat at the bar with everyone staring at me!”-Cat
“I feel like I understand what you have been trying to do with your practice and feel that you have achieved it.”- Heather
Playhouse Theatre history
I had been testing and listening to samples of binaural tracks for roughly a month and wanted to create an audio walk that was site specific and related directly to the Playhouse Theatre. My initial reaction was to research the history and the opening of the theatre, however I didn’t feel a strong connection with the issues surrounding the opening or Coriolanus, which was the first play to be performed at the theatre. I decided to take inspiration from the recent showing of J.B. Priestley’s I Have Been Here Before and the theory attached to the play regarding individuals repeating their life cycles unless they can seize opportunities to free themselves from repeating past errors by Russian philosopher P.D. Ouspensky.
How and what was recorded at the Playhouse Theatre
I decided to gather a variation of binaural recordings during the day and in the evening. I recorded the sound of the environment using my own head (with two microphones attached to my ears) rather than a dummy head. I found the most successful recording to be in the evening with crowds of people pouring out of performances as their voices could be heard from the exhibition space (start of the walk) and became louder when I reached the reception and bar area (end of the walk). I found the daytime ‘sounds’ to be very quiet and I wanted the listener to experience something that would happen at night during the daytime. I felt that if the sound and situation was too similar to the audio walk the experience wouldn’t be as enchanting.
Recorded sounds that made up the murder mystery narrative
All the sounds experienced on the audio walk were created by myself using binaural audio technology the only sound that was sampled was the short interlude of music. To help with the narration and structure of the audio walk I watched psychological films that played with twist endings and plot devices such as the Usual Suspects. The way in which The Usual Suspects is narrated converges and diverges between time and reality, past and present. The film presents the audience with a crime- drama full of twists and turns with a surprising climax ending. As the narrative progresses, The Usual Suspects constantly raises the stakes. The audience is only slowly let into the story at the beginning, everyone on-screen knows more than we do. Gradually, however, the skein of deceptions and plot devices is untangled by the switches back and forth between present and past. This film requires that a viewer pay careful attention to details.
How the route and narrative was formed
The Playhouse Theatre has a very limited space for the listener to walk around; this is why the track only lasts for 4 minutes. I used the space and objects such as photographs and clocks to reference J.B. Priestley’s play and to give the notion of a murder mystery in a reality that the listener could partly observe and partly take part in.
Audio equipment
I decided to use noise-cancelling headphones, as these are great for blocking out other environmental sounds. I used small handheld MP3 players that were easy to transport while walking. However, the MP3 players were inexpensive and the volume couldn’t reach a level I was satisfied with, this problem was resolved by contacting the Phonography group and they suggested that I layer the audio track to get the required volume level without losing quality.
Installing audio walk at the Playhouse Theatre
The audio walk is an intimate experience and the listener will require a set of headphones and MP3 player, which will be available once a week when I will be invigilating the exhibition. Dates and times were added to the installation space to let visitors know when the audio walk was available.
Critical Review and Development
I felt the audio walk could have been longer and the narrative developed further. I also feel as though I didn’t exploit the binaural audio, as I should have, because there wasn’t a lot of change between environments. When you are recording audio you discover that each room has a different ambience and binaural audio picks this up as if you were hearing it with your own ears. This change of level and tone of sound is something I want to explore further through developing the audio walk by taking the listener outside of the Playhouse Theatre and into a deeper narrative formed by their physical surroundings.
Feedback from listeners:
“You really scared me! When I was standing next to the picture and the music started, I could hear someone running.”- Soo
“I followed your instructions and ended up sat at the bar with everyone staring at me!”-Cat
“I feel like I understand what you have been trying to do with your practice and feel that you have achieved it.”- Heather
Statement for Offstage exhibition
The Sound of the Playhouse, 2007
The Sound of the Playhouse is a direct response to the Playhouse Theatre and a recent showing of the mystery thriller I Have been Here Before by J.B. Priestley. The play was based on the Russian philosopher P.D. Ouspensky’s theory about individuals repeating their life cycles unless they can seize opportunities to free themselves from repeating past errors. This theory informs the audio walk when changes in time, space and the narrative occur, distorting the listeners reality and physical surroundings with suggestions about the past.
Visitors follow the artist’s directions through the Playhouse Theatre, and become involved in the stories embedded in the recorded instructions and suggestions. An everyday walk can be transformed into an absorbing psychological and physical experience where the distinction between sensation and imagination continuously collapses. Shifting between past and present, memory and reality, Stevens’ stories become a manipulation of the "real" environment.
The audio walk uses binaural technology - a means of recording that achieves incredibly precise three-dimensional sound to create an experience of physical immediacy and complexity.
The Sound of the Playhouse, 2007
The Sound of the Playhouse is a direct response to the Playhouse Theatre and a recent showing of the mystery thriller I Have been Here Before by J.B. Priestley. The play was based on the Russian philosopher P.D. Ouspensky’s theory about individuals repeating their life cycles unless they can seize opportunities to free themselves from repeating past errors. This theory informs the audio walk when changes in time, space and the narrative occur, distorting the listeners reality and physical surroundings with suggestions about the past.
Visitors follow the artist’s directions through the Playhouse Theatre, and become involved in the stories embedded in the recorded instructions and suggestions. An everyday walk can be transformed into an absorbing psychological and physical experience where the distinction between sensation and imagination continuously collapses. Shifting between past and present, memory and reality, Stevens’ stories become a manipulation of the "real" environment.
The audio walk uses binaural technology - a means of recording that achieves incredibly precise three-dimensional sound to create an experience of physical immediacy and complexity.
28/3/07
My fears used to produce binaural audio walks
The image above shows a video clip of me sitting in a dark room. I have a fear of the dark and wanted to bring all my fears to the surface by positioning myself in an uncomfortable dark environment.I could hear the usual sounds of the house- the boiler, people downstairs, these were comforting to hear, however, I did hear some tiny creaks which sounded as if they were in the same room as me and were getting closer. I saw the experience of sitting in darkness as a trigger to bring back memories of why I was afraid of the dark, and therefore I see this more as a tool for research.
I have been gathering sounds that reflect my fear and memory of unexplained sound, for example as a child I remember the sound of a soldier walking up the stairs when I went to confront the sound It turned out to be my mum ironing downstairs.
The other sound is repetitive and can only be heard at night it sounds similar to keys tapping on a lamppost, this sound came from outside my bedroom window as a child, but was never explained or witnessed by anyone else, therefore I believe it was a sound in my head, this is where the title “Unheard Sounds” came from.
I recreated the tapping sound and recorded it using binaural audio when I played it to my mum she instantly knew where the sound came from. She commented: “We shouldn’t have let you watch it, you were too young.” She was referring to a spoof documentary about a family that was visited by aliens that would tap and bang on the pipes. “It was really convincing and everyone rang in to complained because it was so disturbing.” I have since tried to locate the documentary unsuccessfully.
When I moved back to Nottingham for the MA course the house I was staying in had a boiler, which desperately needed servicing it would often wake me early in the morning and late at night when it turned itself on and off. It would start off with a loud clunk and would follow with a succession of petrifying sounds. I’m getting used to it now, but it sounds as if it is alive, almost moaning and crying a mixture of low and high-pitched murmurs and screams! As a fan of horror and thriller films how could I resist recording this?
I intend to use the audio walks as a vehicle to express the notion of my fear by immersing the listener in sound and completely taking over this sense, causing dislocation with the physical environment. I feel the audio walks validate this fear of unexplained sound by using audio as a trigger for fear and suspense through an intimate experience of hearing sounds in your head.
15/4/07
Recording binaural audio
Although using the Edirol Roland 24 bit WAVE MP3 recorder was convenient with instant playback, I felt that I wanted the recordings to be more realistic as if they were taking place in the listener’s head.
I attempted to record the boiler sound using a technique called binaural audio, this uses two mono microphones placed either side of the head. I used a polystyrene dummy head and two clip tie microphones taped on to each ear. The recorder was set to stereo and the microphones set to mono so that the sound picked up by each microphone was similar to that of human hearing. The results were ok, but not amazing.
I realised that for a true binaural audio experience it is better if the sound moves from one side of the head to another.
The boiler is static therefore the sound comes from the front of the head. When I took the microphones outside, I picked up multiple layers of sound (traffic, people, church bells, wind, etc), the accuracy in sound was astonishing and I felt that I could extend the use of this technology to create an experience.
After a dreadful attempt at trying to record binaural audio using two different medium sized microphones strapped to a dummy head I decided to purchase two clip tie microphones. The microphones were small enough to tape to the dummy head or for me to attach to a hat and wear while recording. I found the difference in quality and experience of recorded audio astonishing when compared to the audio samples I had previously recorded. Although the dummy head was successful I still felt that there were problems with the material of the head, because it was made from polystyrene and it tended to squeak and shuffle as I was holding it. I felt happier using the hat technique to record binaural audio as the results were better in quality and allowed me to have both hands free while walking around.
My fears used to produce binaural audio walks
The image above shows a video clip of me sitting in a dark room. I have a fear of the dark and wanted to bring all my fears to the surface by positioning myself in an uncomfortable dark environment.I could hear the usual sounds of the house- the boiler, people downstairs, these were comforting to hear, however, I did hear some tiny creaks which sounded as if they were in the same room as me and were getting closer. I saw the experience of sitting in darkness as a trigger to bring back memories of why I was afraid of the dark, and therefore I see this more as a tool for research.
I have been gathering sounds that reflect my fear and memory of unexplained sound, for example as a child I remember the sound of a soldier walking up the stairs when I went to confront the sound It turned out to be my mum ironing downstairs.
The other sound is repetitive and can only be heard at night it sounds similar to keys tapping on a lamppost, this sound came from outside my bedroom window as a child, but was never explained or witnessed by anyone else, therefore I believe it was a sound in my head, this is where the title “Unheard Sounds” came from.
I recreated the tapping sound and recorded it using binaural audio when I played it to my mum she instantly knew where the sound came from. She commented: “We shouldn’t have let you watch it, you were too young.” She was referring to a spoof documentary about a family that was visited by aliens that would tap and bang on the pipes. “It was really convincing and everyone rang in to complained because it was so disturbing.” I have since tried to locate the documentary unsuccessfully.
When I moved back to Nottingham for the MA course the house I was staying in had a boiler, which desperately needed servicing it would often wake me early in the morning and late at night when it turned itself on and off. It would start off with a loud clunk and would follow with a succession of petrifying sounds. I’m getting used to it now, but it sounds as if it is alive, almost moaning and crying a mixture of low and high-pitched murmurs and screams! As a fan of horror and thriller films how could I resist recording this?
I intend to use the audio walks as a vehicle to express the notion of my fear by immersing the listener in sound and completely taking over this sense, causing dislocation with the physical environment. I feel the audio walks validate this fear of unexplained sound by using audio as a trigger for fear and suspense through an intimate experience of hearing sounds in your head.
15/4/07
Recording binaural audio
Although using the Edirol Roland 24 bit WAVE MP3 recorder was convenient with instant playback, I felt that I wanted the recordings to be more realistic as if they were taking place in the listener’s head.
I attempted to record the boiler sound using a technique called binaural audio, this uses two mono microphones placed either side of the head. I used a polystyrene dummy head and two clip tie microphones taped on to each ear. The recorder was set to stereo and the microphones set to mono so that the sound picked up by each microphone was similar to that of human hearing. The results were ok, but not amazing.
I realised that for a true binaural audio experience it is better if the sound moves from one side of the head to another.
The boiler is static therefore the sound comes from the front of the head. When I took the microphones outside, I picked up multiple layers of sound (traffic, people, church bells, wind, etc), the accuracy in sound was astonishing and I felt that I could extend the use of this technology to create an experience.
After a dreadful attempt at trying to record binaural audio using two different medium sized microphones strapped to a dummy head I decided to purchase two clip tie microphones. The microphones were small enough to tape to the dummy head or for me to attach to a hat and wear while recording. I found the difference in quality and experience of recorded audio astonishing when compared to the audio samples I had previously recorded. Although the dummy head was successful I still felt that there were problems with the material of the head, because it was made from polystyrene and it tended to squeak and shuffle as I was holding it. I felt happier using the hat technique to record binaural audio as the results were better in quality and allowed me to have both hands free while walking around.
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