I’m currently undertaking a research project called MATERIALITY: exploring sound sculpture to interface the physical and digital in music making funded by Arts Council England. As a lover of field recordings, making objects and electronic music production; I wanted to collide these practices and explore how sound sculpture as a medium could interface with Ableton, Arduino and DIY electronics. On the project I’ve been investigating the sonic properties of glass and metal (at the London Sculpture Workshop + National Glass Centre) to create sculptural instruments that form part of a new live performance system.
I’ve also focused on the conductive properties of materials and their relation to interface design. One exciting aspect of this has been developing a new capacitive interface made with Manchester super material, Graphene. I have been working with researchers at the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester to see how the material could form part of a gestural sculpture.
Music production wise, I study at the School of Sound Recording; the MATERIALITY project has enabled me to interrogate the blending of both acoustic recordings and digital processes and I’ve generated large banks of material samples of metal working, machine drones and glass timbres to create bespoke drum racks and rhythmic material – industrial musique concrete!
The project has an educational aspect also, developing a workshop series for young people including sampling, sound design and interactive approaches using physical materials to control digital processes. My background is in youth and gallery work; and I’m passionate about sharing skills and encouraging others into music. This year I was privileged to run Disruption: Young Composers Scheme at Brighter Sound, I have also worked for Delia Derbyshire Day and Yorkshire Sound Women’s Network supporting females in electronic music.
I’m one half of Noise Orchestra with David Birchall, our sound art project that develops electronic noise machines that translate light into sound, inspired by the radical spirit of the 1920s Russian Futurists. With Noise Orchestra we have undertaken various international residencies including STEIM, Q-02, CTM Festival and been artists in residence at the National Science and Media Museum with ‘Play the Collections’. We were awarded the 2018 ENLIGHT (European Light Expression Network) residency to create our current project ‘SWARM’, developing portable noise machines that play the light of the city, with citizens forming a moving synth drone orchestra on the streets, developed at Pervasive Media Studios and premiering at Rome Media Art Festival.
I’m really looking forward to getting involved at MTF Stockholm and meeting SO many interesting people. I will be at the 24-hour Hack Camp and also be performing with MATERIALITY, can’t wait to meet you all, get stuck into some soldering and make some noise!
