Memory, memory...
01001101 01100101 01101101 01101111 01110010 01111001 00101100 00100000 01101101
01100101 01101101 01101111 01110010 01111001 00101110 00101110 00101110
---- ---- Transcoding memories into sound
Performance at Santa Barbara Center of Arts, Science and Technology on 06/01 2023
“Memory…memory…” is about the nature of recollections.
Memories dissipate like vapor, yet leave behind delicate droplets of remembrance. In this piece, I encoded written/spoken memories into binary rhythms and wove together those precious moments of my fifteen dear friends into a sound project. Their memories are transcoded and mapped to different ethereal sounds. Each of them is iterated, transformed, misaligned, lost, and found. The transcoding is realized with a Max patch that I made. The download link can be found below.
The middle section of this piece samples a 24 hours recording of the processes of ice forming and melting, which I recorded using two waterproof contact microphones. These audio files were later sped up and manipulated to seamlessly integrate into the sonic fabric of the piece.
A 12-inch cube ice block is used in this performance with two contact microphones embedded. The block is emblematic of the process of memory fading, leaving, and erasing.
The performance is interactive: the audience is welcome to freely improvise before the performance starts. To facilitate the exploration, various tools such as drumsticks, brushes, mallets, and a violin bow are made available. During the performance, I also engage in improvisation using these tools, drawing inspiration from the binary structure of a personal memory as it interacts with the ice cube.