Structure-Borne Sound for Music and Intermedia Creation by Otso Tapio Aavanranta

The object of the my Academy of Finland postdoctoral project (2014-2017)is to investigate and tap the potential of structure-borne sound as a medium for musical expression. Structure-borne sound is defined as audio-rate vibration induced into a solid element, giving rise to air-borne sound diffusion as well as to audiotactile perception when the vibrating element is brought in direct physical contact with the body. Structural audio vibration is an everyday phenomenon. It is omnipresent in music, for instance via the vibrating soundboards of chordophones and percussions. However, the electronic music praxis has almost exclusively adopted the moving-coil loudspeaker as its tool for sound diffusion. Structure-borne sound presents numerous possibilities for transforming a range of solid objects into sound-emitting speakers and thus a radical alteration of the established sound practice in music, theatre, installation art and intermedia forms. Sound can be induced into the structures and furniture of the performance space with structure-borne sound drivers, producing a macro-scale « instrument ». Sonically active architectures can also be designed, with altered acoustics or noise-cancelling properties. Audiotactile perception can be added to a concert setting, introducing a new perceptual dimension to the musical experience. This line of research merges issues of artistic creation, sound perception and sound driver technology in order to create a fertile research dynamic between art, science and technology. The two central research questions are the optimization of structure-borne sound quality for musical use, as well as the combination of vibrating solid elements, audiotactility, acoustic instruments and loudspeakers into « composite aural spaces », i.e. spatial instances of multiple sound-source audio.

Structure-Borne

Sound for Music

and Intermedia Creation

Academy of Finland Postdoctoral
Research Fellowship, 2014-2017

University of the Arts, Helsinki,
Sibelius Academy

This Research Catalogue exposition forms the open data repository for two successive Academy of Finland-funded research projects at the University of the Arts, Helsinki, directed by Dr. Otso Lähdeoja.

1) Structure-borne sound for music and intermedia creation, Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Research
Fellowship 2014-2017

2) Active Acoustics - Smart Audio objects at the Interface of the Material and the Digital, Academy of Finland Key Project
01.10.2016 - 30.09.2018

Scroll on the timeline right and click on specified items

Beginning of the project

Art-
works

Publi-
cations

Events

(September)

2014

2015

Norsborg Audio Engine
(Composition)

2014

Sonic scenography - equalized structure-borne sound for aurally active set design

2014

MuTe-Salonki
(Discussion series)

2014-2015

Full Contact, for cello and electronics (Composition)

2014

Structure-Borne Sound and Aurally Active Spaces

2014

Hellas 1952
(Composition)

2014

2015

O V A L (Installation)

2015

An Augmented Guitar with Active Acoustics

2015

MuTe-Salonki
(Discussion series)

2014-2015

Tapage Nocturne (Composition)

2015

Collaborating in Musical Nomadism – the Case of Tapage Nocturne for Double Bass, Electronics and Video

2015

R A U M (Installation)

2015

2016

Juhlakalu
(Contemporary dance performance)

2016

Active Acoustics -

Smart Audio objects

at the Interface

of the Material

and the Digital

Academy of Finland Key Project
(01.10.2016 - 30.09.2018)

University of the Arts, Helsinki,
Sibelius Academy

2015

Events

Art-
works

Publi-
cations

2016

2017

Composing for an Orchestra of Sonic Objects: The Shake-ousmonium Project

2016

Resonance
(Nathan Thomson Doctoral Concert)

2016

Active Acoustic Instruments Workshop
AAAI Network, Helsinki
2016

The Shake-ousmonium Project (Curated concert)

2016

Talk: Arts Without Borders, Helsinki
2016

Active acoustic instruments
for electronic chamber music

2016

Dendermonde (Album)

2016

Spatiality and Technology:
a Dialog Between the Aural and the Visual arts

2016

In Situ: Sonic Greenhouse in media:
AKA itw, Svenska Yle

Kilpailuttajat
(Contemporary dance performance)

2016

Art as Tehnology (Symposium) 2016

In Situ: Sonic Greenhouse
(Audio-architectural installation)

2016

I Will Tell You When I Am Ready (Contemporary dance performance)

2016

2017

Disvoiced
(Installation)

2017

SONIC GREENHOUSE - Considerations on a Large-Scale Audio-Architectural Installation

2017

Active Acoustic Instruments Workshop NIME Conference, Copenhagen

2017

Resonance 2
(Nathan Thomson Doctoral Concert)

2017

Venice Research
Pavilion

2017

Talk: The Utopia of the Digital Arts, MuTeFest Helsinki

2017

Active Acoustic Instruments Workshop AAAI Network, Oslo

2017

Mika Elo
(Installation)

2017

Audiotactile floor
at MuTeFest

2017

Audiotactile floor at Aalto SMC

2017

2018

Composing the Context: Considerations on materially
mediated electronic musicianship Organised Sound

2018

Audiotactile floor workshop

Music Centre Helsinki

23.-26.1.2018

Motet, Tampere Biennale
(Installation)

2018

Talk: Intesubjectivity, Creative Mornings Helsinki

23.2.2018

Millennium Gaala
(Showcase concert)

2018

Algorithms for Guitar-Driven Synthesis: Application to an Augmented Guitar SMC

2018

Electronic Chamber Music (Album)

2018

Active Acoustic Instruments Workshop AAAI Network, Copenhagen

12.-12.3.2018

I Will Tell You When I Am Ready
(Contemporary dance performance)
Zadar, Kroatia

20.8.2018

Augmenting the Guitar: analysis of hybrid instrument development informed by case studies. Collection: Instruments, Collegium Musicae, in press

2018

Talk: Augmented Instruments,
Heureka, Helsinki

8.9.2018

Materiality of Sound,
Final Post-doctoral concert

21.9.2018

Talk: Sonic Identity,
DRHA Malta

11.9.2018

Nathan Thomson
Resonance 3

15.6.2018

Nathan Thomson Resonance 3, Espoon Kaupunginteatteri
15.6.2018

Jesper Nordin "Semper Dolens" for active acoustic guitar
and soprano, premiere Uppsala International Guitar Festival

14.10.2018

Electronic Chamber Music, Itä-Festivaali
7.9.2018

Collaboration with UTU
Department of Future Technologies

2018

Augmented Instruments Worshop, Glomas, Kallio-Kuninkala

22,23.10.2018

Talk:
kirjamessut

26.10.2018

2018

Media

Coverage

YLE / Motet

YLE / Millennium Gaala

YLE / Electronic Chamber Music

Helsingin Sanomat / Espoon Kaupunginteatteri
15.6.2018

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