SOUND NOMADS
SOUND INSTALLATIONS + PERFORMANCES/VIDEO Artistic interpretation and contextualization of places. Privately in public. Wiring of the surroundings to interactive, sensor-based instruments.
About the Project
SOUND NOMADS is comprised of a combination of sound art, music, public art, performance, interactive installations as well as video. The constant search for noises, sounds and rhythms lies as central to SOUND NOMADS as the creation of ephemeral interactive sensor based playgrounds.
SOUND NOMADS actions mainly consists of three steps:
| COLLECT | site specific sound huntings/field recordings on and off the nomad way |
| PROCESS | creation of sound/music scores, programming, hardware settings |
| REFLECT | backtrack compositions, art performances/video. |
Entire squares, hotspots, fields, meadows, ponds and patterns from day to day life are instrumentalized, and played. Surrounding objects get networked. Manholes become recording studios; hot tubs, resonating objects; the movements of persons, time bases; lampposts or mailboxes take the place of instrument strings and keys. The actual noises of objects lose their meaning and get replaced by triggered melodies/samples or generated tones. Contrasts, oppositions, and irritations are being created.
Complex high-tech settings and precise triggering of sensors lead to SOUND NOMADS performances. Their realtime generated sounds are part of the resulting videos. The technical equipment mainly consists of sensors, midi/audio interfaces, laptops, software, microphones, props, photo and video gear.
SOUND NOMADS ventures to artistically reflect on situations of everyday life and site-specific impressions as directly as possible; acoustically, aesthetically, and in respect of content. This project should not be an influenced work AFTER a trip but rather should facilitate a constant and direct/authentic/emotional artistic flow with change of location as a direct source of inspiration. Nomadism as an essential and driving element.
to detailed project description
The Performances
Original, live, not fake: These videos document the actual process of the performances. Allowed is only a minimum of video editing, image enhancements, audio restoration. No audio editing, no additional sound fx or instruments, no music compositions in post production AFTER a performance took place. Also, video and audio recordings stay in sync in post production.
MAY 2009: Still Evidence of Water [Tel Aviv/ISRAEL]
MAY 2009: Evidence of Water [Bat Yam/ISRAEL]
JAN 2009: French Fries [Berlin/GERMANY]
AUG 2007: Bale [Puyvalador/FRANCE]
JUN 2007: Lights Out [Berlin/GERMANY]
SEP 2006: Lantern Dogs [Los Angeles/CA]
SEP 2006: Sound Pets LA [Los Angeles/CA]
SEP 2006: Victor's Desert Party [Goffs/CA]
SEP 2006: Luxor 22.145 [Las Vegas/NV]
SEP 2006: Play! [Cedar City/UT]
SEP 2006: What the Fuck [Kanab/UT]
SEP 2006: Sound Pets [San Francisco/CA]
AUG 2006: Black Balloons [Joshua Tree NP/CA]
AUG 2006: Shoot Down Out [Palm Springs/CA]
JUL 2006: Viva la Hetch [Yosemite/CA]
Backtracks
Audio works from calm moments between further trips and performances.
| Backtrack Composition | Download | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Aufstieg/Up! Yosemite/CA | MP3 192 kbps | 01:26 |
Sound Huntings
Recordings and documentary materials from the hunt of noises on and off the nomad way.
| Sound Hunting | Documentary | Success |
|---|---|---|
| Slurping Tel Aviv/Israel | n/a | |
| Emergency Room Tel Aviv/Israel | n/a | |
| Market/Rooftops/Muezzins Jerusalem/Israel | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Sprinklers Israel | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Harvester/Trucks Israel | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Bee Hives Israel | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| City/Market/Alarm System Tel Aviv/Israel | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Industrial Area Bat Yam/Israel | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| City/Beach Barcelona/Spain | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Crickets Provence/France | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| City Milano/Italy | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Wurstelprater Ride Vienna/Austria | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Blutwurstritter Butcher Berlin/Germany | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| BSR Cleaning Cars Berlin/Germany | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Railway Bridge Berlin/Germany | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Manholes Los Angeles/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Drive-Thru Los Angeles/CA | n/a | |
| Victor the Car Las Vegas/NV | n/a | |
| Rodeo Cedar City/UT | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Quietschlapp Kingman/AZ | n/a | |
| Streets San Francisco/CA | n/a | |
| Fitness Room Quality Inn Palm Springs/CA | n/a | |
| Elephant Car Wash Rancho Mirage/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Splash Hunting Palm Springs/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Camping Dinner Anza-Borrego/CA | n/a | |
| Motel JAM Electric Noise Escondido/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| AMF Bay Shore Lanes Santa Monica/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| The Tube Yosemite/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Upper Yosemite Fall Yosemite/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Cows, They Don't Moo US Highway 99/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Oil Refineries Bakersfield/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Wildlife Mojave Desert/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| I Am Napolean US Route 40/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery | |
| Red Roof Inn Victorville/CA | n/a | |
| The Kitchen Kings Road, Los Angeles/CA | Blog Entry/Gallery |
Travel Journal/Blog
The first SOUND NOMADS performances took place on the US West Coast between July and September 2006. Since 2007 SOUND NOMADS took various short trips across Europe. In the nomad times, this page is constantly updated and nomad dates can be taken from the calendar.
A journal is maintained during the trips, which offers a multifaceted look of the daily workings of SOUND NOMADS.
Short URLs
SOUNDNOMADS.COM | YouTube Channel
Sponsors
MaxBotix, Native Instruments, Sony Creative Software, Cycling '74, Celemony