Resonant metals is an experimental, improvised sonic reciprocality methodology utilising synthesis, audio transduction processes, found scrap metal and myself. The concept came about from wanderings between the Merri Creek and Coburg North industrial areas during one of Narrm-Melbourne’s many lockdowns in 2021. Many of these areas are currently dumping grounds for scrap metal and raw materials, interrelating with grasses, weather, discarded rubbish, stray cats, heavy machinery, native animals and plants, introduced plants such as prickly pear and thistles…
The video above was made between Coburg North and Edgars Creek, industrial zones meet the water ways in places that collect, overlap, shift and change on their own 'forgotten' timescale. These places, in their various states of flux can afford space and time to reconsider agendas, trajectories and expectations of colonial-capitalist narratives. By attaching a transducer to this piece of abandoned infrastructure (engaged with by other wanderers, animals, plants, seasons, alchemical reactions) and playing certain harmonised frequencies within it we can listen through infrastructure as part of a deeper engagement with place and consider our personal listening positionalities.
The audio recording above is from some crumpled metal (exact metal still unknown) is a 1.5 - 2m long remnant from shorter-term colonial industrial processes, found in the same place as above.
Removing the piece of metal from its place near the creek, and taking it back to the studio I attached a transducer speaker to the metal surface - the transducer utilises the surface of the metal as its ‘cone’ - the sound pushed through the transducer vibrates and resonates out through the materiality of the found metal, essentially to listen ‘through’ the metal in a process of transduction. The quality of the sound is directly related to the metal surface and is affected and descriptive of the materiality of the metal itself.
This project is an experiment in listening positionality - how can we listen from the perspective of the metal? How can considering this perspective question our overall perception of colonised place and the industry, infrastructure and colonial, ’developmental’ extractive, structural processes impressed upon it?
What you are listening to is an excerpt from initial recordings of the resonant metals #001. This audio was recorded using two small condenser microphones, one in each hand pinched between two fingers and held closely to the surface of the metal. Here, my left and right hands become the left and right channels of the stereo field of the recording - performance through panning aswell as sonic content.
The microphones were shifted separately across different points on the form as it resonated, this in itself raises questions around distance and listening positionality with specialised or experimental/performative recording techniques. These initial methods may/will be adapted to other materials, surfaces and scenarios.
The audio that is sent to the metal to resonate, is a loop sequence from a custom designed eurorack modular synthesiser specifically for drone and looping techniques for reciprocal and responsive sound production. The looping sequence is subtly changing on each repeat while the timing and frequencies sent in remain similar on production, but on listening through the mics at different points on the resonant metal surface, reveal many complex harmonics and over/under tones that are not present in the original sound before transduction. You can hear many harmonic resonances between 3-400Hz which includes what is known as the ‘Solfeggio frequency’ at 396 Hz. Though not directly related to this project or research at this time - incidentally this frequency affects the human body in that it can contribute to dissolving negative thinking, negative emotions, and destructive behaviour.
The 12 minute composition was done in one take as an improvised response to the listening process and the production of the sound back through the metal itself, like a closed loop of output, throughput and input - soundmaking, listening and responding reciprocally to the material and its existence.