sound installations

Subject: sound installations
From: Jack Campin
Date: 25 May 09 - 12:39 PM

I mentioned this in another thread, but's an example of something that deserves a thread of its own.

An organ played by the random movement of the waves: The Zadar sea organ

A lot of us will have windchimes. A friend of mine has made a couple of Aeolian harps - they were quite popular in Britain the 18th century. There are quite a few instrument/sculptures where the "player" is a force of nature, or something with no human intention behind it.

The most extraordinary one I've heard of was set up in the beaches on Micronesia to guide the souls of the dead on their way to the next world. It was a collection of full-length bamboos, with a slot cut in each segment at a random point round the circumference. So as the wind changed in strength and direction, it would sound a continually varying clustered chord of flute sounds. I have some of it on an old Ocora LP (Musique de Guadalcanal), but obviously a recording can't convey much of the effect you'd feel standing in a forest of shrieking poles in a storm.

What favourites do people here have?

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: Will Fly
Date: 25 May 09 - 12:47 PM

That's an amazing sound - almost reminiscent of some of the recordings of whales at times.

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: michaelr
Date: 25 May 09 - 03:02 PM

This one's close to where I live: http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/waveorg.htm
Very nifty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxKWcAPOHU0

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: GUEST,Sedayne (Astray)
Date: 26 May 09 - 04:04 AM

There's something up on the moors we keep meaning to go & see but somehow never manage to get round to it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B0hGyKV9qs

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: GUEST
Date: 26 May 09 - 06:24 AM

Thank You JACK!

The "odd music" site you linked to is fascinating - what FUN to browse through their pages...and the MP3 clip of ZADER is soothing.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 26 May 09 - 07:00 AM

Los Angeles - Triforium

The Triforium is a six story 60 ton public sculptur a brightly colored, metal sculpture that once upon a time was hooked up for musical light shows...it was intended to be an artisitic display of the workings of the three parts of government. Today - it just sits and does nothing - so I guess it was successful.

It combined an electronic harmonium, a 79 note glass bell carillon with two octaves of English bells, and two octaves of Flemish bells. The bells transformed sound to color and regulated the intensity of the lights inside the prisms. The sculpture was not wired properly and broke down.

It was dedicated in 1975 by Burl Ives and Eddie Albert.

Amongst other names it has been called..."Three Wishbones in Search of a Turkery."

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2052/2529714295_526c1423ff.jpg?v=0

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: Jack Campin
Date: 26 May 09 - 08:16 AM

That sounds rather like the Millennium Clock in the National Museum of Scotland - look at the Sharmanka website for an idea (it's more or less unfilmable).

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: GUEST,Lord O'May
Date: 26 May 09 - 08:22 AM

(it's more or less unfilmable)

The devil's in the details!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLKjuTHUiTk

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: glueman
Date: 26 May 09 - 08:29 AM

More land sounds:
http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/41

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: glueman
Date: 26 May 09 - 08:30 AM

http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/41

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 26 May 09 - 10:19 AM

Reminds of the early warning Sound Mirrors:

http://www.ajg41.clara.co.uk/mirrors/

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: open mike
Date: 26 May 09 - 11:06 AM

a music museum in germany has this:
http://www.bernhardgal.com/airport.html

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Apr 11 - 07:18 AM

Bach on an auto-xylophone

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: s&r
Date: 16 Apr 11 - 04:08 AM

In Blackpool

Stu

Subject: RE: sound installations
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 16 Apr 11 - 04:46 AM

Excellent, Stu. Funny how we've seen that sculpture for years (even having a postcard on the wall of the WC) without realising what it was until a few months ago. Shame it wasn't in G or D really...