- Program Notes
- Sense a holistic listening experience for audible sounds, infra and ultrasounds
Sense (2013–14) for electroacoustic sounds and fifth-order vibrasonics spatialization. Duration: 8’22”
Sense is an electroacoustic sound composition that merges auditory and tactile experiences, created during 2013–14 at the Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia (CEMI) at the University of North Texas. This work integrates innovative spatialization techniques and tactile vibrations to expand the traditional boundaries of listening. The project explores the multisensory nature of music, drawing from Leman’s (2008) assertion that musical experiences engage all senses to varying degrees. It employs water as a central sound object, both as a source of energy and a substance capable of altering other sonic materials. Techniques such as procedural audio, music information retrieval (MIR), and traditional audio editing were used to craft the narrative, which unfolds around a man pouring liquor into a glass. As part of a broader investigation into tactile, infrasonic, and ultrasonic sensations, Sense seeks to extend listening experiences beyond the audible realm. The composition combines structured tactile stimuli with audible soundscapes, creating a synesthetic encounter that can be felt as well as heard.
The piece is designed for a 10-channel system, which integrates tactile transducers and loudspeakers for a holistic sensory experience. Central to the setup is a custom-built chair equipped with specialized actuators and transducers:
- Tactile Transducers: Positioned on footrests, the back and bottom of the chair
- Ultrasonic Transmitters: Installed for the palms to deliver high-frequency tactile sensations.
- Cochlear Headphones: Transmit sound through bone conduction directly to the inner ear.
- 2.1 Audio System: Provides traditional audible playback.
The tactile system supports five sensation mechanisms for experiencing sound:
- Bone conduction via the cochlea.
- Tactile sound reception through the skin.
- Movement sensations in deep tissue.
- Skeletal joint vibrations from physical motion.
- Air-transmitted sound to the ears.
Sense allows for a vibrasonic spatialization paradigm that involves all five pathways for experiencing sound. It integrates audible and tactile components in a complementary and sometimes contrasting manner. For instance, a resonant midrange drone may align with soft, accelerating vibrations, while rhythmic audible phrases might pair with centrifugal ultrasonic sensations, driving structural transitions within the piece. This method reveals previously unheard soundscapes, transforming inaudible elements into tactile sensations. The customized interface allows for the integration of infrasound and ultrasound into the compositional process. Ultrasonic transducers generate pressure fields perceptible as vibrations, mimicking rhythmic or textural elements otherwise inaudible. This approach redefines how extreme frequencies—ranging from the infrasound used by elephants to the ultrasonic capabilities of dolphins—can be experienced. The project opens pathways for hearing-impaired communities: offering immersive experiences through tactile vibrations; Immersive environments: enhancing sound installations, intermedia artworks, and video games; 4D and multisensory experiences: expanding the potential of sensory integration in artistic and experimental contexts.
Sense challenges the confines of traditional auditory composition, delivering a hybrid listening experience where structured tactile energy complements audible sound. The work stands as a testament to the evolving possibilities of music as a multisensory art form.
- Recording Notes
- Studio edited mix © Panayiotis Kokoras
- Performer Credits
- Ensemble Holophony Project
- Publisher
- Panayiotis Kokoras