Wairudorubī ワイルドルビ
2022
This audiovisual composition uses an amalgamation of field recordings and video footage from my 2019 trip to Japan.
In the buildup to a subway train arriving into an underground station in Toyko, I observed platform noise, announcements and at times, frantic movement as people tried to find space on a crowded train. As an outsider, the tension could be felt under the surface. Once the train departed the background noise gradually dispersed and the carriage would be left in almost complete silence until the next station was met and the ritualistic process was repeated.
Calm
This shift in energy that I observed was remarkable. As a consequence of this experience, I wanted to create a composition that followed the natural flow of the underground soundscapes. This cycle of noise / silence encapsulates Japan for me - as a country of stark contrasts and flagrent contradictions. The stop / start and buildup / wind down felt familiar. ie emulating natural patterns found in nature, like the ebb and flow of water.
My composition follows this natural flow - With audio the buildup and wind down sections are represented by the sound changing frequencies to match each section of calm / tension. I have experimented with Beta and Gamma frequency binaural beats for the buildups - which can physically shift the brainwaves from alert / panic --> calm / relaxed. For the visuals - a generative grid reacted to these frequencies, similar to a virtual oscilloscope. In this way, the frequencies become visual as well as audible. Anything digital starts with a 0 or a 1 - in short - it's either on or off.
Tension: the buildup of a subway train arriving
