TEMPORAL TIDE
A Wave Of Sonification At Sónar 2024
NEWS
The essence of Temporal Tide — Sonified Narratives For A Sustainable Future lies in the power of sonification: the process of converting data into sound. Using our Sonification Tools integrated seamlessly with Ableton’s Max for Live, artists have interpreted various data sets related to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This approach transforms numeric measurements into the basis for auditory experiences, enhancing emotional engagement with otherwise abstract information.
In Building The Entopia, gavcloud examines global research investments through the lens of sonification. Processing numerical values from World Bank datasets and transforming them into music using a combination of Ableton Live and Bitwig Studio, gavcloud highlights the intricate connections between data and sound. The pitch information, scaled to an Erv Wilson microtonal tuning, offers a unique auditory perspective on global research initiatives.
Torsten Goerke’s Exploring Global Temperatures Since 1750 investigates climate trends by sonifying global temperature data spanning over two centuries. Using VCV Rack and Open Sound Control (OSC), Torsten processes climate data as control voltage — with a bit of Python coding to convert between them. An experienced coder, his innovative use of digital signal processing methods showcases the potential of sonification in environmental research and artistic expression (and also highlights a key benefit of Sonification Tools for those without Python skills: no coding required).
A similarly compelling auditory representation of world temperature anomalies, Portrait XO’s Climate Chronicles: 1940-2024 uses Data MIDI, Data Mod, and Data FX to sonify climate data, creating a soundtrack that aligns with the rise of AI technology. No stranger to Manifest Audio, her collaboration with Ali M. Demirel follows on the heels of their performance at the Nobel Prize Museum. Underscoring the urgent need for climate action, it also encourages critical analysis of AI’s impact on society and the environment. Portrait XO reflects, “(Using sonification) was an interesting way to compose that took me out of my typical approach to music making. Especially when using Data Mod, sensing data more emotionally helped me convey the exponential curve of global warming.”
SONIFICATION TOOLS HAVE OPENED UP A LOT OF NEW POSSIBILITIES.
THINGS THAT I PREVIOUSLY ONLY IMAGINED ACHIEVING ARE NOW STRAIGHTFORWARD. — RTCHAD
rTchAd’s contributions — 4 Out Of 10 and Vertiginous Trends — address pressing social issues. 4 Out Of 10 sonifies data on global undernourishment, while Vertiginous Trends focuses on urbanization data, highlighting the challenges faced by rapidly growing cities and their new inhabitants as they struggle to adapt. By using the Data MIDI and Data Mod devices included with Sonification Tools, rTchAd extracts notes and rhythms that convey the urgency of addressing such global issues. These pieces serve as calls to action, emphasizing the need for sustainable solutions and global solidarity in the process. “Manifest Audio’s Sonification Tools have opened up a lot of new possibilities. Things that I previously only imagined achieving are now straightforward,” rTchAd reflects.
Meanwhile, Yawä//Zē’s Islas de Tiempo delves into environmental data from the Balearic Islands, merging aquatic field recordings and sonar signals with data on marine pollution and climate change. This audiovisual series highlights the impact of human activity on marine ecosystems, using sonification to create an immersive experience that raises awareness about environmental challenges. “One of the most difficult aspects about this project has been to find proper and well-collected data about the most critical topics I was diving into,” Yawä//Zē shares, underscoring the first step of sonification: finding good quality data, which can become more difficult the more it’s localized.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH SONIFICATION TOOLS SMASHED THE BELIEF THAT NUMBERS CAN SOUND OVER-PROCESSED AND COLD. DATA, OR SONIFYING DATA, CAN INDEED SOUND ENGAGING, AUTHENTIC, AND WARM. — ANA ROMAN
Cibelle’s [F****d] Digital Labour — Avoiding Algorithmic Death One critically examines the impact of algorithmic behavior and platform capitalism. This piece delves into the emotional and psychological toll of digital feudalism, where users are trapped in cycles of unpaid labor to maintain social visibility. Bastos uses our Sonification Tools to underscore these dynamics, highlighting the pervasive influence of engagement algorithms. “By dissecting these dynamics, this piece exposes the mental health crisis exacerbated by digital pressures,” Bastos explains. The work calls for conscious and critical engagement with digital spaces and advocates for legislative changes to protect users.
Finally, Manifest Audio founder Noah Pred presents his own contribution: Basic Needs Guaranteed. Converting data sets on global income inequality into an industrial soundtrack that intensifies with the urgency of the issue over time, he used IRCAM’s RAVE VST to give abstract voice to the those living below acceptable thresholds while exploring AI-proposed solutions via generated slogans that become increasingly radical (with a wry twist).
Sónar’s Temporal Tide exhibition exemplifies the transformative power of sonification as a tool for artistic expression and social commentary. Each artist’s unique interpretation of data through sound offers a compelling narrative that engages the ears while promoting awareness and action on global issues. The role of our Sonification Tools in crafting these works demonstrates the potential for this technology to creatively bridge the gap between data and experience.
As the festival unfolds, visitors to Barcelona will have the chance to explore these unique combinations of data and sound, each piece testament to the innovative spirit of the artists and the power of sonification as an artistic medium. Through Temporal Tide, both Sound Obsessed and Sónar continue to push the boundaries of art and technology, fostering a deeper understanding of the world we share, and the emerging challenges we face — together.
SENSING DATA MORE EMOTIONALLY HELPED ME CONVEY THE EXPONENTIAL CURVE OF GLOBAL WARMING. — PORTRAIT XO