Dickicht

multikanal Composition, 2018
45 min. (Loop)

From September to October 2017, I was in Bangalore, the third largest city in India. I worked there for eight weeks at the Max Mueller Bahavan Goethe Institute as an artist in residence. In collaboration with the Indian Sonic Research Organization (ISRO), I set up a 3D sound lab, which I was invited to open with an introductory workshop on 3D audio tools and software. The project DICKICHT is a strongly subjective work created during this time. It represents the result of intense urban experiences in one of the most populous cities of the subcontinent.

Overwhelmed, shocked and impressed by the abundance, density and dynamics of the city’s sounds and soundscapes, I collected and archived numerous sound recordings from various locations in Bangalore. I paid particular attention to the unprecedented variety of characteristic (disturbing) noises and sounds that one is confronted with as a visitor and resident at any time. My aim was to document these as faithfully and realistically as possible in order to develop an auditory portrait of the city.

In an attempt to capture the soundscapes of Bangalore, I used various (3D audio) recording and playback techniques. While I utilized highly directional microphones, structure-borne sound transducers and other sensors to filter and isolate details from the overall mass of sounds, advanced multi-channel field recording techniques and microphone arrays were used to capture a true-to-life, 3-dimensional representation of the given soundscapes. With the help of these approaches, it was possible to develop a unique acoustic portrait of the city of Bangalore, in which the factual spatiality of the city was given particular consideration.

The resulting archive of sounds was initially performed live on a multi-channel 3D sound system, which allows the various elements to be repositioned, rearranged and constructed. As an audio piece, DICKICHT provides insights into a personal, subjectively perceived acoustic reality of the city, which distorts, exaggerates and trivializes it in equal measure. Thus, in addition to the external portrait of the city, an internal portrait of moods and feelings and their lively correspondence with the sonic reality of the city was created.