BIO: Sam Auinger (*1956) is a sonic thinker, composer and sound-artist. He is collaborating with cityplaners and architects, giving lectures and is a frequent participant of international symposiums on the topic of urban planning, architecture, media, and the senses. He was a visiting professor at the University of the Arts in Berlin, running the Experimental Sound Design department at the Sound Studies Master Program from 2008 till 2012. Currently he is an associate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since 1989 he works together with the composer Bruce Odland as O+A, exploring the central theme of hearing perspective. Their work is known for large scale, public space sound installations that transform city noise into harmony in real-time. He is also a founding member of stadtmusik, a collaboration between the Berlin-based composers Sam Auinger and Hannes Strobl with the media artist and urbanist Dietmar Offenhuber. When he was younger he interpreted sound as information.

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When Sam was younger he interpreted sound as information. Considerably older than most of the students, Sam discuss his past and how listening to the enviroment has changed; to him it was a daily practice. For example before surveillance cameras, he alludes to how nature acted as more aural traditional form. A farmhouse near his home were almost patrolled by Geese, they would make a noise when intruders got closer to the farmhouse.

Architecture has a psychotropic quality, meaning that experiences within a given space can elevate a specific feeling. In a modern sense, architecture considers the economy and functionality whereas traditional buildings designed with a sense of place and the environment. Medieval and renaissance churches are a good example of this traditional architecture.

Sam alludes to his parents reaction to the music of the 60s such as Rock and Roll, Krautrock etc and how they hated it, believing it to be just noise. It wasn’t until his Father passed in 2000 that his mother claimed to enjoy one of these songs during a car journey. He claims that his mum can finally decode the music after 60 years of sonic evolution.

Psychoacoustics and how we perceive sound comes from our culture and personal history. Example, because of Sam’s Catholic background he hears ‘Bell’s’ as a purely religious and architects of time. They remind him of his past. This has been discussed at length in ‘The Recording Angel.

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BLUE MOON O+A (Public Space Sound Installation)- When Sam began doing public installation’s there was no such thing a Sound Art, he was in a completely un-explored field. The only places to discuss these specific ideas about sound where at Media Festivals around the world. Media Philosophers like Vilem Flusser, Paul Virilio, Jean Baudrillard were often speaking at these festivals.

• Sam and his team were pushed to create Blue Moon because of his belief that people in modern cities forget about certain sounds of nature. Yes, people may see the classic picture of a beach on the underground as a holiday advert however ‘people forgot the sound of the tide’.
• He wanted to help reconnect people to the forgotten sonics of nature.

What do you really hear when you listen to your city? (O+A Sonic Vista)

MY PEBBLE (2020)

(FROM PDF) My Pebble is a sound piece in three parts. In the form of a short story, the work gives suggestions and ins- tructions for exploring the personal sound space. It was composed at the beginning of May 2020 for qua- rantine situations in hard lockdown. It is a series of small exercises with an experimental character, which, when practiced, can make a room or an entire apartment speak / sound. Slowly the living room becomes a sound space, and ‚thinking with the ears‘ develops in the player.

For this piece, we need some time, personal attention, and an instrument. This instrument should be as hard as stone, small and light, and shaped to hold it like a chalk piece to play little impulses/beats on different objects. I use a river pebble.

My Pebble

a) Pebble meets object
b) Pebble meets object in changing situations c) Pebble falls to the ground

Imagine a friend (our Pebble) visits us for the first time, and we show him our room/apartment in detail. He is interested in everything and wants to get to know every detail, try everything, and contact everything.

This experiment is to create a memory of sound, almost a sonic logbook we can tap into when observing things.

Cai’s experience: He needs more time to practice for he was trying to force a sound from the object. He already had a note in his head before tapping the object.

Michael experience: He was trying to control the performance but noticed that with every slight change in tap the sound was very different.

Sam Auigner response: is to try and not think too much. A large window or doorway has many voices due to its geometrical design, tension and frame. Sam urges us to look beyond the simplifying process when we perceiving things, but with sonic thinking we can direct everyday objects and spaces that may seem one dimensional.

Berghain Bell (2020)