We’re in this together: Expanding Interactive Sonic Spaces

Davor Vincze; Maurice Oeser

We’re in this together: Expanding Interactive Sonic Spaces
Image credit: Davor Vincze; Maurice Oeser

Abstract:

We’re in this together builds on the technical and conceptual frameworks of the Freedom Collective web app but transposes its application from a theatre setting into performance for solo electronics. Hence, the videos provided serve as documentation of previous performances exploring similar concepts; they offer reviewers insight into the musical aesthetics and the functionality of the web-app technology but do not constitute representations of the specific project proposed here. The interaction design leverages the variability of smartphone audio latency and quality to generate distributed sound fields that resonate in real-time with the performance’s central sonic themes (e.g. granulation, density, layering and spatial sound distribution). Ideally, the performance space should ideally be set up with an immersive ambisonic sound system for supporting low-frequency content and reinforcing the performer’s electronic sounds. Audience smartphones act as distributed sound sources, enabling a shared participatory instrument. This distributed design also mitigates the need for specialized hardware, making the experience accessible across diverse demographics and venues. In addition to the sonic engagement, the interface includes simple visual prompts on participants’ screens, aligning with the performance’s dramaturgy. These features encourage active yet unobtrusive engagement, ensuring that the audience’s role complements, rather than distracts from, the sonic focus.