RONDO

Artistic research / Installation / Electroacoustic performance (2012-15)
Sound piece, GIF, vinyl record with spiral label, audiotape, wall paper, hypnosis wheel (kinetic wall piece: turntable, paper, LED colored lights, MP3 Player, Sound, ca. 90 x 90 cm)

CLICK Audiosample #1
CLICK Audiosample #2




The rondo is a traditional musical form dating back to the 17th century, characterized by repetitions of a principal theme (ritornello), alternating with one or more contrasting themes (episodes). The work series "Rondo" entails a series of electroacoustic compositions confronting the humming of a human voice with a neuroimaging machine, known as fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). The sounds of the fMRI machine were recorded during a neuro-cognitive study for the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. During the neuroimaging exam, shrill sounds are produced, which are usually neglected. These rhythmic sound patterns, however, imply a musicality, which resemble the compositional structure of a rondo.

The compositions from these newly arranged sounds address the human attention span, as well as the concepts of perception and comprehension. More specifically, observations can be made on the effect of repetitions (principal elements of a rondo) on the changes of perceiving the sonic environment and on conveying contexts over time. Thereby, science's attempt to measure human perception and comprehension on an abstract level through neural processes in the brain, captured with the help of functional magnetic resonance imaging, is put into question. Instead of being a true representation of the individual's brain activation, the fMRI image is calculated with abstract algorithms, created from averaged data collected from a range of individuals.



RONDO NR.1
- Soundpiece 12 min, 15 sec, Konzert / Installation "Von Monaden und linearen ​Kreisen", Kunstraum Michael Barthel, Leipzig, 2012

In the soloexhibition at Kunstraum Michael Barthel, the concept of repetitions was addressed in different pieces. A hypnosis disc and the specially designed wallpaper invited visitors to contemplate human perception via the technique of optical hallucinations. The soundpiece "Rondo Nr.1" was presented as concert-installation within the exhibition.



RONDO NR.2
− Soundpiece 4 min, 33 sec, vinyl record, Spiral-label sticker (edition of 5 + 1 copies), 2014

The vinyl-edition of "Rondo Nr.2" references John Cages work "Four minutes, thirty-three seconds" and his way of creating compositions from daily noises. The shortness of this version of the rondo theme further accentuates the compositional structure.

The blank b-side of the record shows a spiral-label, turning the vinyl into a kinetic sculpture.



RONDO NR. 3
− Two sound pieces, 9 min, 40 sec, audiotape, Recordings for the Summer, Leipzig, 2014
− Solo show "Rondo", Rumpsti Pumsti (Musik), Berlin, 2015

For the audiotape, elements of the recording are reexamined and sounds of the original composition are isolated and separated. The refrains can be found on the A side of the cassette, all melodies on the B side. The cover artwork is based on sketches of the rondo score that the composition is based on.

During the exhibition "Rondo" at the Berlin gallery and experimental music store "Rumpsti Pumsti (Musik)", a hypnotic atmosphere was created by changing-colour light schemes, attention provoking tones and a three-dimensional version of the hypnosis disc. In celebration of the tape release, the rondo composition was performed live within the exhibition.



RONDO NR. 4
− Sound piece and Concert-Performance with live violin (Soheil Boroumand), 2 x 12 min, 99 sec, Leipzig, 2015

In order to emphasize the musical structure of the shrill machine noises, the sound of a violin was introduced, reacting upon and modulation the composition. The gentle violin strokes sharply contrast the intense and unpleasant sounds generated by the magnetic coils.