For almost two decades, the red, conversing boxes have been part of the collection of Het Klankenbos. The German sound artist Erwin Stache, creator of the permanent installation Konversation, is a guest at this edition of Oortreders with two temporary mobile installations.
87.3 Kilo Ohm consists of metal tubes that act as sensors. When two of them are electrically connected through touch, a very small current flows from one pole to the other. Depending on how you touch the poles and with what pressure, sounds, tones and noises change. Each touch changes pitch and timbre. The sound becomes rougher or duller, goes up or down. It’s like having a whole orchestra that spontaneously responds to every finger movement you make. Even by pinching your nose or pulling your ear, you can create new sounds!
Floating on the water are a number of robotic structures. Despite their seemingly alien nature, they nevertheless blend into the natural environment. Their movement is continuous, the machines are autonomous and independent. For Immerse Emerge, Erwin Stache took inspiration from John Cage. After all, what happens to seemingly accidental sounds when we very consciously listen to them, analyse them and relate them to each other? Immerse Emerge‘s moving machines allow the metal pipes to dip into the water in turn. This changes the pitch. Because they are exposed to nature’s continuous change, it is almost impossible to precisely control the tones. This gives the machines a certain liveliness. The movement, wobbling and swaying of the objects also gives the whole thing a humorous component. It is up to the listener to figure out how the seemingly random sounds and tone sequences are in tune with each other.
