Geophones are sensitive devices that pick up minute ground vibrations. They are frequently used in geophysical research and seismic monitoring. Within the framework of the sound art installation, this sensitivity allows the geophone to pick up audio cues of rage, including yells and vocalisations. Something that, in my opinion, truly brought out the bass of the vocal action was appropriate. From an abstract perspective, vocal expressions of rage may be compared to seismic activity, where the person experiencing the emotions causes tremors and vibrations in their body. The installation uses a geophone, a tool for sensing vibrations in the ground, to record this vocal physicality in a visceral and tactile way.
Artists may record a wider range of sounds, including low-frequency vibrations that are frequently felt rather than heard, by using geophones. Similar to seismic waves, these vibrations shed light on the physical responses that take place during powerful emotional situations. Through its use in an installation context, my intention is that individuals will be able to sense the sensation of anger as though it were a tangible sensation – cultivating a more profound sense of empathy towards the emotional matter being conveyed.
While attempting to capture the audio, I discovered the microphone’s sensitivity. In response, I decided to cover the microphone with my jacket in order to reduce interference from background noises and focus on the voice as the most essential aspect of the recordings.
Integrating Jez Riley French’s research into the project helps incorporate the relevance of the recording. French’s use of geophones to explore auditory environments uncovers previously typically unheard acoustic phenomena. By paying close attention to small vibrations inherent in the surroundings, French unlocks and infuses the unheard viscerally into his work – providing an avenue for the exploration of the typically unhearable.
Drawing on French’s observations, the sound art installation attempts to capture the intensity and vocality of anger while also placing them in the larger context of concealed sound. By contrasting human emotion with an apparatus such as a geophone, this section of the project encourages reflection on emotion as something that is not always acoustically or visually evident. It encourages thought on the interconnectivity of all things, from the earth’s seismic upheavals to the turbulent depths of the human brain. Using a geophone in sound art installations allows for a deeper exploration of the relationship between sound and emotion.
In relation to contextual research: Jez Riley Frenches work revealed the subtleties within recording with a geophone. It’s surprising and interesting to hear previously inaudible nuances exposed via geophone.
“my work with specially adapted geophones has allowed me to listen in to some immense but subtle sounds caused by planetary movement or the resonance of locales being vibrated by activity. “
https://engravedglass.bandcamp.com/album/room-tone
I recorded using different styles and vocal tones trying to capture the emotion as best as i could: