Huldra
2021
Sound art, composition and set design for a dance piece Huldra
The dance piece was performed in the spring of 2021. Studio 2, Theatre Academy, Helsinki
Choreography: Saara Grotenfelt
Performers: Sanni Kriikku & Corinne Mustonen
Sound: Eetu Palomäki
Set design: Eetu Palomäki & Saana Volanen
Light: Saana Volanen
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There are 7 sound sculptures floating in the air in the space. All the sculptures have an old radio inside of them. I use radio transmitters to send audio wirelessly to the sculptures through FM frequencies. Using FM frequencies gives the audio a kind of uncertain and lofi-esque quality, when sometimes random noises and subtle audio leakage from other radio stations occur. These sound sculptures make possible more localized sounds, to get a forest-like soundscape to the space. Not forest in a literal sense, but as a logic, or in a referential way of how the sounds locate and feel in the space.
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The sculptures have old radios inside and use hair, fur and different fabrics to coat these sound sources. The sculptures have living flowers growing from them. They are both representing a forest and creatures living in it blurring the lines between living species and a landscape. The design of sculptures and their installation is a collaborative work by Eetu Palomäki and Saana Volanen.
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In the space there is 4.1 speaker system installed, 2 speakers far from audience and 2 close to them in each side to give as wide stereo feeling as possible together with a more distant sounds sources blending to the space. Also there are 7 radios floating rather evenly all around the space. The sound design is made in a way that the sounds use different hifi and lofi qualities, artificial and sampled forest like sounds, whispers and asmr-inspired sounds to fluctuate between close and far, localized and non-localized and hifi and lofi. The whole sound piece utilizes deconstrucions and reimaginations of forest-like soundscapes together with a more traditionally musical materials that communicate in a more straight-forward manner with the performers.