In this excerpt from the book Organised Sound published by the Cambridge University Press and written by Jonty Harrison, Harrison explores the factors that surround and make up sound diffusion. Sound diffusion, is initially defined as the real-time control of the relative levels and spatial deployment of sound during performance or playback. This concept is a contentious issue in electroacoustic music and this article explores the factors that define and affect this perception and occurrence of sound diffusion.

The excerpt introduces this concept by expanding on perspectives around the creation and perception of sound in music and composition. An important note that defines the perspective of the composer in this realm is, the encoding of ideas into a notation in the score is usually done without direct recourse to the actual sound but relies on the composer’s memory or imagination. In an expansion of the role of sound as it pertains to the idea, allowing for one’s imagination and memory allows for the incorporation of personal perspectives and characteristics to somewhat morph the sonic realities of tone and timbre as it pertains to a specific instrument. Conversely, the analysis of active listening as it pertains to music, entails many processes, one of the most important for making sense of a piece is segmentation. This is when the brain identifies and separates a musical piece, identifying objects and units of the musical flow. Denis Smalley identified this occurrence as ‘spectro-morphology’ (1986).

In electroacoustic music, space has been allowed to participate in defining gesture to a degree impossible in instrumental music, as manipulation of the acoustic components can change their relationship to the space they are present in. Feedback, modulation, harmonic incorporation, and amplification all affect the diffusion in a particular space.

Circling back to the role of composition as it relates to sound diffusion and electroacoustic music, the understanding of if something ‘works’ or ‘sounds right’ a compostion requires no further justificationin in that the compositional speculation has been proven through experimentation.

The concepts identified and expanded on in this article are contributing to my perspecitve on the topic I am researching for my element 1 and 2 submissions for this module, all pertaining to the audio visual contract as it pertains to sound in film and sound alongside material works.

The article, ”Perceiving Voices in Contemporary Art: An Auditory Exploration of Image, Sculpture, and Architecture”, by Merrilee Wolsey published in August 2008, is an investigation into recent developments of sound in contemporary art, surrounding image, sculpture, and architecture. This is an attempt to further understand the interpretation of contemporary art through sound, parallel to the incorporation of sound in contemporary art as well.

The article introduces the role of sound from the invention of the phonograph in 1877, by Thomas Edison, leading into the emphasis on fidelity and the drive to improve the quality in capturing sound as close to the original source as possible; the collective focus in fidelity. Merilee Wolsey also introduces the question of the importance of listening to visual art to complete the perception of pieces. This may relate to the environment or internal composition.

Three works are examined in the article which exemplify how sound continues to be important through contemporary art practices. The first work is ‘La voie lactee’ by Genevieve Cardieux. It is a work in image, presented on a billboard installation. The second work is ‘Elixir'(2004) by Myrian Laplante which is a sculptural installation that examines body and space. Finally, Jane Cardiff’s video walk ‘Conspiracy Theory’ (2002) is an architectural examination. All works investigated in this article were chosen for how they address the idea of sound in the material world and the complex issues that arise in the process of examination. The role of voice is a central theme, as well as the role of the relationship between Michael Chion’s ideas towards sound and image.

Following the lecture from 26 February 2024 led by Berk Yagli, his approach in analyzing acousmatic music from the perspective of perception rather than composition drove me to delve into my approach and relationship with the term. On of the key takeaways from this lecture was the perspective towards acoustic sound focusing on the use of material as the source

In my own practice and interest, I relate the term to Pierre Schaeffer’s initial utilization of the word in reference to an auditory situation. Sound which is heard without seeing the root or cause of its source. Beginning with the radio, telephone, and television, it generally relates to the situations that arise in audio-visual works such as film. As it relates to film, I associate acousmatic soun to nondiegetic sound as well. Sound that is perceived by the viewer, but not by characters in the dimension of the film. Musical accompaniment is the primary example, allowing for the progression and depth of emotional contexts to occur alongside characters and situations.

In an effort to demonstrate my musical approach for creating an acousmatic soundscape for a nondiegetic context, I manipulated field recordings from the underground and created rhythmic loops with them. The result is a breath that hints towards having musical qualities but allows for space and an indirect sense of what is creating the sounds prevalent.