Sonic Adventures 007 – Qualio

“Qualio” is an another exploration of synchronised audio-visual dynamics, where stark black-and-white imagery interacts with an original electronic composition. Inspired by early visual music pioneers like Norman McLaren and Len Lye, the animation utilises lines, dots, and rhythmic distortions that respond to the soundscape. The visual language is deliberately minimal, using sharp contrasts to enhance the rhythm and emotional cadence of the music. As the sound evolves from percussive clangs to layered melodic textures, the visuals mirror this progression, shifting from smooth lines to more complex patterns. Through the interplay of these elements, “Qualio” offers a meditative dynamic sensory experience that invites viewers to engage with the intersection of sound and sight, creating a fusion of the two mediums.

Sonic Adventures 006 – Probrium

“Probrium” is another exploration of visual music, blending abstract animation with the soundtrack. Taking inspiration from Jordan Belson’s “Allures,” the piece uses evolving rotational shapes that mirror the rhythmic flow of the music. Created in Adobe After Effects and Max/MSP, the animation experiments with texture, form, gesture, and motion, pushing the boundaries of visual representation in sync with sound. The piece transitions from structured rotational forms to chaotic and fluid motions, reflecting shifts in musical intensity. Black-and-red kaleidoscopic visuals intertwine with track matt effects and fractal noise to craft a hypnotic visual rhythm. The interplay between these elements creates an immersive experience, drawing the viewer into a meditative journey where sound and sight converge.

Sonic Adventures 005 – The Push Over The Edge

The video presents the interplay of abstract geometric forms and rhythmic sound, drawing from the early avant-garde movements. Echoing the techniques of pioneers like Oskar Fischinger, the aesthetic is characterised by bold, contrasting shapes in constant motion, forming a visual tapestry that mirrors the soundtrack’s dynamics. The animation moves with a rhythmic precision, yet introduces moments of serenity, evoking a balance between tension and release. This was an exercise to revisit Adobe After Effects after a long period of neglect given a visual element to an edit of composition The Push Over the Edge.

Sonic Adventures 004 – Civic Auscultation

This video demonstrates the hardware controller I made using two sonic sensors to control granulation of recorded voices and effects in Ableton. It will be expanded into a full piece for live performance utilising more of the Lyra 8 and Moose Electronics custom delay/reverb.

Program note: Civic Auscultation is a live performance etude that explores how live electronics can change the auditory landscape of a bustling city by focusing on the snatches of overheard conversations. The piece is designed to present a different arrangement of sounds each time, replicating the varied experiences of walking through a city.

Sonic Adventures 003

Title: Circumference

Program Note: This piece explores the relationship between wood, metal and the sounds generated by circular movements as they interact. The wood is transformed from starting out it’s life as a habitat for wildlife before it is cut down and prepared for it’s new life as a construction material. In this case used to build a structure where instead of birds and insects, its new occupants are humans. The sound of the saw acts as a metaphor for the wood as the sound is cut into pieces before being reassembled in the final section ready to start it’s new life.

Sonic Adventures 002

Escape the Grind

Program Note:

An urban skatepark and it’s surroundings are the setting for a local skater as they embark on an escape from the day to day grind of city living for a brief period of time. They arrive to the sound of an adjacent building site, a busy road and children in the playground.  After the first trick is executed the skater is transported away from their environment to a state of flow, performing one trick after another, building tension over the passage before the climax and they are then dropped back into reality to return to everyday life awaiting the next chance to escape. All sounds were recorded and processed in Dublin, Ireland in the autumn of 2022.

Sonic Adventures 001

Welcome to the first blog post from my ever expanding collection of sonic experiments, where I combine field recordings, synths and effects recorded and mixed in Ableton. This example is an experiment using a midi effects chain to create a generative lead using the Arturia MicroFreak. The synth results are unedited to show the breath of what was generated with some interesting midi phrases created, lashings of reverb was added to create the dreamscape like effect and melt the lead into the background. There are two field recordings running above and below the synth. One is a field recording made while sitting in a coffee shop on George’s St, Dublin during spring. The second is a recording using the Lom Geofón on a ferry coming back to Ireland from France, it was connected with the magnet attachment to the metal deck, picking up the engine resonating through the ship.