»I was one of those who was very critical in the beginning,« says Henrik Tinggaard from the Denmark Democrats to TV Midtvest – »but I’ve changed my mind.« In the midst of the ecstatic sound art installation Kanonslag, he stands in prime time alongside Struer’s mayor, debating whether politicians are justified in spending so much taxpayer money to promote Struer as The City of Sound. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the municipality has invested heavily in rebranding the town to attract and retain workers, and Struer Tracks – biennial of sound and listening, this year with the theme Municipal Practices – is just one of many initiatives.

The organizers couldn’t have picked a better location for the interview: after all, who could object to the nostalgia-tripping playground that the mischievous Norwegian artist duo Samvær Under Tilsün had created in a vacant shop next to the local grocery store? Even the grumpiest conservative would be forced to smile at the work’s over-the-top inventions. The main attraction: a ping-pong table wired with sensors so that every bounce of the ball shaped a fragmented chiptune composition, accompanied by colorful 16-bit animations flashing across the pixelated net.