Peer-reviewed audio paper

Psycho-sonic cartography

Creating the imaginary city through electronic and electroacoustic music in word and sound.

Katt Hernandez

18. december 2019

DOI https://doi.org/10.48233/seismograf2205

In this audio paper I will focus on two ideas. The ﬁrst is the ephemeral city. The conscious re-imagining of the cityscape, from elements ranging from the historic to the fantastical, can eﬀect an individual’s sense of place as much as the physical structures that comprise it. These imagined – or ephemeral – cities can be a way of coming to grips with an urban environment changing in rapid and disempowering ways. We all create multiple, ephemeral cities, in the maps we envision of the places we live – some real, some imagined. These form a myriad of place identities, histories and possible futures, criss-crossing the landscape of more agreed-upon realities, forming ephemeral cities that give back and create their own stories.

The second is the term psycho-sonic cartography. This is an idea I have developed as a possible way to cover both a wider swath of the population than the term psychogeography is most often used by, and a more speciﬁc set of activities related to sound and, even more speciﬁcally, electroacoustic music. Spatialized sound, which is an indispensable parameter of a large body of electroacoustic music, is built from ephemeral components. It oﬀers, among other things, an alternative way to conjure one place inside of an other, or change the sonic landscape of a place, by virtue of its permeability. This audio paper was originally based on my article “Psycho-sonic Cartography: The creation of Ephemeral Place through Electroacoustic Music”, which I presented at the 2017 Electronic Music Network conference in Nagoya, Japan. But after the peer review process for Seismograf, it has been changed signiﬁcantly enough that I have altered the title for this audio paper.

Bibliography

Andersson, S. (2013) Monolog: in Memorium. Multichannel composition.Available at:https://soundcloud.com/sol-andersson-331570914 (Accessed 21st of August, 2019).

Bailey, D. and Tanaka M. (1980) Music and Dance. LP. Revenant.

Benjamin, Walter (2016) One Way Street. New York: Bellknap Press

Beri (2014) Radiodebut i 'En kärleksattack på svensk hiphop. Video. Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53nfn6KrPsY (Accessed 21st of August, 2019).

Brunson, W. (2009) Text-Sound Composition – The Second Generation. Proceedings of the EMS 09 Conference, Borges Cultural Center, Buenos Aires, 22th to 25th of June, 2009. Available at: http://www.ems-network.org/ems09/papers/brunson.pdf. (Accessed 5th of September, 2017).

Calvino, I. (1974) Invisible Cities. New York: Harcourt.

Cherrie (2017) 163 för Evigt. Video. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlu1HkELqk (Accessed 30th of August 2019).

Debord, G. (1953) Introduction to a Critique of Urban Geography. Library of Nothingness.Available at: http:// library.nothingness.org/articles/SI/en/display/2 (Accessed 2nd of September, 2016).

Duner, M. E. (2015) Wrap your troubles into Dreams: Stadsomvandlingen betraktad i relation till de två alternative platserna allaktivitetshuset Gamla Bro (1969-72). Lund:Lundsuniversitet.

Duner, M. E. (2007-11) Kontoret. Film.

Fermont, C. (a.k.a. C-Drick) Syrphe Records. Label. Available at: http://syrphe.com(Accessed 21st August 2019).

Fermont, C. (a.k.a. C-Drick) (2015) Multiples des uns. Electroacoustic Work. Syrphe Records. Available at: https://syrphe.bandcamp.com/album/multiples-des-uns (Accessed 21st August 2019).

Ferrari, L. (1980) Presque i rien. LP. INA-GRM.

Hodell, A. (1972) Djurgårdsfärjan över Styx. Electroacoustic Work. On Åke Hodell - Complete Text-Sound Compositions, Verbal Brainwash and other works. Fylkingen Records.

Ison & Fille (2010) Stationen. Video. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFl1wVm9VKg (Accessed 28th August 2019).

Imam, S. (2015) Tänd alla ljus. Video. Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlM73nVkM7k (Accessed 19th August 2019).

Kerbaj, M (2006) Starry Night. Live Improvisation. Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIo4dh884hE (Accessed 21st of August 2019).

Kerbaj, M (2007). Conversation about Starry Night while Kerbaj was staying at my home in Philadelphia.

Kubisch, C. (2004-2013) Electrical Walks: Electromagnetic Investigations in the City. Sound Art Piece. Available at: http://www.christinakubisch.de/en/works/electrical_walks(Accessed 2nd of September 2017).

Law, V. (2017) Urban Mix (Hong Kong). Electroacoustic Work. Available at:https://soundcloud.com/mutedsheep/hongkongmtr (Accessed 21st of August 2019).

Lindstrom, M. (2001) Rekviem av svensk medborgare med anledning av mordet på OlofPalme. Electroacoustic Work. Svergies Radio.

Matiwos, S. (2015) Mitt hem Husby. Video. Revolution Poetry TV. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQJsH1SSVWM (Accessed 29th of August 2019).

Micheal (1987-present) A Whitewater Symphony of Peace to the Glory of the Virgin Mary and her Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Sound Sculpture in Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Micheal (1991-1997) Conversations about Michael's sound-art pieces in the Arboretum.

Moor mother (2017) Boiler Room London. Video. Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgyhcFdmwK0 (Accessed 18th of August 2019).

Negativland (1983) A Big 10-8 Place. LP. Seeland.

Nono, L. (1968) La fabbrica illuminata. LP. Wergo.

Olabo. (2011) Stockholm Hyenas. Temporary sculpture at Biblioteksgatan, Stockholm. Available at: http://olabo.org/ (Accessed 23rd of December, 2017).

Schafer, R. M. (1993) The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions.

Schwartz, T. (1954) New York 19. LP. Smithsonian Folkways.

Self, W. (2003) Psychogeography. London: Bloomsbery.

Smolecki, J. (2016) Fragmentarium Club. Accessible at: http://fragmentarium.club(Accessed 2nd of September, 2017).

Solnit, R. (2000) Wanderlust. New York: Penguin.

Steed, D. P. (2015) Walking through a Stormwater Drain while playing the Violin (1380 returning steps). Sound-art work and Article. Journal for Artistic Research, Issue 9. Available at: https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/132765/132766 (Accessed 2nd of September, 2017).

Strindberg, A. (1885) Ensam. Stockholm: Lindlöws Bokförlag.

Volcler, J. (2019) Sonic Fences in Public Spaces. Video. Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_xDsegmVi0 (Accessed 18th of August 2019).

Wishart, T. (2011) Encounters in the Republic of Heaven. CD. ICR.