Sound artist and musician Paul Cousins has announced Atomised Listening – an interactive two day analog sound exhibition at the legendary arts venue Stone Nest in London’s West End on 22 and 23 November.
Exploring our relationship with technology once it becomes obsolete, Atomised Listening will transform the former chapel into a sanctuary of sound. Visitors are invited to create an ever evolving sonic sculpture using five mid-century tape machines stationed around the venue. They will be able to mix a personal interpretation of the work by creating new soundscapes using the analog equipment provided by the artist. A Quadraphonic sound system will transmit a composition made of 10 asynchronous sounds as visitors engage with the tape machines, bringing new life to the obsolete equipment. The visitors are welcome to linger in the space and watch as the sonic sculpture develops during the course of each day.
The exhibition stems from Cousins’ profound interest in conservation of technology when it becomes discarded and forgotten. With the shelf life of everyday technology becoming increasingly shorter, the exhibition encourages its visitors to play and engage with tangible media while creating something new out of obsolescence. Atomised Listening is a celebration of the heart and soul of analog equipment while also advocating a more mindful consumption and relationship with technology.
Paul Cousins says: “Atomised Listening is the idea of a musical piece being seemingly disconnected moments rather than a unified composition, a concept coined by Theodor Adorno. In keeping with this, I have created a multi-channel, asynchronous work using obsolete tape machines. With this installation, the listener becomes the performer and is completely immersed in the experience. No technical knowledge is required to interact with the work. The sculpture’s form is ever-evolving and it changes at the hands of each user. The technology is no longer obsolete”
Atomised Listening is supported by Arts Council England with audio systems provided by L-Acoustics and Tape Echo by Soundgas.