Sound as Someone

Sound is often perceived as an afterthought. While people tend to focus on visuals, sound makes up at least half of the experience, often even more. So how can we tell a compelling story that shifts this perspective? By creating a sound-only experience, guided by a poem, about sound itself. What if sound were a person? A living, breathing character of flesh and blood? Instead of starting with a visual concept, we let sound take the lead.

Let’s take a deep dive into the process and listen to the result below.

Sound as Someone
Listen
I am adored
Hated
Inspired
Manipulated
A puppet
I am played
At the whim
Of fingertips

Conduct me without a code
String me astray
Twist me, tune me
To persuade
To tell, to sell

Drum-up desire
Blast it all
Fulfil levels
Forget limits
Turn silence
For any sake
Shift the scale
Get off the rails

Listen
I take hold
I am sound
I’ll never get old
Just make me.

Poem by Bibi Bliekendaal

Next, I divided the poem into chapters, each one titled and named to reflect a specific character trait of Sound, paired with an emotion. This became the blueprint for the custom music I composed.

The introduction focuses on the inception of sound: the very beginning of the world.
In the second chapter, we find Sound sitting in an old attic, quietly reflecting on life.
Chapter three reveals Sound’s manipulative side, expressed through a rich tapestry of electronic textures, an exploration of the analog synth world.
Chapter four highlights the sheer power sound can bring to a conversation: its ability to move, provoke, and transform.
Ultimately, we arrive at the final promise, Sound never gets old. But it needs to be made, again and again, in order to stay alive.

Below you’ll find an overview of the chapters.

Sound as Someone…
Listen to the full audio experience below. Headphones are recommended.

Below are some behind-the-scenes photos of Yorick and me recording source material.
To serve the project’s needs, everything was recorded in 96 kHz, for maximum resolution and optimal flexibility in pitching and transformation.