| There's an artist called Øystein Wyller Odden that works with mains hum. I find it pretty fascinating: Kraftbalanse is a musical translation of the hum from the mains; i. e. the frequency of the alternating current. The piece is based on the fact that this frequency is not stable, it fluctuates subtly around 50 Hz as a direct result of supply and demand in the power market. The composition consists of a self-resonating piano that is tuned to resonate on 50 hz and overtones of 50 hz (100 Hz, 150 Hz, 200 Hz etc.) The piano is fitted with vibration-elements – transducers – plugged directly into the electrical grid, causing the resonance and timbre of the piano to change with the fluctuations on the power market. The piano is accompanied by a string octet. The musicians are equipped with voltmeters that measure the frequency of the current in real time, as well as a score of instructions on how to respond to changes in this frequency. https://vimeo.com/370554138 |
They really evoke the feeling of electricity. It reminded me of the soundtrack to the Chernobyl miniseries. It’s… powerful and eerie and calmly, effortlessly, sluggishly intimidating.