The Soundomat

Abstract

This paper will examine the interactive sound sculpture The Soundomat, constructed with the aim of making an engaging experience while challenging our perception of music.

The concept of music will be discussed through people’s reaction, to an installation which is based on musique concrète. Furthermore, it will analyze and investigate where the project originated from, through methods of idea development, designing, coding and conceptualization. It will illustrate and describe what inspired the work, and the reasoning behind the choices that were made. The installation is playful in its design, and It has the intention to stir imagination, curiosity and provoke playfulness, while looking intriguing with its vibrant color scheme and ‘turntable’ element. Additionally, we will discuss and analyze the interaction between The Soundomat and the participants, through interviews, observations and the feedback received. It observes that people had two different ways of interaction. Either they picked the soundblocks based on the materials and the sounds they expected from them, or they worked in a more systematic manor and only added one soundblock at a time. There was no clear indicator, why some used one method over the other. Even though some of the participants were not aware of the concept musique concrète, they described the soundscape from The Soundomat in a way that corresponds with the definition of musique concrète. Lastly it will be analyzed, whether the project fulfills its intent, as well as its future work and improvements.