In december 1998 Edwin van der Heide realised his sound installtion 'A World Beyond The Loudspeaker'. The installation consists of a surface of 40 individual loudspeakers. The use of this number of loudspeakers in a relatively small lateral spacing creates the possibility not only to 'simply' create vibrations in the air but also to control the spatial shape of the waves. Together the loudspeakers form one large spatial wavefront generator. This method of sound production is the basis for a new spatial experience. To record the sound material for the installation, an identical surface with 40 microphones was used. This surface has the same qualities as the loudspeaker surface. The playback of the final composition happens from a 40 track multitrack recorder.
'A World Beyond The Loudspeaker' is a composition of concrete sounds recorded in the open field. The material exists of recordings made in industrial environments. The main focus is on the Rotterdam harbour, a train track interchange, a new home construction site, and a shipyard. The composition makes use of different editing techniques. The differences in spatial nature, acoustical perspective, movement and timbre of the different locations form the base for the structure. The installation is an investigation of spatial movement represented as sonic phenomena. The result is a movie for the ear.
The installation is designed for a closed free space and incorporates a lighting design that evolves over time. The composition has a length of 32 minutes. In principal there is no formal beginning or end. The composition is automatically self-repeating. The audience is free to enter or leave the installation space at any time.
'A World Beyond The Loudspeaker' was premiered on December 10, 1998 in Huis aan de Werf, Utrecht, The Netherlands, as part of the 'Dutch Music Days' festival.
Photo's BIAS Sound Art Exhibition Taipei 2005
Photo's Huis aan de Werf
