Working On: 80Hz Sound Lab 2.0
80Hz: Sound Lab 2.0 takes images from State Library's collection and digitally translates them into musical compositions using metadata. The project gives a second life to The State Library of New South Wales’ daring installation developed by Artist Thomas Wing-Evans. In a landmark undertaking, 80Hz explored the ways in which the general population could interact with a collection, remixing and reimagining ideas from our past. 80Hz also looks at items in a collection and their role as foundation and inspiration for new and exciting works that draw on our collective history.
Originally designed for an immersive outdoor pavilion, the project was quickly reimagined for an online audience in the interest of public safety as a result of COVID-19. Aligning with the State Library of Queensland’s ‘Twenty’, an online exhibition celebrating twenty years of Queensland photography, 80Hz 2.0 highlights twenty pieces and represent them as data-driven musical compositions.
To expand sonically on the first iteration, we wanted to develop the textural scope of the project to create a truly unique sound. With the strong emphasis on analog photography in this exhibition it felt like the perfect opportunity to parallel the imperfections of old photography equipment with the hiss and noise inherent in old tape and analog recording devices. Using tape loops and analog gear we crafted a sound that features distortion and decay as key elements of the compositions.
