Studies for Thunder Live

A temporal sonic sculpture [2007]

Studies for Thunder is a homage to the raw forces and the beauty of nature; an artificial thunderstorm, completely created out of granulated bursts of filtered noise, without the use of any recordings or samples. The concert version of the piece is set up as multi-channel surround sound experience, where the audience is placed right in the eye of the storm.

venue mexico city

Four Channel Version

Studies for Thunder Live is based on material which can be heard in the last piece of the Signal to Noise CD. Using the same method of noise granulation feedback, a quadrophonic (four channel) version has been made.

The performance has a very high dynamic range, with quiet moments, and sudden dramatic eruptions, evolving into a dense climax.

venue mexico city

It had its premiere at MUTEK Mexico City Festival on April 13th 2005, performed inside a large circular open air space made of raw (and quite spiky!) volcanic rocks, with the audience sitting on them.

Eight Channel Version

Encouraged by the success of this performace I further refined it at the Technical University Berlin into a more complex eight channel version. This version had its premiere at MUTEK Montreal on June 2nd 2005.

mexico city

Credits

The piece has a duration of 30 minutes and the final version was realised at the Electronic Music Studio of TU Berlin in May 2005. A special thank-you to the former head of the studio, Folkmar Hein, for encouragement, comments and support.

Photos on this page taken before and after the performance in Mexico City. The location of the land art circle: 19°19'6.56"N / 99°10'55.09"W

mexico city
mexico city

Espacio Escultórico, a land art piece by Federico Silva, Helen Escobedo, Hersúa, Manuel Felguérez, Mathias Goeritz and Sebastián Pedregal de San Ángel, México, 1979