On Rainlith, the primitive naturally granular sound of a big rainstick gets explored in real-time by cyber-age sound manipulation tools.
This is an interactive piece, in which the presence of an audience near the sonic sculpture triggers a circular movement that is at the same time hypnotic and subtle, under a quasi-random set of sequenced movements, controlled by a microchip, originating on the physical force of an electric motor.
The object consists of a self-standing structure that will suspend the rainstick, also incorporating two microphones attached to both edges. The sound is then processed and routed through a spatialized sound system, radially installed around the area of detection of human presence.
The piece provides therefore a bridge between two completely different sonic universes, the natural acoustic world and the digital synthetic world. The almost magical movement and the sound resulting from the real-time manipulation give rise to a feeling of awe, alluding to the monolith (2001) and its alienness, producing a strong impact on visitors and a powerfully expressive sound environment.
Piece concept and production by Rui Gato, during the artistic residency Red Bull House of Art, São Paulo November 2009
Curators:
Maria Montero
Lucas Bambozzi
Collaborators:
Thiago Sanchez Moraes
Daniel Garcia Costa
Glauco Garcia Oliveira
Adriano Araújo
Radamés Ajna