Mike Bullock / Ears in Space
composer, writer & acoustic ecologist / a studio for environmental recording & spatial audio
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Ephemerospheres
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From the show notes:
Ephemerospheres is an installation of electroacoustic audio works for wave field synthesis speaker array. Combining several of my compositions with those of guest composers Linda Gale Aubry and Seth Cluett, Ephemerospheres creates a shifting audio ecology that adapts itself to the room and its occupants in the welcoming quiet of Nolan Park.
Instagram "show flyers" designed by MB
Seth Cluett (photo by Jennifer Eberhardt)
Linda Gale Aubry
Ears In Space Field Recording Kit
Print on card stock, free to all visitors
The Field Recording Kit was designed to give visitors something to take home with them to keep thinking about ephemeral listening environments. Though it isn't necessary to use one to experience Ephemerospheres or any wave field synthesis, there's never a wrong time to use the Ears In Space Field Recording Kit.
Porcelain
In addition to the audio works for wave field synthesis, “Ephemerospheres” features several porcelain pieces I made during 2013-2015.
I have returned to some of these pieces now, as they now evoke for me the constant flickering and shuttling of sensory inputs and thoughts that comes with having ADHD, a condition I was diagnosed with in 2020. When I’m in an environment, I’m intensely aware of the potential for that environment to transform completely with the change, addition, or loss of a single element. That constant vigilance is a theme that runs through my audio pieces on this program.
The grouping includes two plates, Figures Without Ground and Stephenson’s Rocket; along with several smaller ornament-style pieces. All pieces are made with porcelain clay, high-fire glazes, and low-fire decals. Figures first appeared as the cover of my 2013 LP of the same name on Sedimental Records.
Figures Without Ground
Stephenson's Rocket
Part of the group show "The Workings of Media [Art and Artists]" at Harvestworks, 10a Nolan Park, Governors Island, NYC
Design by Linda Gale Aubry
photo and flyer design from Harvestworks website
Why Wave Field Synthesis?
I designed and built my wave field synthesis (WFS) speaker array as part of Ears In Space, an umbrella project that includes my work in spatial audio technology and environmental recording. I consider Ears In Space complementary to my artistic practice, operating in the overlap between my art and my collaborations with other artists and researchers.
Wave field synthesis places virtual sound sources in real space with a high degree of precision, using dozens of small speakers in a linear array. A computer coordinates the firing of the loudspeakers to generate coherent wave fields in a two-dimensional space in front of the array. While much larger arrays exist at institutions such as EMPAC in Troy, NY - where I was first inspired to work with this technology - the Ears In Space WFS array is designed for intimate spaces, smaller galleries, and homes. The system is modular and fits into a large rolling suitcase, allowing for expansion and experimentation.
Photo by Benton-C Bainbridge