Sonic Topologies – from Analysis to Speculation
Originally as a mathematical concept, “topology” demonstrates the structure of a continuous deformation of space. In biology, topology is applied to the modelling of biological relationships in the evolution of different organisms; in computer science, it refers to the way in which devices are connected in a network; and in geology, it addresses the logical connections between geographic entities such as rivers, roads, cities and biotopes…
In this creational module, by borrowing the concept of “topology”, we consider the soundscape as our first physical topological space. Within this space, we use audio-technological means such as measuring, recording, and analysing with visualizers to understand the basic acoustic phenomena, exploring how different sound elements are connected to each other. During this process, sound is transformed into analog and digital forms, transmitted through different media, and perceived by us and other living beings, which can also be regarded as some sort of topologie(s).
Based on this fundamental audio and acoustic knowledge, in the second part of this module, we try to modify, to simulate and to speculate the sound of spaces and entities in the digital environment by using mixing and synthesising techniques (with for example DAWs, Pure Data, Max, etc.).
Instructor: Yue Wang