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‘Virtual Earth, Physical Machine: Exploring the Blurred Boundaries Between Physical and Synthetic Soundscapes’ By CITYTRONIX






Technology and Soundscapes: How It Can Affect The Human Body



On May 9th, 2019 I released a 37-minute conceptual and sound work album via Bandcamp that stretched over a year-long project during my study entitled ‘Virtual Earth, Physical Machine’. This was my attempt to tap into posthumanism and abstract reality or ‘augmented AI’, in which the element of sounds can weave between deception and sincerity, becoming indecipherable and confusing the listener from which is between physical space and synthetic space with little to no information as to how I created the ‘augmented’ soundscape.


Reflection within Technology as Sonic Warfare on the Human Body


With this in mind, my project was to be able to emphasise and reflect the reality of how machinery can also impact the anthropic soundscape and our wellbeing, in a way that mechanical technology has the capability of producing such a sound force on our bodies both pleasant and not so pleasant. As Steve Goodman has said in his book based on sonic warfare:


“In a good theatre with a subwoofer, you may be more scared by the sound than by what’s happening on the screen. A lot of

people can take the images, but not the sound. Those reactions are physical.” (Goodman, Chapter 12, page 66 2012).


The context of this is infrasound, which is any frequency that is below 20hz and out of our human hearing range. Much like with infrasound, ultrasound and sonic systems which are above our human hearing range or incapabilities of how our bodies and ears tolerate sound have been used throughout history to create a lot of psychological effects and used to manipulate. For example, Hitler worked with a psycho-acoustician who used infrasound for cause and effect, inducing distress and angst to draw in masses of people and would stop the use of infrasound right before Hitler would deliver his speeches. (Heys, 2011)


To this day, even in relation to Israel, they have utilised sonic booms in Lebanon and Palestine that cause major distress and PTSD amongst residents within those areas. One of which has posted on social media:


“Grew up in war. Don't talk about it much but have severe PTSD. After [sic] the port explosion it got much worse. I can jump out of my skin if a door slams too loud. Every time I steel myself to think I can get through this next war, an Israeli sonic boom reminds me that my body maybe can't” (Mounzer, 2024).


Sonic Warfare and technology also may boil down to a more miniscule degree. As an example, whenever I walk past my town I often hear pulsating ultrasonic repellers or ‘Mosquito’ alarms, which aims to prevent anti-social behaviour and loitering by emitting high-frequency pitches at such a volume - predominantly aimed at adolescents because as we age our hearing range drops off thus not effective.



Utilising Technology as Beneficial Health for our Wellbeing and Insight into the Making of Virtual Earth, Physical Machine


On the flip side of this, the natural infrasound resonances we hold such as the Earth’s frequency of 7.83Hz is told to have many health benefits to our systems, I wanted to be able to achieve the same benefits using processing technology and AI to create a natural soundscape through mechanical sounds, synthesis and physical recordings and how we can preserve the natural soundscape that our body nourishes - improving our circadian rhythms, reducing stress and improving focus. A way in which technology and AI can be used to create an ideal soundscape that will improve us psychologically and our wellbeing.


To start off, I will emphasise that I am unable to retrieve the original project files, however I do have screenshots of the processing that was done with the project throughout the process. I had used a number of tools that involved Lyrebird, an AI research division from the company Descript - this is able to create a replicative voice of yours that is digital and synthesised. I used this in such a way that created interesting sounds and had organic but glitchiness to them - creating plosive, hissing or drone-like noises. The other tools include SonicPhoto which has the ability to convert images into sound by spectral analysis and Sound Particles which is virtual 3D audio software that can take singular sounds or 'particles' and create variations to them either in stereo or surround sound.


The more conventional use of creating these sounds is Foley, which is a technique used within Film, TV and video games which are used to magnify and replicate everyday sounds that we hear such as footsteps, rustling noises, clothes or even wind. The materials I had used to record Foley were mainly synthetic materials such as bubble wrap, plastics and polyester.


Another prime example in which I delved into was post-internet, an art movement which reflects the internet and how it has influenced art and culture. I downloaded material to form a soundscape, such as frying bacon in which is often used to sound like rain, or eccentric birds such as European Starlings who can mimic interesting vocalisations and digital-like noises. I find the internet to be very resourceful because it allows us to access things we may not otherwise have access to based on our geographical location and communications.


In terms of microphones, I had used a Laryngophone and Hydrophone to create some interesting results from water and my own vocals, using vocal techniques such as vocal splitting or overtone singing which I have practised when doing a low-drone. With additional processing in between.


My last list of things that I contributed to this project was Serum, to achieve the sound of crickets, wind and bird vocalisations within my area when doing a 'soundwalk'. Alongside Synsect by a company called XOXOS which emulates the sounds of nature.





The Ideal of implementing Technology and AI as a Soundscape


On a final note, the idea that synthetic and physical space is now a thing of ‘augmented reality’, my attempt is that this can be utilised in such a way that is so beneficial for our health and bodies, and also in relation to our identity - there is no artificial or real, we have become a third kind which allows us to explore ourselves and allows for a constant change that is morphological.


The only question is the loss of our own cultivation through the hands of others ownership or no ownership at all, but perhaps we could idealise that we as humans can collaborate to aid one another in a world entrenched with physical and sound chaos, such as how amoeba repair themselves in regards to environmental factors.


As Holly Herndon has expressed before, “I think when people talk about technology, like human versus machine, whether your tool is actually an extension of yourself and things like that. I do think it is an extension of ourselves.” (Herndon, 2014)


There is a space in which we have anonymity to unlock our true selves through intimacy with machines, and though it may seem artificial, is actually a reflection on our authenticity and an act of catharsis.




You can Listen to Vitual Earth, Physical Machine Here:

bandcamp.com/album/virtual-earth-physical-machine