1. Nothing Exciting To Report
sound sculpture
download mp3


software
Sonic Foundry Sound Forge
Read Plus


This assignment required the gathering of audio sources to be modified and edited using Sound Forge to create ambient sound beds as well as individual sound events. The clips were then to be combined into a 2-5 minute mix that places the listener in a specific environment.

The source material for this track came mostly from online sources. I wanted to position the listener in a context of technical helplessness; to be unable to find eventfulness in the hopeless repetitiveness of their time spent online. The vocal material was sourced from the text of the most recently updated online journals posted on Blogger and Diaryland. This text was copied into Read Plus to convert it to audio. The samples fell perfectly into the context of the entire piece reading "nothing exciting to report" or "I'm tired of not feeling that well". The Read Plus software began the process of creating the robotic, monotone voice that was further edited in Sound Forge before mixing into the final track. Approximately the first 30 seconds of the track are repeated in reverse at the close to suggest a cyclical movement.

The assignment helped me to realize the potential of every sound clip and the abundance of source material available without even picking up a traditional instrument.