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Introduction

The first Heightened Multisensory Experience I have decided to explore is 'Awe'. Awe is an incredibly complex emotion, which neither exists wholly as a positive or negative experience. Awe - whilst being an intense feeling of amazement, veneration, even an almost religious worship - evokes a more nuanced subset of emotions and feelings, namely anxiety, fear, and overwhelming shock at presence of something extremely powerful and amazing.

I wish to express awe through an audio-visual art piece utilising the Capitol Theatre's architecture and lighting rig, and accompanying this with a soundtrack of my composition. I am hoping to create a 6-8 minute soundscape, with a non-linear and experimental structure and palette. The success of this project will heavily weigh on the dynamic relationship between the audial and visual components, so I am placing heavy emphasis on synchrony and asynchrony during the piece.

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In the widely applauded finale of the Hereditary soundtrack by composer and saxophonist Colin Stetson, we go on a journey from the domestic to something otherworldly and divine. Stetson is able to successfully create an uneasy and epic sense of awe through his wide choice of instrumentation and frequency. He mixes synthesised instruments like saturated saw waves with traditional Gregorian chant and classical instruments. This combination played in succession feels unnatural yet powerful, as if the orchestra are representative of humans and the otherwordly is conveyed through the synthesised lines. Furthermore, I believe that the choice of major key throughout really gave a sense of greatness and fear in this context - which starts of innocently enough in the beginning of the track, quickly building into a monolith of sound that comes off as powerful and astonishing, yet eerie and frightening.

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Caterina Barbieri's 2019 work Fantas sets the scene of her work from the get-go, assaulting the listener with a reverb heavy sound bed. The work then goes on to flare and dramatically build it's layers over the course of song, spiking attention through the nearly improvised fluctuating arpeggio focal points. In my opinion, Barbieri creates awe by engulfing the listener into her prescribed world, which is big in texture and powerful in tone. I also believe the choice of upbeat arpeggios contrasting the icy cold pads illustrates a dichotomous feeling in the listener that I would consistently associate with awe.

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I'm not overly fond of Hans Zimmer, but in the context of Dune he created a constant feeling of reverence and grandure that influenced the film and it's impact intensely. In Worm Ride I believe this is where you get that rushing feeling of awe and majesty. I believe that the awe is built through the crescendo of the piece, where after a long build up with reserved instrumentation and a limited frequency spread that evokes anticipation, the listener (and viewer) is rewarded with an expansive and 'epic' climax. The crescendo itself strips the limitations of the pieces earlier phases, throwing an impactful sub-bass and percussion, which illustrates the unwavering power and scale of the work's subject - whilst the juxtaposing choral and instrumental melodies explode into a desperate release that creates a near-religious chant that both feels eerie and exciting. The intention of the piece was definitely geared toward a sense of 'unearthly power' and 'religious fanaticism' so it also should be said that the soundtracks context heavily influences my feelings when listening to the work.

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Dune: Part Two Soundtrack | Worm Ride - Hans Zimmer | WaterTower

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Example 4: Annihilation - 'Alien Scene' 

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Example 4: Annihilation - 'Alien Scene' 

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This particular scene in the film Annihilation is well respected for it's ambiguity and awe inspiring audio visual relationship. I believe it's through the audio-visual composition that dictates the sensory experience and overall tone of the scene. Whilst the visuals offer a almost transcendental and psychedelic hypnosis, adorned with an angelic glow and fractals of unearthly light and power - the audio tells a story of caution, with dissonant low frequencies urging fear and distrust into the otherwise beautiful object. This whole scene speaks to the relationship between admiration and fear in the face of power, so I can happily catagorise this as a success in creating a sense of awe.

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Example 5: Basílica de la Sagrada Família

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Example 5: Basílica de la Sagrada Família

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The Sagrada Familia is an astonishing example of how sacred architecture is one of the most awe inspiring developments of mankind. This particular ceiling (and picture) evokes a bizarre feeling of respect and amazement, yet I find myself intimidated by this great feat. The composition of the arches bleeding into the ceiling evokes this bio-mechanical and alien sort of visual experience. The architect, Antoni Gaudi, concieved this organic structure by blending design aspects of the Gothic and Modernist aesthetics. The result of such a blend creates a truly unique intensity in the architecture. There's a lurking feeling when I experience this ceiling, that the centrepiece is looking down unto me like a vengeful yet omnipresent God. That in itself does indeed demand a strong respect and admiration for it's grandeur, whilst leaving a mortal fear and inadequacy in it's viewer.

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My initial interest in this prompt was built through a long term interest in the cultish manner of religious fanaticism, particularly in the lengths people extend themselves to their otherworldly beliefs. The absolution that religions give to their disciples has to have been inspired by such a reverence and respect to an experience or period in their life. I have always wanted to understand how something so powerful can make a response in someone that changes the course of their lives, more or less without any proof of a divines existence.

A lot of music I have been engaged with has had an element of ambience, evolution, and powerful explosions of sound design - so naturally when I felt such a sense of awe listening to my favourite artists, I wanted to replicate that emotion.

This project approach, whilst not strictly unique considering that many of my peers will be utilising the same medium, will hopefully leave the audience with that awesome feeling that I have been eager to convey. I aim to distinguish myself through my original soundtrack and a well considered relationship with the architecture and lighting systems.

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Introduction

For my second proposed project, I will be focusing on the Heightened Multi-sensory Experience 'Brutal'. In this context, brutal is a kind of visceral gut feeling that is guided by it's violent, harsh, and unpleasant nature. Brutal is direct, unrelenting and often stark. I would like to capture that brash violence of brutality whilst placing focus on the visceral discomfort it creates.

I aim to convey a brutal experience in a multi-sensory art piece. I aim to create an interactive experience in which the participant is deprived of their visual sense, whilst standing in a surround sound set up. I aim to use 360 degree audio to channel through a dark, experimental and anxiety inducing sound work. The participant will be equipped with a subpack to help immerse them into the violence of the soundtrack, and seemingly erratic visual stimulus will be granted at certain points of the experience. The ultimate aim of this experience is to make the participant feel the visceral impact of brutality as a multisensory experience, whilst being impaired of visual and spacial awareness.

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Emptyset's 2017 album Borders takes the listener through an electroaccoustic nightmare. The whole album uses violent textures and dissonant tones to create a largely unpleasant and brutal feeling. The above song Body pushes the feeling of dragging a bow across rusty strings, progressively getting more and more aggressive and insistent of it's presence. With each loop of the sample - it becomes more 'brutal'. This brutality is achieved through production devices such as saturation, time stretching, distortion and aggressive frequency transients that progressively get louder over the course of the track. It creates a feeling of anxiety and discomfort, pushing the listener into feeling unsafe.

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Hostile architecture is the governmental use of civil architecture specifically designed to target vulnerable and impoverished people from finding respite and loitering in public spaces. This often includes benches that have multiple arm rests to stop sleeping, ridges on stairs to encourage houseless people to move on, and - as seen above - spikes under overpasses. This pictured example is not unique to China, but an unashamedly good example of the brutality that most governments aren't afraid to hide in their design choices and social policy. The spikes represent more than just an obstacle for rough sleepers, it's a violent threat to remind 'undesirables' that they are to stay out of sight and move out of the public eye. This specific image boasts a violence and brutality from the sheer material and shapes of the spike. As a viewer I feel the 'brutality' in a stark and clear way.

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Ben Frost's 2014 masterpiece A U R O R A explores the concept of 'abusing machinery'. In this practice, Frost overloads his computer to the point of crashing and breaking down, then records the process of cpu destruction. He does this too with his hardware synthesisers, dramatically pushing his instruments to breaking points and clipping so that he can record an authentic brutal abuse in his work. The results of his work are shown in a horrifyingly beautiful cacophony of sounds and textures that viscerally attack the listener. This to me is a perfect example of how a 'brutal' sensory experience can be used to aesthetically create something wonderful and engaging through violence and discomfort. This experience is particularly highlighted in the above piece 'Nolan'.

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Elem Klimov's 1985 film Come and See is a horrifying and brutal recreation of the war crimes of the fascist invasion of Belarus during WW2 through the lens of a traumatised young soldier, Florya, after he returns home to find his family massacred by the Nazi barbarians. This film, in my opinion, is the most honest war film that has ever been created. The film achieves a natural brutality with it's 'no holding back' approach to trauma, slaughter and the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi's. Audially, this 'brutal' sense is achieved through the films unique sound design focal points. For example; as an audience member you are thrown into a chaotic environment where houses are burning, people are screaming, Nazi's are laughing and mocking the victims, and Florya is gasping to suppress a mental breakdown. Amongst all of this noise blaring at once, you're instructed to hear what particular noises Florya is paying attention to, so you feel more immersed in a personalised experience. Visually, you often are focused on Florya's microexpressions and traumatic distancing from the chaos arround him. This personalised experience of mass violence makes you empathise in a more visceral way than if it were just a landscape of war. This brutality ensues in many other scenes of the film - but as a whole the film is honest, evocative and extremely unpleasant and brutal to experience.

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Fransisco Goya's mural Saturn Devouring His Son (circa. 1820-1823) is a depiction of the god titan Saturn brutally eating his successor, a visual depiction of the traditional Greek/Roman myth. In my opinion, the brutality of this piece is tied to the context behind the work. On a human level, this is a father eating his son out of fear of being overthrown by him. It elaborates the violent animalistic nature of those who gain power, and the brutal lengths that those in power take to secure their reign. Goya's use of dark and neutral tones sets a grounded and very 'earthly' feeling, whilst the eyes of Saturn stare at the viewer in attentive mania - suggesting perhaps that they are next if they come test him. Baiting the audience into almost a 'staring competition' with him pushes the immersion of an otherwise very flat depiction of violence, encouraging a more personal and visceral feeling akin to brutality and discomfort.

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Brutality is something that I have always understood on a personal level. I had a violent household growing up, and a brutal way of learning as I grew. I am naturally drawn to creating very highly emotive work rather than calming and soothing pieces. This subject felt like a natural progression, as I wanted to focus on the abrasive and anxious side of visceral art. This has come to me in the thought of a live audio-visual work that incorporates vibration and sensory deprivation. It was an idea that I couldn't get rid of when I started conceiving ideas for projects.

I also experience a very visceral response to noise and electronic distortion, as well as highly violent music and art - which I believe I have successfully identified in my examples above.

I am hoping to convey a personal experience here, whilst making it accessible for a community. I don't want to gloat and glower in my own experiences, but adapt to a communal understanding of what brutality feels like to a larger audience.

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Stetson, C. (2018). Reborn. Hereditary (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Album]. Milan Records.

Barbieri, C. (2019). Fantas. Fantas [Single-EP]. Editions Mago.

Zimmer, H. (2021). Worm Ride. On Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Album]. WaterTower Music.

Annihilation. (2018). [Film]. Directed by Alex Garland. United States: Paramount Pictures.

Gaudí, A n.d., Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.

Emptyset. (2017). Borders [Album]. Thrill Jockey Records.

Frost, B. (2014), A U R O R A [Album], Mute Records.

Klimov, E. (1985), Come and See [Idi i Smotri], motion picture, Mosfilm, USSR.

Goya, F. (c. 1820–1823) Saturn Devouring His Son [Oil mural transferred to canvas], Museo del Prado, Madrid, accessed 4 August 2024.