One key takeaway was the distinction between wissen (knowledge as fact) and kennen (knowledge through experience). It reminded me that HMsEx projects are not about simply demonstrating technical skill, but about crafting experiences that evoke visceral, emotional responses—something felt, not just understood. This aligned well with the discussion on curiosity versus wonder, where we explored the difference between seeking information and simply being present with mystery and sensation.

Watching David Lynch’s "Rabbits" and Robin Fox’s “Lunchmeat Flashbacks” offered contrasting yet equally intense examples of how audiovisual elements can be manipulated to alter perception and emotional state. Lynch’s work used awkward rhythm, disjointed dialogue, and uncanny visuals to generate discomfort, while Robin Fox’s laser installation overwhelmed the senses with rapid strobing, high-intensity light, and abstract electronic sound. Both emphasized that strong affect doesn’t always require narrative or realism—structure and scale can be just as impactful.

Uncanny
The uncanny (das Unheimliche) is something that feels both familiar and alien at once, causing discomfort or disorientation. Coined by Freud, this idea often arises in human-like objects (e.g. humanoid dolls, CGI faces) or spaces that “almost feel normal,” yet are subtly off.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKhEwcWMH9M

Adjective Focus: Overwhelming

This track begins with a synthetic soundscape that evokes the vast emptiness of space—cold, distant, and mysterious. The electronic textures and ambient layers create a sensation of weightlessness and sensory disorientation, immersing the listener in an unfamiliar environment.
Before the first drop, the inclusion of a real recording from the Apollo 5 rocket launch countdown momentarily anchors the experience in historical reality, bridging fiction and fact. Immediately after, a deep, rumbling bass drop simulates the physical intensity of a rocket launch, evoking vibration, propulsion, and scale.
As the track progresses, layers of ascending orchestral strings spiral upwards, building sonic density and emotional intensity. The result is a multisensory illusion of being inside a rocket mid-launch—overwhelmed by sound, motion, and grandeur. The track’s structure masterfully manipulates both arousal and spatial illusion, demonstrating how audio alone can craft a fully embodied, overwhelming experience.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4O4GrYD4bE

Adjective Focus: Uncanny

This short analog horror piece uses minimalist typography and the visual form of Chinese characters to generate a uniquely disturbing emotional response. Familiar everyday symbols are stripped of semantic context and presented in a rhythmically disjointed, sonically jarring environment. The result is a strong sense of defamiliarisation—where the ordinary becomes strange, and the viewer is left unsure of what is real.
The uncanny effect emerges not from gore or jump scares, but from the dissonance between expectation and delivery. The viewer recognizes the characters, yet cannot decipher their intent; they see something culturally familiar, but framed in a way that feels alien, even hostile. This tension echoes Freud’s theory of das Unheimliche—the idea that something can be both known and unknowable, comfortable and unsettling at once.
By weaponizing typography, static imagery, and cold pacing, this work evokes unease through restraint. It’s a powerful example of how minimal design and symbolic estrangement can successfully generate an uncanny atmosphere without relying on narrative or dialogue.

Link: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1hL41157q9/?spm_id_from=333.337.top_right_bar_window_history.content.click&vd_source=b91b5c829994a7508cd1d145f5a5fe35

Adjective: Overwhelming

This prelude video opens with abstract visuals of a solitary cube emerging from darkness—minimalist, stark, and abstract. As the ambient soundscape gradually layer in, the piece builds into an immersive wave of electronic tones that resonate in sync with the pulsing geometric forms. The combination of syncopated beats, shifting overtones, andthe intense visual repetition of cubes creates a sustained sensory crescendo.
The effect is viscerally overwhelming: the viewer/listener is enveloped by escalating sonic density and kinetic visuals that evoke awe and disorientation. The audiovisual unity is so pronounced that the cube becomes both symbol and avatar of sound reverberation—suggesting total sensory immersion aligned with the “Waves” theme.