The Language of Landscapes with a Special Ambisonic Performance

Join us on November 20th, 2024, at 5 PM to celebrate the release of The Language of Landscapes, a groundbreaking new album by Christopher Stark (Wash U., Rome Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship) and acclaimed cello-percussion duo New Morse Code (ASU Associate Professor of Percussion Michael Compitello and Hannah Collins, cello). This immersive event, hosted at the state-of-the-art Ambisonic Dome at ASU’s School of Arts, Media, and Engineering (DAME), will combine live performance and ambisonic listening to showcase the boundary-pushing collaboration between music, technology, and nature.

The Language of Landscapes redefines our understanding of “naturalistic” classical music. In this visionary work, Stark explores the tension and harmony between the synthetic and the organic, using found objects, field recordings, and live electronic processing. As Stark describes:

“This piece explores the friction between the natural and the synthetic, reflecting on our wastefulness and resourcefulness while urging us to consider the geographies that shape our musical and environmental spirits.”

Commissioned in 2014 by New Morse Code, The Language of Landscapes was developed collaboratively over a number of residencies and performances, including visits to personally meaningful locations around the country to listen and collect field recordings together. This joint exploration crystalized Stark’s new artistic practice, particularly in his use of field recordings in the compositional process. Through years of performances and workshops, Stark and New Morse Code have used the tools of sonic placemaking to engage communities in purposeful conversations about climate action. 

At the album release event, attendees will experience a live performance by New Morse Code, as well as exclusive ambisonic remixes by cutting-edge artists Malitzin Cortes (CNDSD), Mvstermind, Chris P. Thompson, and Adult Fur, heard in ASU’s 45-speaker immersive sound space.

The celebration will also feature an interactive demo of AME Professor Garth Paine’s pathbreaking mesh networking system, turning audience phones into a collective sound ecosystem. This event is an exciting opportunity for scholars, artists, scientists, and community members to come together, explore the intersection of science and art, and engage in a unique acoustic experience that transforms the space itself. 

For a full listing of all School of Music, Dance and Theatre events visit https://musicdancetheatre.asu.edu/events