Jacob Kirkegaard

MOTION... MATTERS: Opening/Fernisering

2009-05-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

April 1st: Homage to Vesterfælledvej

2009-04-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

Out of my window, I could for a while see a very tall abandoned corn silo formerly used by Carlsberg. Later, they turned it into luxury apartments. But before that, when it was still abandoned, my friend went all the way up to pee all the way down the empty elevator shaft.

The shop as it looked in 1996.

Since April 1996 I have been renting a beautiful little space with two rooms, basement and kitchen in the Vesterbro quarter of Copenhagen. I call it Butikken (The shop) because it's original purpose was to be a shop. I have used it for a lot of things, mainly as workshop and studio for the projects.

Now, on the 1st of April 2009, exactly 13 years after I have decided to give up the place. The main reason for my departure is simply just a sudden rise of rent that I find impossible to afford.

The reason I was given for the rising rent was, that the rent had been too low compared to the 'market' in today's Copenhagen. I have calculated that the rent will rise to the tripple amount, of what I paid before the rise. So there is no way - I have to leave. Not even my friends or colleagues who I've asked, have found the shop worth paying for, with its new price.

And now I live in Berlin anyway. But I have a special love for this little space on Vesterbro. Through the years it has been an important place for my creations and life. The basement was not only used for storing all my tape recorders, 16 mm films and projectors. Sometimes it turned into a little cinema where Anna Meyling and me showed films like the early Opus films (from the 20s) and "Berlin - Die Symphonie der Großstradt" by Walther Ruttmann with free sushi for the audience. The shop was sometimes a gallery space, for example when Bjørn Staal showed his drawings and paintings. Installations have been created there - for example "Words on Wires" for Danish Writers Organization, which I did with Gry Bagøien. And our first vinyl LP "AETER - Luftantenner" was mixed there. The shop was primarily a working space were friends, partners and colleagues met for great dinners while exchanging ideas and developing new projects, or simply just having a cognac, a cigar, a chat or some love! The place has housed countless of stories.

When I moved to Germany the shop remained my Copenhagen base where I would come and work or find peace.
The shop happened to be a really important supportive factor for my career as an artist, because of its cheap rent. When I rented it in 96 this part of Vesterbro was considered as the outskirts and noone went there unless they lived there or rushed by in their noisy car. And it wasn't a particular fancy area either. And that was exactly its advantage. Like every artist starting up his or her career, I needed a cheap space to work. The street was a polluted passerby for cars and trucks. And on the left side of the shop my neighbors were the supporters of some infamous biker's club and behind my kitchen on the other side was the pissoir of an also rather infamous pub. When I ate in the kitchen I could hear the alcoholics piss at the other side of the wall. From the pub people would sometimes literally be thrown out by the neck. They would eventually bump against my big window with a loud thunderous sound. The 'gone' costumers would then sometimes fall asleep in front of my door. Or they would leave the rest of their urine down my shop window. But the good smell from the Carlsberg factory would cover it.
Besides from them, the street housed two automobile shops selling old american cars, there was an a very old hairdresser, a tango studio, a gallery, an old wine saloon and ateliers. Among other artists the wonderful artist Erik Clausen had his atelier just across the street. There was also a 16mm film studio on Vesterfælledvej....
Today, all that is gone. The biker supporters' house has been restored so they had to move to "god knows where", the building housing the ateliers, gallery, tango and film studio was torn down and replaced by a parking lot for the good workers of the so-called Wonderful Copenhagen. The old hair dresser is probably gone to another planet and the automobile shops have been replaced by new smart apartments. Even the worn-out street has had new asphalt. Once a huge tiger was painted on the wall. Now it is all white. Even the smell of Carlsberg is disappearing. Morten Meldgaard and I used to enjoy standing in the door at night and gaze at the passing cars in the yellow dusty street light while hearing the wheels on asphalt. A perfect moment for a cigarette. Or at least watching him smoking it.

For some years I was naive enough to think that this development wouldn't hit my own space. It was namely hidden inside a corner! Where they all pissed. But not so long ago I received that letter proclaiming that the shop was way too cheap and that the rent now had to be balanced with the "real" value of what places of this size cost in Copenhagen - nowadays. The rent is rising 200 %.

Well well well, I am just being nostalgic. I'm not better than Søren Ulrik Thomsen's nostalgia for the chaos and neon lights Nørreport station.

Still, I am very happy and thankful for the years I could and would afford to rent the shop. I am thankful to the organization of the house who rented it to me.
There is nothing to cry about. It's been great to rent that place. Hopefully the organization will find someone after me, who can, or is willing to pay what it takes to have a space in an increasingly smarter area of Copenhagen.

Many people know the street of Vesterfælledvej only as a passerby. But I am sure that the folks who have lived or hung out there for some time, know damn well about it's charm.

But where went the tiger?

Hopefully not to the zoo.

The building that housed the ateliers, tango studio etc is being demolished. Gry is having a cigarette while looking at the ruins..

A test set-up of the installation "Words on Wires" that Laura Winge later beautifully documented.

Tobias Kirstein & Sune TB during our many rehearsals in the basement.

The Pingvin Orchestra rehearsing for the late night galla show "1/2 Pingvin med Pomfritter" (Knud Grumløse, Helena Berglund, Jesper Lund, Adele Jannson and Ole Reimer)

Bjørn Staal mounting his drawings

Gry & Jacob during the creation of Words on Wires...

JK in front of the shop in 1997 or 98..

Carnival in Copenhagen

2009-03-31T03:28:00.000-07:00

Fundación Ludwig, Havana

2009-02-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

In February I had the great pleasure to present LABYRINTHITIS and other new works at the Fundación Ludwig (which is the Cuban branch of the big Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany).
It was my second visit to the place; During my 1st visit last year I presented AION, which resulted in me being kindly invited again. The Danish Arts Council generously supported the project with a travel grant. It gave me the opportunity to once again present my works and to be in dialogue with some of the Havanese art scene. I find the meeting and interactions with the Cuban artists and curators so interesting. Their technical opportunities are naturally more limited compared to Western European standards and their history is of course different as well. Nevertheless, or perhaps exactly because of that, I felt that the meeting isn't only of interest for myself but also for them. My presentations resulted in both serious, paradoxical and fun discussions about art and methods. The director of the Foundation has now invited me back to hold a workshop. I hope it will happen :)

MOTION MATTERS: Interview på Kopenhagen.dk

2009-01-14T10:16:00.001-08:00

Just launched today on Kopenhagen.dk - an interview me about my exhibition MOTION... MATTERS.

It is in Danish though: http://www.kopenhagen.dk/interviews/interviews/interview_jacob_kirkegaard/

Or, feel welcome to join us at the opening tomorrow at 5pm in Copenhagen!

MOTION...MATTERS

2008-12-29T06:36:00.000-08:00

UP NEXT is my solo exhibition MOTION... MATTERS

I will present two works at Helene Nyborg Contemporary, Copenhagen Denmark: NAGARAS: 8 photos that I shot in the deserts of Oman - stills of the so-called Singing Sands. And a sound installation consisting of 3 metal plates; PHONURGIA METALLIS. (see below links for more info)

Exhibition period: January 16 - February 21 2009.

Opening is on Thursday January 15, 5 - 8 P.M. and everyone is welcome.

MORE INFO: in ENGLISH http://fonik.dk/motion_matters.html
Or in DANISH http://fonik.dk/motion_matters-da.html

And if you read Danish please also check Magnus Kaslov's blog: http://www.magnuskaslov.dk/blog/

Tracing the Singing Sand...

2008-12-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

Excursion to the desert

2008-12-01T04:05:00.000-08:00

In December I will be in the Oman desert tracing the Singing Sands and Booming Dunes.

Hören ohne Ohren? (Listening without Ears?)

2008-11-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

In 2004 I travelled Iceland to research on the potential "sound" of Polar Lights (or so-called VLF) and how to "hear" it without using electromagnetic equipment. I came across theories stating that material such as thin wire, aluminium foil or even dry frizzy hair could respond to electromagnetic waves at this low frequency. These VLF waves would literally vibrate objects, whereby causing the compression of air which we hear as sound waves. The electromagnetic waves could for example vibrate a person's glasses resting on the skull. Or our frizzy hair would vibrate our hair sacks under our skin and make us hear, without our ear.

Frontispiece of John Bulwer's Philocophus' The Deaf and Dumbe Mans Friend. Exhibiting the philosophical verity of that subtile art, which may enable one with an observant eye, to hear what any man speaks by the moving of his lips. Note the kneeling man who is “hearing” music through his teeth via bone conduction. Also of interest are the four head images at the bottom of the frontispiece. The fourth head image represents the lip-reader who is “hearing” with his eye. Printed for Humphrey Moseley, London, 1648.

Douglas Kahn - Active Hearing

2008-11-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

My new work LABYRINTHITIS is now out and available on Touch. It is presented in a special limited edition wallet, it is his third edition for Touch, after 'Eldfjall' [Touch # T33.20, 2005] and '4 Rooms' [Touch # Tone 26, 2006]

Douglas Kahn (Author of 'Noise, Water, Meat', M.I.T. Press) has kindly contributed with an essay especially written for this limited edition:

Active Hearing: Jacob Kirkegaard’s Labyrinthitis

To my knowledge Jacob Kirkegaard has, in Labyrinthitis, composed the first piece of art which directly incorporates active hearing. Kirkegaard is sitting in a soundproof booth, a specialized scientific room, with tiny speakers and microphones in his ears. The speakers are sending tones into his inner ears that create tones generated by the ear itself in response. Two tones are sent in and one, a third tone, comes back in response. These ear sounds are, in turn, picked up by the microphones and amplified. Kirkegaard then uses them in performance to evoke ‘third tones’ in the ears of the audience which, in effect, creates a situation where the audience hears him hearing and hear themselves hearing. In this way alone, Kirkegaard has countered Duchamp’s dictum, “One can look at seeing, one can’t hear hearing.”

Hearing is usually thought to be a passive sense, traveling one direction from the outside in. Passive hearing in one direction involves transduction, from the energy state of mechanical vibrations of sounds in the air or body, to electrical and chemical states trafficked in the nervous system and brain. Sounds usually come from outside, vibrate the eardrum which vibrates the tiny bones of the middle ear, in turn vibrating the fluid in the cochlea, a tiny organ on either side of the head shaped like a seashell. Listen and you can hear the ocean, tiny hairs swaying like seaweed in the shallows of the surf. It is counter-intuitive to imagine the sound of active hearing produced in this underwater scene: the seaweed would cause the waves. It would be as though Jean Piaget’s kids were right when they said that the movement of trees caused the wind.

Knowledge of active hearing has developed since the late 1970s, due to an increased understanding of the mechanisms in the outer hair cells of the cochlea. These specialized hair cells change shape in response to electrical stimulation from the nervous system, and when they do it in concert they create vibrations in the fluid chambers of the labyrinth. To sound coming from the outside, they respond with a tiny amount of sound of their own. These sounds are called otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and are thought to play a part in ‘cochlear amplification’, a selective reinforcement of certain frequency characteristics.

When the cochlea spontaneously emits sounds in the absence of external sound, it is called spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). But before massaging your auricles in a first awkward attempt at enunciation, you should know that SOAEs are inaudible to the listener; that is, to the person with the ears, let alone audible to anyone else, without specialized equipment. When OAEs are evoked by external tones, they are called distortion products (DPOAE) and can be heard. Labyrinthitis consists of DPOAEs. They are what Kirkegaard and those listening to him hear.

Jacob Kirkegaard sitting in a sound proof both listening to the sounds of his body leads, of course, to the image of John Cage sitting in an anechoic chamber hearing the sounds of his body. As the story goes, Cage heard a low sound and a high sound. The engineer told him it was the sound of his blood in circulation and the sound of his nervous system in operation. It is unclear which of Harvard’s three anechoic chambers Cage entered and thus what type of engineer was in attendance. Thus the legend could be based upon an educated guess by an electrical engineer. Others have thought that the high register Cage heard was a touch of tinnitus, in which case it would not have required an anechoic chamber to legitimize his central aesthetic principles. The composer James Tenney, a longtime student of psychoacoustics, told me he thought that Cage might have heard SOAEs. But this could not be the case if they are inaudible.

It is impossible to go back and seat Cage into a scientific space with fewer variables. Yet it is clear that he found the irrepressible sounds of his own body very significant. Their very existence legitimized his counter-intuitive notion of silence as the absence of the absence of sound. In fact, he listened to these scientifically legitimized sounds as he would listen to no other sound, by letting his mind intercede: he asks himself, “what is that low sound; what is that high sound?” Otherwise, he strove to hear “a sound in itself.” There is no such thing as a sound in itself, or sounds in themselves in active hearing. What one hears is, at its physiological basis, the nervous system reaching out to sound with its own sound. Active hearing, in other words, clears a discursive pathway to better appreciate all the conditioning of hearing from the inside out, including acts of directing one’s attention.

Kirkegaard and Cage have not been the only people listening to their bodies talk in clinical circumstances. William Burroughs conducted crude “Throat Microphone Experiments” hoping to hear subvocal speech, and more successfully imagined a sound test of the body in his cut-up novel, “The Ticket that Exploded”. A Cockney attendant leads Nova Mobster Bradly into a specialized room “with metal walls that smelled of ozone and flash bulbs…” and then, after mapping a line down the center of his body, into a booth where “small microphones were attached to the two sides of his body and the sounds recorded on two tape recorders – He heard the beating of his heart, the gurgle of shifting secretions and food, the rattle of breath and scratches of throat gristle – crystal bubbles in the sinus chambers magnified from the recorders – The attendant ran the tape from one recorder onto the other to produce the sound of feedback between the two body halves – a rhythmic twang – soft hammer of heartbeats pounding along the divide line of his body…”

Even the stethoscope was trained back onto the body of its maker. In the early 19th Century, René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laënnec, the grandfather of the instrument for listening to bodies, became frustrated during his own illness when he needed it the most. The stiffness of the stethoscope prevented him from contorting to hear himself and he distrusted the reports of others. Once he calmed down, he realized that he could hear his insides himself, his heartbeats and the sonic signatures of a whole set of digestive issues. Doctor Benway: heal thyself.

The ear sounds we hear in Labyrinthitis are high pitched, on the upper register of the piano keyboard, which the great 19th Century physiologist and physicist Hermann von Helmholtz imagined snaking submerged up the coil of the cochlea. They rise above guttural timbre of the throat and the brooding noises of the gut, and thus lack the timbre that once could have associated them with modernist notions of musical noise. OAEs, in fact, are more akin to the anti-noise of sine waves, the aperiodic waveforms of modernist noise versus the periodic waveforms of musical tone. They are musical tones pitched at a sustained pitch, a quintessential violin, the first chair of the music that the avant-garde sought to drown out the noise of percussion and the outside world.

Hearing has been imagined in the past as a percussive affair: the sounds of the outside world beating on eardrums. Only when the vibrations make their way through the tiny bones of the middle ear to the tiny hairs in the cochlea are they transformed from mechanical motion into the electrical and chemical impulses sensible to the brain. This change of one energy state to another is called transduction. We can caricature passive models of hearing as one-way routes of transduction: sounds are sucked into the skull and muscle memory by attention, affect, language, routine and other human preoccupations. Any reverse transduction does not go back through the ear, but finds its way back out instead through the mouth, gestures, or actions.

The provocation of Kirkegaard’s Labyrinthitis is to show that two-way traffic happens in the ear, at the point that transduction begins. This is what the astrophysicist Thomas Gold first proposed in his 1948 biophysics paper describing OAEs as “a feedback system consisting of a mechanical-to-electrical transduction process coupled to an electrical-to-mechanical transduction process.” The physiological fact of transductive reversal in active hearing reroutes relationships among technology, nature and the body. The tiny microphones and speakers in Kirkegaard’s ears, with sounds and electronic signals going both directions, are not separated by a gulf of nature and technology, but are instead in discursive and actual circuit with motions, energies, forces, impulses and radiations. This has been a concern of Kirkegaard in many of his other works. In Labyrinthitis, sounds interact both inside and outside the confines of individual experience, as listening is introduced into the tranductive flows of the world.

Douglas Kahn, San Francisco 2008

Anthony Moore - Labyrinthitis

2008-11-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

My new work LABYRINTHITIS is now out and available on Touch. It is presented in a special limited edition wallet, it is his third edition for Touch, after 'Eldfjall' [Touch # T33.20, 2005] and '4 Rooms' [Touch # Tone 26, 2006]

Anthony Moore (Academy of Media Arts, Cologne) has kindly contributed with an essay especially written for this limited edition:

What Jacob and I have been discussing for many moons now is the idea of reversing the normally accepted direction of information streams. Most often this refers to acoustic information and the essence of our talks might be contained in some early titles of lectures I gave in the late 90s, for example "Acoustic Cells and Membranes" Tuebingen 06/12/99, which later mutated into the rather more science fiction-like, "Membranes in Space and the Transmitting Ear".

This came out of research in the field of Active Perception. One hardly need look, or rather hear, any further than the phenomena of Oto-Acoustic Emissions (OAEs, measurable sounds emerging from the ear), to grasp that unless some action takes place on the part of the receiver, then incoming signals may remain unperceived. Due to the active, mechanical components that go to make up the physiology of the ear, it is possible to construct a model where certain physical aspects of hearing actually take place outside the body, at the entrance to the ear.

A much earlier source for our conversations on reversability sprung from the Pre-Socratics. Some 2500 years ago Empedocles formulated a theory of perception that was significantly located between two alternative hypotheses. In the case of vision, simply put, one stated that objects emanated light that shone into the eye. The other concept was somehow the reverse, that the eye functioned like a projector, illuminating the object. The thinking of Empedocles embraced both these notions with the proposition that the eye did indeed engage the object by casting its gaze upon it. But, at the same time the object shone back toward the viewer. This opens up the possibility for perception of the object to be located more or less in between the seer and the seen, at an interface outside the body where the two streams of light collide.

The action of simultaneous broadcasting and reception can be modelled as a contra-flow of information passing through itself, (feedthrough?). The transmitting ear, with its active mechanisms of receiving, raises information-theoretical questions about the medium. It is as if our sense of the world is no more nor less than the resulting interference patterns of information streaming into and out of our bodies, that the medium is simply nodal densities of content becoming both the cause of - and simultaneously being displayed upon - an ethereal skin of interference.

Anthony Moore, Arles 2008

Yma Sumac - R.I.P.

2008-11-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Lydia Lunch collaboration

2008-10-31T06:33:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Spain where I spent 5 days working with Lydia on a book/CD release which will be released in spring 09. The work will be released by Eduard Escoffet from PROPOSTA (http://www.propost.org).

For more info about our collaboration please see my previsous blog from August.

TOUCH Tone 35 - Jacob Kirkegaard "Labyrinthitis"

2008-10-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

"Labyrinthitis" is out now and available from the TouchShop. It is presented in a special limited edition wallet, it is my third edition for Touch, after 'Eldfjall' [Touch # T33.20, 2005] and '4 Rooms' [Touch # Tone 26, 2006]

Labyrinthitis also contains texts by Anthony Moore (Academy of Media Arts in Cologne) and by Douglas Kahn (Author of 'Noise, Water, Meat', M.I.T. Press) especially written for this limited edition.

TOUCH - http://touchmusic.org.uk/
TOUCH SHOP - http://touchshop.org/product_info.php?products_id=251

DOUGLAS KAHN - http://www.douglaskahn.com/

Atelier Atelier

2008-10-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am delighted to announce that my good friend and colleague Marie Koelbaek Iversen has turned my old studio through many years into an interesting project room.
The space recently opened with it's first exhibition entitled 'Significantly Signifying' by Sonja Rendtorff and Christian Danielewifz. The second current exhibition 'Public Address' is created by the artist Vincente Razo.

The small project room is located on Vesterfælledvej 1 C on Vesterbro, Copenhagen.
Visit their website for more information www.est2610.dk
Here are some pictures from the place. And below you can read a little story related to the place as well.

Museum of Jurassic Technology

2008-10-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the great honor and uttermost pleasure to present Labyrinthitis at nothing less than the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles, California. A travel grant was kindly supported by the Danish Arts Council.

This museum is undoubtedly the most interesting and inspiring 'museum' I have ever experienced. It is like a 17th century idea of the so-called Wunderkammer. A cabinet of curiosities, mysteries, superstition and alchemic inventions. Possible distinctions between the natural history world or the art world blur wonderfully when finding oneself immersed into it's artifacts, installations, stories and early mechanical objects.
What I found especially amazing was their permanent exhibition on Athanasius Kircher. Kircher has already been of great inspiration to my works since I was introduced to him by my previous professor Siegfried Zielinski (at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne Germany).

I presented Labyrinthitis two times on Saturday evening. The beautiful Tula Tea Room inside the labyrinth-like green house of the museum was packed with interested people from around the Los Angeles area who had come to let their ears be heard.
After each performance many questions were asked and it brought up many interesting discussions about active hearing, interactivity, paradoxes and physical proportions of sound. Many candle lights were lid. Tea and cookies were being served. It was hot.

I spent 4 days living at the museum among some the most wonderful people who created this place. I could speak forever about this museum. But instead I will recommend you to visit it. If you are far from LA you might want to visit their website www.mjt.org

Here are a couple of photos I shot during my visit. (The Tula Tea Room, some of Athanasius Kircher's inventions (The Magnetic Oracle, Mundus Suberraneus, The Propagation Horn and Why the Tower Could Not Reach the Moon) and from the exhibition Garden of Eden on Wheels.

New York & Los Angeles

2008-09-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles - Sep 25th.

Just arrived in Los Angeles where I will present Labyrinthitis at David Wilson's most fabulous and amazing creation; the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Here I am also living in a beautiful little trailer behind the museum. (I will present Labyrinthitis two times on Saturday. Ticket sale and reservation is now closed - sold out)

In New York City last week I performed at John Zorn's The Stone which was curated by JG Thirlwell - here I decided to record and layer the sound of the space, similar to what I did in Chernobyl. The frequencies / resonance unfolding from this little room in the middle of New York City were very different from the ones I've evoked from other more quiet rooms. It's like if the sound of each room is speaking, telling a story about itself. From The Stone appeared very fast interference beats in an almost stressful manner - sounds from cars and people swearing on the streets outside which manifested themselves into tones which almost sounded like a jazz kind of saxophone. It indeed sounded very much like my own interpretation of a New York ambience. On the same evening Lary 7 presented an amazing piece with 35 mm projectors controlled by a sewing machine, which created psychedelic dots, scratches and scratchy colours.

Mr. Thirlwell's curated month at The Stone also featured other amazing acts, as for example Tony Conrad who I also had the pleasure experiencing performing a mind blowing concert. First two pieces were short, sliding on a string instrument while singing/speaking about bringing music back to basics and at issue. Followed by a long violin piece.

Yesterday I was interviewed at Fabio's fabulous radio station in New Jersey - WFMU -
Listen to the stream here: http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/28726

I also presented Labyrinthitis at Suzanne Fiol's Issue Project Room in NYC - over its amazing 16-channel sound system.

Below:
Issue Project Room
Keiko o'blaat at Lary 7's gear
Lary 7 & I
Fabio

Photo - New York City

2008-09-19T06:18:00.001-07:00

Photos - Happy New Ears in Belgium

2008-09-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

Rehearsing JG Thirlwell's Taeniasis at Budascoop in Kortrijk for Happy New Ears Festival. Jacob Kirkegaard on cello, BJ Nilsen on treatments and JG Thirlwell on laptop.

Freq-Out! From top left: Jacob Kirkegaard, Brandon Labelle, Franz Pomassl, Mike Harding, Jana Windren, Finnbogi Petturson, Tommi Grönlund, Benny Nilsen, Maia Urstad, Kent Tankred, JG Thirlwell, Permagnus Lindborg and CM von Hausswolff.

Happy New Ears!

2008-09-13T00:41:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I will take part in the festival Happy New Ears in Kortrijk in Belgium.

I'll present Labyrinthitis in an old beautiful tower using 16 speakers and perform a new piece written by JG Thirlwell live on cello together with Benny Nilsen and JG Thirlwell on laptops. Besides from this I'll take part in Freq-Out 7 together with CM von Hauswolff, Finnbogi Petursson, Maia Urstad, Mike Harding and others.

If you can't make it to belgium you can listen to a little interview with me for Belgian Radio and also visit the websites of Happy New Ears and Freq-Out below.

Interview for Belgium Radio: http://www.stubru.be/node/66656

Another interview by Els Viaene is to be found here: http://www.happynewears.be/2008/nl/parcours.php

Happy New Ears: http://www.happynewears.be
Freq-Out: http://freq-out.org/

Labyrinthitis at Happy New Ears

2008-09-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Freq-Out 7 in Belgium

2008-09-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles

2008-09-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

By the end of this month I will be in Los Angeles presenting Labyrinthitis at the Museum of Jurassic Technology (www.mjt.org)

LABYRINTHITIS
Jacob Kirkegaard has turned his ears inwards: His new work LABYRINTHITIS is an interactive sound piece that consists entirely of sounds generated in the artist’s auditory organs – and will cause audible responses in those of the audience.

LABYRINTHITIS relies on a principle employed both in medical science and musical practice: When two frequencies at a certain ratio are played into the ear, additional vibrations in the inner ear will produce a third frequency. This frequency is generated by the ear itself: a so-called “distortion product otoacoustic emission” (DPOAE), also referred to in musicology as “Tartini tone”.

By arranging the tones from his ears in a composition and playing them to an audience, the artist evokes further distortion effects in the ears of his listeners. At first, each new tone can only be perceived "intersubjectively": inside the head of each one in the audience. Kirkegaard artificially reproduces this tone and introduces it, "objectively", into his composition. When combined with another distorting frequency, it will create another tone... until, step by step, a pattern of descending tonal structure emerges whose spiral form mirrors the composition of resonant spectra in the human cochlea.

Read more about Labyrinthitis here: http://fonik.dk/works/labyrinthitis.html

What world will await us inside a black hole?

2008-09-10T01:59:00.000-07:00

Black hole produces 'lowest note known in universe'

WASHINGTON - A massive black hole releases sound waves in a deep bass pitch, astronomers have found.

Researchers used NASA's orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory to "listen" to wavelengths coming from the heart of the Perseus A Cluster, a giant clump of galaxies 250 million light-years from Earth (A light-year is the distance light travels in a year in a vacuum, about 9.5 trillion kilometres.)
They found the pitch of the sound is about 57 octaves below middle C, which is roughly the middle of a standard piano keyboard. The tone frequency is more than a million, billion times deeper than the limits of the human ear, the researchers said.

Prof. Andrew Fabian of the Institute of Astronomy (IoA) in Cambridge, England, led the 53-hour Chandra observation. The discovery was described at a NASA news conference in Washington on Tuesday.
It is "the lowest note known in the universe," said Fabian.
The researchers presumed a "supermassive" black hole lies in the cluster. Some astronomers believe most galaxies, including ours, may house black holes in the centre.
Scientists can't observe dense black holes directly, because the gravitational pull of the drain is so strong. Nothing, not even light, can escape it. Instead, researchers watch what happens on the edges of black holes.
By analysing the pattern of X-rays coming from the superheated gases, Fabian and his colleagues were able to see jets of extremely hot matter shooting out from a single point. The compression of the jets causes the sound waves, said Fabian's colleague, astronomer Steve Allen of the IoA. The gravitational pull of the black hole is thought to squeeze the hot gases. Extra sound waves add heat energy, causing a slight change in the observed X-ray pattern.
"We've known that a black hole can give off energy as light and heat and now we are seeing a third way : sound," said Bruce Margon, associate director for science at the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Detecting cosmic sound waves may help solve the long-standing mystery of why the hot gas in the middle of the Perseus cluster hasn't cooled over the past 10 billion years to form trillions of stars.

Artyom & Jacob - live in Russia

2008-09-05T17:26:00.001-07:00

Kryptogen Rundfunk & Jacob Kirkegaard, live at Club Zoccolo in St. Petersburg, Russia. August 25th. Performing the sounds from the Kanonersky Ostrov silos. (See below) Photos by Liza

Picture of today

2008-09-04T05:32:00.003-07:00

Last day and night in St. Petersburg = Datcha!

2008-09-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

POLYTHERA - water, vibration and strobe light

2008-09-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Polythera is my newest work and was created of vibrating water and strobe light. It is currently presented at the H2O exhibition in St. Peterburg, Russia.

POLYTHERA is a water and sound installation inspired by the slow-motion metamorphosing liquid that covers the surface of the planet 'Solaris', in Stanislaw Lem's book and Andrei Tarkovsky's film adaptation of it.
This gigantic plasmic ocean, typified in Lem’s “Solarist studies” as POLYTHERA, is the planet’s only inhabitant: It appears to be alive, and endowed with a unique and powerful form of intelligence. In order to communicate with the mysterious sea-brain, humans beam brain-wave patterns at its gel-like surface or attack it with rays of heavy radiation. In response, the ocean begins to reflect human sub-consciousness itself, by materializing intimate fears and illusions, by stirring up haunting memories, and by creating physical replicas of deceased people.
"The water became still and the surface looked transparent. A sort of mucus started to congeal under it. When it rose up, it glistened like glass. Then it began to boil. The substance solidified into big lumps and shaped all sorts of figures." (Astronaut Berton in Tarkovky's “Solaris”, 1972)
“Its undulating surface was capable of generating extremely diverse formations which resembled nothing ever seen on Earth, and the function of these sudden eruptions of plasmic ‘creativity’, whether adaptive, explorative or what, remained an enigma.” (Solarist scientist Kelvin in Lem’s “Solaris”, 1961)

POLYTHERA consists of a basin filled with water that is caused to vibrate by a sound at a frequency around 40 Hz. Stroboscopic light beams on the water surface at a steady frequency that is tuned to the frequency of the tone that sets the water into vibration. The sharp and fast interferences between the water and the light frequencies generate an effect that works as an illusion to the eye: The water looks like a liquid mass moving in slow-motion.
The low frequencies that generate these movements in the water were extracted from a drone that appears in the score of Tarkovsky's film adaptation.

You can read more about the work and the exhibition on my website - www.fonik.dk

POLYTHERA

2008-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

This is a tiny video of Polythera but it's really difficult to see what's actually going on and the light is too low on this video. But I uploaded it just to give a slight idea about it...

LABYRINTHITIS at Museum of Freud's Dreams....

2008-09-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the 24th of August I had the honour to present my ear-piece Labyrinthitis at Victor Mazin's mysterious Museum of Freud's Dreams in St. Petersburg. The tiny space was fully packed andthe event ended up with some interesting discussions on the paradoxes of hearing....

Kanonersky Ostrov, Russia - Sound trip

2008-09-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

Upon my arrival in St. Petersburg I went with my friends Artyom & Katya to some amazing silos at the Baltic sea coast. We recorded these silos in various ways - I attached my magnetic accelerometer to the many strange strings hanging losely on them. Each string had its own tones and movement. We used our recordings for our concert in Club Zoccolo in St. Petersburg on the following Monday.

Otto Leisner

2008-09-02T03:16:00.000-07:00

Berlin

2008-09-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

ABOUT EQUIPMENT

2008-09-01T23:57:00.000-07:00

I often get emails from people requesting for information about the equipment I am using. I always aim to get back to everybody but sometimes I fail to do it because of lack of time. Therefore I have decided to post this blog with information about the equipment I use. Please feel welcome to comment or add suggestions for how to improve this page.

THE ACCELEROMETER:
I bought my accelerometer through the Danish company Bruel & Kjaer. Please contact them for prices and availability.
Here you find the technical details for the one I've got.

Product Type 752A13
Order No EE 0412
Description Top connector - TEDS
Sensitivity 1000 mV/g
Frequency Range Hz 0.3 to 10000
Resonance Frequency kHz 28
Residual Noise Level in Spec Freq Range (rms) mg 0.06
Temperature Range (C) C -20 to 85
Temperature Range (F) F -4 to 185
Maximum Operational Level (peak) 'g' 5
Maximum Shock Level (± peak) 'g' 5000
Weight gram 13
Connector, Electrical 10-32 UNF
Mounting Screw
Accessory Included (Selected) 3061A-120
Clip/Stud/Screw included 2981-12
Output IEPE

Link to Bruel & Kjaer Denmark: http://www.bksv.com/
You can also read an article about me on their website: http://www.bksv.com/NewsEvents/BruelKjaerMagazine/2005-02/Natures%20Underground%20Music.aspx

THE VLF RECEIVER (FOR SOLAR WINDS / AURORA BOREALIS OR AURORA AUSTRALIS)

 To record the sounds of aurora you can use the so-caleld VLF receivers.  To build those, you can find diagrams on the Internet. The receivers consist of a basic electronic components similar to those found in ordinary radio technology. These receivers are different though, as they capture electromagnetic waves in a much lower frequency range, hence the name VLF.   Because of this no human made radio transmissions disturbs the recording process. On the contrary, one has to be located far from electric power lines as their noise and hum interfere and cover the natural electromagnetic waves.

The Whistler Receiver has a stronger built-in amplifier and therefore a better reception than the BBB-4. A normal telescopic radio antenna can be used for handheld recordings.

AUDIBLE AURORA?
Many people in the northern hemisphere have given accounts of having heard the sound of the northern lights with their bare ears, while others have denied their experience and pointed to research that shows there is no physical sound coming from them. The fact is that the phenomenon of the light creates electromagnetic radio waves of very low frequency, which can be recorded with specific radio receivers down on earth. Since these sound waves are essentially electromagnetic in nature, and do not travel in the medium of air, they should in principle be impossible to hear solely with bare ears.
More stories can also be found through the ages in mythology and folk tales about the northern lights. People usually describe them as "ticks", "sparkles", or "chorus", and in fact this might very well seem like they are hearing the sound of frozen snow and gentle wind. It was therefore a fantastic experience when we were in Iceland in January 2004 and Lapland a month later to hear in our headphones those very sounds that people have described so accurately. But how do people hear them without the right equipment? The mystery of the sounds of the northern lights is far from solved.
Observations have made on meteors moving through the sky, where delicate sounds, such as crackling, were heard simultaneously while viewing the meteor. In 1719 the astronomer Edmund Hally collected different accounts of sounds experienced in relation to a meteor seen over England. But since this meteor was moving across the sky at around 100 km, and by the fact that light travels much faster than sound, he concluded that the sounds heard could not be directly related to the meteor. His conclusion stagnated further research for many years to come.
Today exists the term "electrophonic meteor sounds", which attempts to describe this audible meteor phenomenon. Colin Keay, physicist at the University of Newcastle in Australia has discovered that the glowing meteor trails do not only give off light, but also VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio waves travelling at the speed of light. This fact should resurrect the lingering question concerning audible phenomena found in relation to meteors.
But even though these radio waves reach the earth without delay, how is it then possible for us to hear them without the use of special electromagnetic receivers? Theories state that materials such as thin wires, aluminium foil or dry hair, could respond to VLF waves by vibrating. Very low frequency waves put things into motion, thereby causing the compression of air, which we hear. Colin Keay proposes, as an example, that a pair of glasses or a person’s long hair could be a connecting link for hearing VLF radio waves, since this material may respond to a VLF field. For the electromagnetic waves would vibrate glasses resting on the ear and skull, thereby making it audible.
The same applies to aurora, as it has been said that some types of electromagnetic waves coming from it could make a persons hair stand on end, as a response to these disturbances.
The reason that normal FM radio transmissions do not have the same vibrating effect on hair for instance, is that these frequencies exist in a much higher range and] oscillate way too fast to cause it to move. Furthermore, we would not be able to hear such waves, as they oscillate above the range of hearing.

Recording the sounds of northern lights?
During autumn 2003 we made several tests, before travelling to Iceland. The result of these tests were interesting, as we managed to hear some atmospherics eventhough we were located in the middle of Europe (Cologne, Germany). The reason for the great sonic atmospheric activity was because of a massive solar activity during the month of october and november 2003 and that was the time for when we did these tests. These massive sun bursts could be received in Cologne, through the VLF-R. But it is a good idea to be close to the magnetic poles of the earth, as this is where the electrons from the solar winds are pulled into turbulence. This is also the reason why Aurora are best viewable close to the poles of the earth. What we
heard in Cologne through the head-phones out there in a park near Cologne was first of all a constant hum. The hum had nothing to do with the Solar Winds but was the noise comming from electric powerlines. If one would turn on the VLF-R in the middle of a city, the noise would be so terrible loud that it would be impossible to hear any natural electro-magnetic disturbances; atmospherics. Therefore we went outside the city. Here we were able to distract from the hum and able to hear other things aswell. What we heard was two types of atmospherics that will now be described in the following two catagories;
STATIC is the impulsive crackling and popping of lightning generated broad spectrum radio bursts. Static can be heard throughout the radio spectrum. Its character varies according to the structure of the lightning producing it, distance from the receiver and the paths over which it propagates. Static impulses are also referred to as sferics and sounds familiar to oil being boiled on a pan.
WHISTLERS are descending tones generated through the propagation of sferics over very long paths formed by field aligned plasmas (ducts) m the magnetosphere. Whistler's magnetospheric propagation is between magnetic conjugate regions in northern and southern hemispheres. Terrestrial reception of whistlers results from subionospheric propagation of these signals. Whistler duration ranges from a fraction of a second to several seconds. The frequency range of whistlers can extend from above 30 kHz to below 1 kHz but those readily heard with simple equipment will mostly lie between 1 and 9 kHz, with their maximum energy usually concentrated between 3 and 5 kHz.
Another sound term/ phenomenon to be mentonned here, except from Static and TWEAKS are sferics subjected to dispersive
distortion by subionospheric propagation, they are sharp falling notes with a duration of 25 to 150 milliseconds.
Statics, Whistlers and Tweeks were the sounds that we were lucky to capture in Iceland.

References
http://www.irf.se/
http://science.nasa.gov/
http://www.astronomycafe.net/
http://users.hunterlink.net.au/
http://www.members.tripod.com/
http://www.auroralchorus.com/bbb4b.htm
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html

Lydia Lunch

2008-08-04T00:10:00.000-07:00

In summer Lydia Lunch & I visited the ghost town of Belchite in Spain. Here we did recordings and photos for our project which is going to be released in early 2009.