Brand’s Microphones Chosen for Duo’s “Set Sound to…” Art Performances and Recordings
ALLEROED, DENMARK ― Capturing sound for innovative, creative projects is one of the most rewarding activities, especially for a live performance exhibit designed to enrich the minds of audiences across the globe. Such was the case when Music is the Weapon selected DPA Microphones to capture the sounds necessary to bring its new multimedia installation to life. Described as a live, innovative art concept, the project, known as “Set Sound to…” is a comprehensive recording of large- and small-scale public performances with interactive installations, music and live singing.
The artistic vision of Danish sound artist, singer, composer and performer Gudrun Holck and visual and performance artist Eva Vēvere from Latvia, these events are said to “create a platform for deeper experience and reflection about connection and continuity in the contemporary world.” As the duo incorporates visual storytelling, site exploration, sound, vocalization and performance for the format, the equipment they use is critical. The first of the pair’s creative residencies in 2020, “Set Sound to Can Lis,” was held at famed Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s house in Mallorca, Spain. This was crafted into a film and art installation, complete with a video and soundtrack. The film premiered in Riga, Latvia in 2021, for a one-month exhibition at a castle on a river, where viewers were invited to co-create intuitive singing during an “Artist Talk.” The film is currently appearing in international film festivals.
The duo relied on a collection of DPA mics to capture a large archive of recordings at Utzon’s house. “We had the opportunity to work with DPA microphones [at Can Lis], the best surround, vocal and head-worn devices,” the duo was quoted as saying. “The mics gave the work a new dimension and quality of sound. This provided us with the opportunity to explore the magnificent choices and possibilities of DPA mics, such as the 4560 binaural headset microphones, which were excellent for producing an interactive 4D feeling in headphones.”
In addition, the duo utilized DPA Microphones’ 5100 Surround Sound mic to record ambient sounds of Can Lis, which was used in a surround speaker setting in an exhibition space to give attendees a fully immersive experience. Some of the recordings included sounds from various indoor and outdoor places in Can Lis, along with vocal and instrumental recordings recorded live while interacting within Can Lis’ rooms and spaces.
The pair’s latest artistic project, “Set Sound to the Lighthouses,” included artist residencies at the North Atlantic Lighthouse in Hanstholm, Denmark and the Skrova Lighthouse in Lofoten, Norway, as well as the Ovīši and Šļītere lighthouses in Latvia. For these recordings, the duo sought to capture the feeling of everyday life within the selected lighthouses, and the surrounding sea. There are plans to turn the recordings into audiovisual exhibits, to give the audience the feeling of interacting with and at the remote locations of the lighthouses. To ensure a pristine capture that fully immersed audiences, Music is the Weapon required microphones that provided concise, pure, uncolored and undistorted sound.
This project also utilized DPA’s 4560 Binaural Headset and 6060 Omnidirectional Subminiature Microphones. “These mics were magnificent and allowed for us to focus on the creative process whenever inspiration struck, regardless of timing, performance, light, wind or weather,” says Holck and Vēvere. “The ‘Set Sound to the Lighthouses’ project required us to climb cliffs and ascend to the top of the lighthouses to fully capture the sense of the timeless journey of dreams. The 4560 and 6060 microphones were the perfect size to minimize equipment and weight when traveling, while also being discrete enough to integrate into performance design and costuming.”
In addition to the recordings of sounds, Music is the Weapon presents its multimedia experiences to live audiences, whom they invite to sing, discuss and otherwise interact with the recordings. In these applications, DPA mics once again become a vital element in the production. After a delay due to ongoing pandemic restrictions, the duo plans to release the first “Set Sound to the Lighthouses: Signal” as an interactive art exhibition and performance later this year.
For more information and to view the “Set Sound to…” film series, please visit Music is the Weapon’s Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/setsoundto.