The Sounding Archive

THE SOUNDING ARCHIVE is an 8-channel sonification of Arsenal’s archival database using algorithmically controlled sound synthesis.
Played one after the other, the ASCII characters of all 8,000 database entries (as of 2013) result in a 32.7 second sound file. This is interpreted linearly or exponentially according to the specific characteristics of each individual entry – e.g., compressed, filtered, sped up or slowed down, its amplitude or envelope curve changed, etc. For this purpose, films were selected for specific properties: duration (in minutes), length (in meters), aspect ratio, title, number of reels, weight, production country, frame rate, production year, OA3 entry creation date. The creation date of the entry in OA3 determines the starting point of the sound file.
The geographic location of the production country determines from which of the 8 speakers the respective film will come. The placement of the speakers is based on an imaginary 360° circle.

Eunice Martins is a composer and pianist. She studied at the University of the Arts in Berlin and the Musikakademie Wiesbaden. Her work incorporates experimental and traditional materials, playing techniques, and electronics and she has written compositions for ensembles, films, VR pieces, and sound design. Since 2000, she has been the pianist at Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art. She has performed her music for film and silent film as well as live compositions at numerous international festivals, theaters, and cinematheques, including the 79th Venice Film Biennale, ctm Festival Berlin, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (Pordenone), Hong Kong International Film Festival, Il Cinema Ritrovato (Bologna), Jornada do Cinema Silencioso (São Paulo), Berlin International Film Festival, Auditorium du Louvre (Paris), and the Cinematek Royale (Brussels).

Andre Bartetzki is a sound engineer, programmer, sound and video artist, and composer. He studied sound engineering at the Musikhochschule Hanns Eisler in Berlin, where he founded and led the studio for electroacoustic music until 2002. Aside from teaching at the Musikhochschule, he has also taught at Bauhaus University in Weimar (1999-2004) and at Technische Universität Berlin (2009-2012). He has been creating compositions, sound installations, and video art since 1997 and has performed at many international festivals for computer music and media art. Besides composing, he is active as a programmer and sound engineer for contemporary music as well as sound and media art, and he has collaborated with a variety of musicians, dancers, and visual artists.