Hallucinatory sound design
“Ben’s work stands apart from the rest of the work in the RCA 2023 show by creating a truly transformative space which focused on senses such as sound and scent, which in installations usually come second to visuals. I was really impressed by his use of spatial audio techniques in an innovative and abstract way which makes sound flow through the the space, rather on your peripheral as you do in traditional panning techniques”
A sonic representation of Solomon’s Temple
This speculation imagined a mystical journey in Solomon’s Temple 3000 years ago through its main hall (Hekhal) and via the curtain veil up into ‘the room of words’ (Devir) where god’s presence (Sheckinah) dwelt that the High Priest King could speak to.
Flowers and trees were engraved across Solomon's temple, so this speculation drew on the tradition that the Garden of Eden was an allegory for Solomon’s Temple; Adam was the high priest king; and the Tree of Life grew in Devir as a symbol of the goddess (Asherah).
Auditory hallucinations
Mystical experiences often involve hallucinations so the sound design was informed by the phenomenology of auditory hallucinations
Experiencing double consciousness
To create a sense of an equal presence in the world and hallucinations projected into it, the audience wore a pair of bone conducting headphones that left their ears open to a ring of six speakers so that they could experience multiple layers of sound and narrative simultaneously.
The poetic narration was heard on the outer layer on the speaker ring. Here is what was heard when entering Hekhal. Given the temples’ purity, I used pure tones of gongs and singing bowls to create meditative, sacred feelings. Hekhal’s walls were covered in gold so I used reverb to create a spacious metallic feel.
While the speaker ring supported an ‘outer voice’, the inner layer on the headphones supported an ‘inner voice’. Various sound and voices, often processed with haunting delays, responded to and commented on the narration heard on the outer layer.
The outer layer sound on the speaker ring was spatialised to immerse the audience in a sphere of sound. While spatial sound locates sounds on, and moves them around, a ring or sphere of speakers, I wanted to introduce speakers within the sphere- via the bone conducting headphones- to move sounds through it to create even more immersive effects. At various points, I synchronised certain sounds so that it felt like they moved through the listener.
Hearing voices
Since a stream flowed through Eden, I explored how the name of god’s presence, Sheckinah, and the goddess, Asherah, could be heard emanating from running water.
The narration also imagines a divine experience in Devir like Moses at the burning bush. I also explored how so Sheckinah and Asherha could be heard emanating from fire.
Creating feelings of presence
Inspired by a visit to the Design Museum's 2023 ASMR exhibition- ‘using frission to create feelings of presence’- I wanted to create similar effects using ASMR elements and binaural recordings.
Here is what was heard in the headphones at the start of the listening experience before the main character of the narration (the High Priest King) enters the temple.
Here is what was heard in the headphones when the High Priest King enters Hekhal (at the same time as the first audio sample above).
Auditory illusions
I used audio illusions to create different effects.
For example, I created feelings of ascent when the high priest king moves up into the temple into Hekhal and then up through the veil into Devir.
I also created feelings of descent when returning from Devir through the veil down into Hekhal and then down out of the temple.
Psychedelic sounds
As part of artist Helen Knowles’ PhD research that was later exhibited at the Science Gallery, I was invited to a workshop with the Kings College London and Maudsley Hospital integration group where participants in their psychedelic trials shared their experiences. I was curious about the geometric aspect of one DMT trip and how ketamine caused another to feel disembodied as if cut up into thousands of shards.
DMT onset when entering the temple
I used samples of parrots and other birds to create an Eden garden when the High Priest King entered the temple, and explored how to make them sound geometric.
I also included samples of cicadas that I processed to sound abstract, shard-like and disembodied.