Swimming in Sound

Let me take you on a journey, feel at home in that bass
Turn your face to the moon, dance in trance—
Trance of spirits speaking myth.

Journey inside this sweet, sweet abyss,
All worries set aside.
Journey to your soul's core,
This feeling never subsides, so ride…
And ride on these rhythms in divine

Kiss the sound, let it pulse through you.
Feel the senses pound, embark on a rhythmic trip.
Come with me, just once, on this trip.

Born from the GRIN S+T+ARTS Residency in Oulu (2024–2025), swimming in sound explores the physical and psychological impact of low frequencies. Using Max/MSP, I developed a custom patch designed exclusively for bass tones and subwoofer output, structured for live mixing. The setup features two independent channels (left/right), each composed of only four core frequencies. When overlapped and mixed, these tones create pulsating interference patterns—minimal in material, yet physically immersive and emotionally captivating.

"It felt like sound claustrophobia. I was completely enveloped by the low frequencies, almost trapped."

"The pulsating tones reminded me of a migraine attack setting in. Intense, but impossible to look away from."

"Right before the performance, I was on the verge of a panic attack. But as soon as the first tones began, it completely dissolved."

This work was developed during the GRIN S+T+ARTS Residency (2024–2025) in Oulu, Finland. The Max/MSP patch and associated audio materials are available upon request. For collaboration inquiries or technical details: bk@bastikuhz.com