Sonifying Metropolis
An Industrial Dream Reality 2026
Live Electroacoustic Score × Silent Film Screening · Oulu2026 Official Program
🏭 Venue & Historical Context
The project reimagines Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent masterpiece Metropolis through a site-specific screening in an active industrial space. The performance took place at Toppila Siilo in Oulu, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1931 and currently being adapted for cultural use.
The silo’s raw concrete geometry, volumetric scale, and mechanical legacy create a natural dialogue with Lang’s vision of a mechanized urban future. Legend holds that Aalto himself was deeply inspired by Metropolis, and the building’s structural rhythm quietly echoes the film’s architectural mythology.
🔊 My Role & Creative Process
This performance marked my primary contribution to Oulu2026. I proposed the concept in early 2025, and from early 2026 onward, we convened regularly for intensive rehearsals.
A core creative decision was made collectively: none of us listened to the original soundtrack. We wanted to approach Lang’s imagery with entirely fresh ears, crafting an independent sonic world shaped solely by our own materials, intuition, and collaborative process.
⚙️ Sound Design & Performance Approach
The live score was built through Oulu Sound Collective’s experimental electronic practice, combining synthesizers with contact microphones attached directly to industrial machinery.
These machines functioned as a living orchestra—transducing vibration, resonance, and mechanical friction into rhythmic and harmonic material that evolved in real time alongside the film’s visuals. The performance demanded strict synchronicity, active listening, and responsive improvisation from all performers.
🎟️ Reception & Significance
The event became a standout moment in Oulu2026, drawing widespread interest and selling out its 70-seat capacity two weeks before screening night.
By merging Aalto’s architectural presence, Lang’s cinematic mythos, and live electroacoustic improvisation, the piece created a deeply immersive experience that resonated across audiences familiar with film history, sound art, and industrial heritage.
📍 Partners & Program Credits
In collaboration with Factum Foundation, Oulu Sound Collective ry, Oulu in Films festival (ouluinmovies.fi), Aalto Siilo (aaltosiilo.com/en/), and Helsingin Studiopalvelut. Part of the official program of Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture.
🎥 Performance & Rehearsal
Performance Documentation
📸 Behind the Scenes
