HUM
variable speaker configuration audio installation, 2010
Listen to a 10min excerpt from this project

HUM is an investigation into the ubiquitous transformer and electrical relay boxes situated in every neighborhood, and the ever-present low-level sounds they introduce into the environment, creating artificial undertones to our experience of the outdoors. The work loosely references minimalist drone music and also highlights the potential negative effects of these particular sounds: the characteristic 'hum' produced by the oscillation of alternating currents in power transformers has been linked with sleep disorders, disorientation and agitation in a percentage of the population, yet is a tone that permeates almost every aspect of our daily lives, whether we are consciously aware of it or not.

Derived and composed entirely from unedited recordings of these electrical boxes, HUM creates a paradoxical work which is simultaneously a pleasurable exploration of low frequency patterns, and a direct representation of potentially harmful everyday sounds.

HUM is available as an editioned CD from INFREQUENCY EDITIONS