bicrophonics in Middlesbrough

If you look at the score map above, you’ll see the black zone, ‘gracepace’ (key to the side) which is where the new sonic bikes will be available for audience to come take out and ride through the city during the Sonic Arts Week Festival, all being well. (launch July 18th).  We’re currently thinking  to make a non-linear piece. ie. one without a route, but areas of zones linked to sounds through which audience can cycle to create their own narrative.  Thinking this way for 2 reasons.

1. The new Middlesbrough sonic bikes will have air pollution sensors on them, ie they will be our first ‘Environmental Bikes’, and as such will also enable more generative music outcomes. So it would be good to encourage riders to find their own way, and see what sounds they can come up with. The bikes will also be data gatherers, so if riders are all taking individual paths, there will be a greater variety of post ride air quality data gathered.

2. All the sonic bike compositions made in the last 4 years have had a route for the rider to follow. The original bicrophonic concept (2012) was for riders to create their own music from their journey. So it was much more of an individual investigation into a place through sound and movement rather than the current  ‘float through a city immersed in and receiving a new composition rather than going to a concert hall to hear it’ approach.

With these new bikes planned, note, we will first be building and using the tech on the Sonic Kayaks in a workshop at the end of April, (info to follow) ,  this experimental exploratory approach for the audience riders seems to be the way.  Having also met so many inspired and energetically creative people in Middlesbrough last week, a place with such a story to tell, it also seems obvious.