Artist Statement

{riversynth} is both an immersive performance and musical interface that mixes live hydrophone streams from six river systems with live processing through a gestural controlled water instrument. Building on a decade of research from the River Listening project, {riversynth} creates an entangled performance ecosystem where unpredictable aquatic soundscapes become both the source material and score for a live performance.

The interface consists of a transparent tank filled with water and embedded sensors that detect water movement and light. These parameters modulate, filter and mix the live hydrophone streams via the performer's hands in the water, creating a dynamic relationship between the real-time river soundscapes and the performer's physical manipulation of water.

The technical implementation combines custom-designed sensors, a low-latency streaming network, and a granular synthesis performance tool for live manipulation of the hydrophone streams in surround sound. The interface enables intuitive control while maintaining complexity in the sonic output, allowing for both composed sections and improvisatory responses to the unpredictability of live streams.

About the Artists

Dr Toby Gifford is a designer, creative coder, and interdisciplinary media arts practitioner, with a particular interest in virtual/augmented reality and immersive installation. He has worked across industry and academia at the intersection of art and technology, with extensive professional experience in software programming and systems design. His research spans a broad range of areas including: application of artificial intelligence to the creative industries; environmental sensing for ecosystem health monitoring; and modelling and data visualisation to aid design.

Leah Barclay is a sound artist, designer and researcher who works at the intersection of art, science and technology. Leah's research and creative work over the last decade has investigated innovative approaches to recording and disseminating the soundscapes of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to inform conservation, scientific research and public engagement. Her work explores ways we can use creativity, new technologies and emerging science to reconnect communities to the environment and inspire climate action.

Credits:

Created by Toby Gifford and Leah Barclay