Exploring Creative Processes with the Wave Field Synthesis Collider by Yuko Ohara (Japan/UK)

extended techniques inside-piano spatial sound Wave Field Synthesis Wave Field Synthesis Collider

This lecture explores the creative process behind spatial sound composition using the Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) Collider. The piece "broken garage" was created from inside-piano sounds performed with mallets and beaters. More than thirty sounds were recorded using extended techniques, of which twenty-four were selected. The resulting sonic material evokes the broken garage door beneath a former residence in The Hague, and the lecture highlights compositional strategies developed in "broken garage."

This lecture presents the creative process and compositional strategies developed in the piece "broken garage," realised with the Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) Collider. The piece is based on inside-piano sounds performed with a variety of mallets and beaters, resulting in a wide spectrum of resonances, percussive textures, and timbral nuances. More than thirty distinct sounds were recorded using extended techniques, from which twenty-four were carefully selected as the sonic material of the work.
The title "broken garage" refers to the everyday soundscape of a malfunctioning garage door situated just beneath my former residence in The Hague. This acoustic reference provided both a conceptual and aural framework for the composition, connecting environmental sound memory with instrumental exploration.
In the lecture, I will discuss the creative process of transforming these recorded materials into spatialised structures within the WFS environment. Emphasis will be placed on the interaction between compositional intention and spatial perception, including approaches to distributing sounds across the loudspeaker array, creating immersive spatial textures, and exploring sound trajectories.
This presentation shares practical examples and reflections from the development of "broken garage," touching on some of the challenges encountered during the process. It also discusses how Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) can expand compositional practice and offer new perspectives for artistic exploration in spatial sound.