Sandscape

The Sandscape app allows one to input using a mobile phone’s microphone, trigging sound compositions. It is recommended to use a headset with a built-in microphone. By rubbing or tapping on the microphone, sounds will be generated.

The interface consists of two circles, illustrating two stages of discovery. The top circle represents stage 1, named "Awakening, with the bottom circle being stage 2, named "Cooperation". One begins in the "Awakening" Stage, then continuing onto the "Cooperation" Stage. Following extended periods of inactivity within the "Cooperation" Stage, the participant will be returned to the paused mode or back to the "Awakening" Stage.

Within the "Awakening" Stage, different sounds are generated according to the type of shocks given the microphone. Lighter strokes to the microphone trigger "dry" sounds. They evoke the sand, the granular aspect, the crumbly materials, rubbing sounds. Recalling winter with sounds of snow, the ice lets itself will be heard. Still within Stage 1, loud beats trigger metallic sounds and resonances. These sounds were recorded using a microphone to capture the vibrations of metallic structures such as: lamp posts, poles, docks, bridges, etc.

Within Stage 2 "Cooperation", spheres appear following shocks to the microphone and are recognized as movement of water, which were recorded using a hydrophone along the banks of St. Lawrence River. These sound spheres have gravity, interacting with each other, colliding when they come in contact with each other, which will generate shorter sound pulses.

White and black spheres will be generated. The white spheres generate sounds when contacting other white spheres. The same thing for the black spheres. Contacts between white and black spheres generate longer sounds, referring to various Montreals soundscapes: the Port Symphonies, La Ronde, the Silophone (The User), the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and so on. Rotating squares serve to attract the spheres, according to their swinging motion.