EXPLORING SONIC MATERIALISM WITH MO H. ZAREEI

 

musician and sound artist mo h. zareei has created an 8-step electromechanical sequencer to highlight the physical materiality of sound and sound production. the work re-investigates one of the most elemental tools of electronic music production — an 8-step rhythmic sequence — by taking the sequencing process outside the black box and into the acoustic realm, flaunting its materiality and physicality. the sound sculpture is called ‘material sequencer’ and it’s powered by a simple USB.

exploring sonic materialism through an electromechanical sound sculpture 1
material sequencer (wood edition)

images courtesy of mo h. zareei

 

 

zareei presents all the interface components on a fully exposed, custom-designed circuit board, where the sound-generating mechanism is reduced to solenoid percussion in its most basic form. different rhythmic patterns can be entered using a small 8-position dip switch and an onboard dial can be used to change the tempo. using a microcontroller, the patterns are converted into a series of electrical impulses that are then used to actuate the solenoid, which in turn strikes a block of solid matter, making audible clicks. zareei has utilized five different materials for the project: aluminum, copper, wood, steel, and brass.

exploring sonic materialism through an electromechanical sound sculpture 2
material sequencer (steel edition)

 

 

SOUND-BASED BRUTALISM

 

the material sequencer project stems from an ongoing body of work that zareei has been developing over the past few years, with the aim of realizing brutalist principles within sound-based art. through this exploration, brutalism is employed as a frame of reference for sound-based art practices that embrace the materiality of their ‘anti-beautiful’ materials in sonic — and often audiovisual — forms, through a highly ordered, organized, and often quantized mode of expression.

 

mo h. zareei’s sound-based brutalism presents a reductionist celebration of unadorned raw material through rigorous functionalism, where basic sound-generating units and objects replace the concrete and other raw materials of brutalist architecture.

 

limited editions of the material sequencer are available via leerraum.net.

 

exploring sonic materialism through an electromechanical sound sculpture 4
material sequencer (brass edition)

exploring sonic materialism through an electromechanical sound sculpture 3
material sequencer (copper edition)

exploring sonic materialism through an electromechanical sound sculpture 5
material sequencer (aluminum edition)

exploring sonic materialism through an electromechanical sound sculpture 6
material sequencer (printed circuit board)

 

 

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material blocks: aluminum, copper, wood, steel, brass
material blocks: aluminum, copper, wood, steel, brass
material block: aluminum
material block: aluminum
material block: copper
material block: copper
material block: wood
material block: wood
material block: steel
material block: steel
material block: brass
material block: brass

project info:

 

name: material sequencer
artist: mo h. zareei

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lynne myers | designboom