Abstract:
The identity of a bang is not a solidified concept. One may think they know what the sound of a bang is, but does one really? This sonic gallery challenges one’s conceptual understanding of the sound "bang," exploring its layers, implications, and interpretations.
This work draws inspiration from Christoph Cox’s Sonic Flux: Sound, Art, and Metaphysics and Seth Kim-Cohen’s In the Blink of an Ear: Toward a Non-Cochlear Sound Art. It seeks to provoke philosophical inquiry into sensory perception, phenomena versus noumena, and the relativity of language. The term "bang" is used as a general descriptor, encompassing volume, duration, pitch, the materials producing the sounds, and timbre. However, its connotations are multifaceted, extending beyond sound to cultural, emotional, and metaphorical dimensions.
The composition includes sounds that may initially seem to qualify as "bangs"—glass breaking, wood striking, a microwave door slamming shut—but also challenges the boundaries of this definition. Perception of sound is inherently subjective; what one person identifies as a "bang," another might dispute. Consider how a knock on a desk sounds differently when perceived from a distance versus with one’s ear against the desk.
Traditionally understood as brief and impactful, the act of creating a sustained sonic exploration of bangs inherently invites scrutiny. Why stretch something so short-lived into an extended experience? This extended duration of bangs through the context of this sonic gallery examines the contrast between the fleeting nature of a bang and the sustained engagement required to reflect on its implications. It also provokes questions about the context and "afterwards" of a bang—the reverberations, silence, or consequences that follow. This work extends to showcase the context of which bangs occur in this presentation of auditory cinema. Different “bangs” have different connotations depending on the environment they occur in.
Cultural context further expands the meaning of "bang." It is difficult to separate the term from associations with gunshots, explosions, or violence—manifestations of human suffering and destruction. Language itself complicates the term. "Bang" serves as onomatopoeia, slang, and a programming term (e.g., "bang" in Max/MSP signifies "on"). In some contexts, it implies intensity, as in “a banging good time.” Each usage underscores the term's elasticity, pointing to the interplay between sound, meaning, and context.
This piece explores these intersections through the intentional manipulation of sonic qualities. Recorded bangs—produced using cardboard, milk jugs, glass pitchers, a snare drum, and more—are transformed with effects to alter their primary qualities, stripping them of their material identities. Merriam-Webster defines a bang as "to strike sharply," yet when stripped of its defining material qualities, is it still a bang? Or has it become something else entirely? Bang also embraces the idea that sound relies on spatial and temporal context. Presented through speakers or headphones, these bangs become mediated representations of the original sounds, detached from their physical origins. In addition, silence also serves as an instrument, framing the bangs and providing moments for reflection.
Finally, this work seeks to explore what lies beyond the bang. One should ask themselves: Does the transformation of a bang into something abstract or metaphorical point to an inherent human bias of fantasy of control, detachment, or reinterpretation? Or does it reveal our inability to fully encapsulate such a visceral, multifaceted concept within the confines of language, sound, or art? The inclusion of atmospheric sounds allow the listener to gain context of where a bang occurs with the juxtaposition with bangs recorded without that background auditory context information. If a tree falls in the middle of the forest, does it make a sound? Yes, but the interpretation of that sound—whether a bang, a crash, or something else—ultimately depends on human perception, language, and the cultural contexts in which we live.