Ahead of Innovation in Sound 2025, we chat with two of our third year Bristol students about their ambitious projects.
Our end of year showcase, Innovation in Sound is fast-approaching on Thursday 1st May at Loco Klub, and we wanted to give a sneak peek into the impressive projects that our third year students are producing.
This annual event is such an exciting time for us at dBs Institute and we’re constantly blown away by the imagination and technical skills on display.
In this first part of our coverage, we’re joined by final year BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production students Noah Park-Roesel and Sara Aquino, whose pieces explore generative music and the sense of belonging in fascinating ways.
Noah Park-Roesel - ‘Accumulation’
BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production
‘Accumulation’ is a generative music piece that is driven by chess moves performed by visitors to the exhibit. Where did the inspiration come from to use chess as the catalyst for the piece?
“The early inspiration mostly came from another student, actually. We were in a lesson discussing our ideas and I had nothing, or rather nothing that I was passionate about. She mentioned that she was going to use interactions with toys to generate sounds and initially I suggested she used chess as one of the toys.
“But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea; it felt like a complete and meaningful project. Not long after that session I had the idea for the theme to be ‘accumulation of decisions’ and chess is just perfect for that. It's also a game of logical sparring and of conflict through choice, so I thought it would be interesting to flip those aspects into a collaborative output that mirrored the conflict within each game.
“Another great thing about chess is that each game is completely unique. Because no two games are the same, I thought it would map perfectly to generative music as generative music thrives on unique data input and output. This also made it a great hook as people will leave having experienced a completely original ‘painting’ of their combined decisions.
What were some of the key technical processes involved in this project?
“The core model is made through a Max patch. This system takes the input of a move and translates it into the distance traveled (X+Y) and then adds that to the pitch of the corresponding note within a 16 bar sequence.
“Following this, a bassline is generated, randomly taking a note from the sequence every now and then and sticking with it. The patch largely works through generating MIDI to send off to Ableton.
“The real fun comes from the randomised parameter selection. Each move will change 1,2,3 or 4 parameters of the four elements. All this is then sent to Ableton where, in terms of sound design, the heavy lifting is really done.
“I'm far more comfortable within Ableton and as I wanted to spend as much time making the core system as complex and refined as possible, I opted to do the rest in Ableton.”
A short behind-the-scenes look at the Max patch Noah has created for 'Accumulated'
What was it about generative music that really appealed to you?
“I think it's the feeling of working super hard for hours, days, weeks and when you finally boot it all up, the creature you've fawned over springs into life. It's strange, you almost grow an attachment to it through all the hair-pulling frustration and happy little moments of success.
“Mostly though, I love how beautiful the compositions can be. I've listened to hours of my own generative work while working on it and I can safely say that the ambient quality of my work is a great study tool, it's so relaxing and never quite the same. The spontaneity of it all really gets me and is why I think I've stuck with it for the better part of a year.
What are you most looking forward to when exhibiting the project in May?
"The first thing that comes to mind is the feeling of it being finished [laughs]. I’ve put so much work into this project, I feel the time to let it go is approaching. But really the thing I am most excited for is watching other people experience the wonder that I have felt while creating it. Seeing people react to their moves changing something within the music is going to be absolutely brilliant."
Sara Aquino - ‘Where do I belong?’
BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production
‘Where do I belong?’ is a multi-channel work exploring the places that make you feel at home and those that don’t in both Bristol and your hometown in Italy. Where did the inspiration for the project come from?
“The inspiration for this project was the journey I have been through in these three years. I decided to move here, in Bristol, when I was 18. I didn’t even know anything about this city, nor about myself really, I only knew I wanted to make art.
“Whatever I was expecting, didn’t happen. I got here and felt even more lost than before.
I missed my hometown, but the thought of going back made me feel sick. I did like the freedom I had in Bristol, but I was still scared and lost.
“I started to doubt everything and felt like I made the wrong choices: I wasn’t made for making music and I was probably not made to live far from home. Everything felt completely wrong.
“‘Where do I belong?’ is a question that echoed in my head for two years. I still don’t know where I belong, but now I definitely know a bit more about myself and who I want to be.”
Can you talk us through what people will experience in ‘Where do I belong?’
“The audience will have a book with pictures taken in places that make me feel at home and those that don’t in both Bristol and my hometown in Italy. I want to create an experience in which the audience can connect with me and with each other, learning a bit about my story and feeling understood.
“Everyone has probably been through tough times and felt wrong, but it’s important to remember that everything will be OK in the end. I want it to be a ‘place’ where people can feel like they belong.”
What were some of the key technical processes involved in this project?
The final work will be composed of three main parts:
- Background: synth and modular. Soft sound will be coming out of all the speakers. The idea is to make it wide in order to create a bubble in which people will “enter”.
- Field recordings: the recordings will be taken in the same places as the pictures. Both in my hometown in Italy and Bristol.
- Max: to make my project interactive and in order to give the audience the chance to be part of it, I will have a camera on my book that will be connected to Max. This way, while people turn the pages, their movements will create a sound that will be part of the work.
Why did you choose to present this work as an 8.1 installation?
“I thought it could be the best way to recreate this experience. The audience will be surrounded by the music, so that they can really dive into it and be part of it.”
What are you most looking forward to when exhibiting the project in May?
“I can’t wait to see the reaction of the audience and see how my installation will be perceived from the outside. I’ve always been super interested in installations and I feel honoured to present my own. It feels unreal, but it’s happening.”
Innovation in Sound 2025 is a one-day free showcase taking place at
Loco Klub on Thursday 1st May, 1pm - 11pm.
To check out Noah and Sara’s projects in-person and many others, visit Headfirst to secure your free tickets.
