Arecibo

Performances:

Arecibo Cover Art

In three movements, this piece explores the substance of the Arecibo message, broadcast to a nearby star cluster in 1974. Being derived from just two sonic renditions of said communication attempt, it seizes the essence of the included information about humanity and transforms it into a playful dance of acousmatic entities.

Movement 1 is a more verbatim translation of the message into sound space. The used sample is folded back upon itself using parameters derived from analyzing it to resynthesize it.

Movement 2 captures the moment as the signal is being dispersed into outer space. Reflections and interferences interweave until the broadcast reaches its destination in distorted form.

Movement 3 speculates about how an answer from a space faring race could sound. The message is repurposed in joyful ways and knotted into complex patterns. The question whether the answer can be decoded again is left open.