Tactile Interactions

Tactile Interactions brings together textile artist Bec Kirby and sound artists Joda Foerster & Niklas Kramer for an exploration in tangibility and modularity across object and sound. The three artists were driven by a mutual intrigue as to how physicality transcends form, while form could be subtracted, manipulated, and synthesized into new manners all together.

Bec crafted hand-tufted wall hangings in a variety of abstract shapes that can be hung in an endless array of unique configurations. She recorded sounds from her studio, haptic swirls of noise driven by the materials and tools used to create the tuftings. The sounds fascinated Joda and Niklas, who later used these sounds as a source of inspiration in capturing the atmosphere of Bec’s working environment, while incorporating the field recordings into their own tracks.

Joda and Niklas further probed into the idea of a constantly changing listening experience, as if the tracks were sonic modules that could be enjoyed in a variety of ways and by means of different functionalities. The resulting modules are three extended tracks: “Tone,” “Texture,” and “Tone & Texture.” All three pieces can be played separately or simultaneously, across different starting points and with differing dynamics.

Side A’s “Tone” embraces lulling vibraphone and synthesizer loops and gives off an onyx-like sound: deep, inky waves that glide through the air. Meanwhile “Texture” on Side B creates microscopic tension. Tiny movements creak and splinter, while their physicality is deceptively perceptible, as if one can feel the elements whizzing by. For the third track, “Tone” and “Texture” are combined into one, the former mooring harmony to the piece, while the latter provides a flickering percussive layer.

Tactile Interactions is an invitation to join in the collaboration. Every cassette box comes with miniature versions of the wall hangings, allowing you to explore your own visual arrangement, while “Tone,” “Texture,” and “Tone & Texture” can be pieced together into new compositions. Join us in playing with the fibre of sound, the timbre of touch, the tactility of interaction.