Jörmungandr is an eight-channel interactive sound installation exploring the dynamics of interconnected systems. At its core, Jörmungandr is a matrix of homemade delay modules, connected to each other but with no external audio input. Each module delays and slightly amplifies every incoming signal, and the routing between each module is determined algorithmically over time by software.
The delay time of each module is the only other independent variable of Jörmungandr. Delay times are determined by the position of rotary knobs in front of each speaker with which audience members may interact. The combination of delay and amplification in the system means that when a feedback loop is created, any small electrical inconsistency between the modules or digital artifact from the circuit is amplified until audible, moving back and forth through the loop as it is delayed in each iteration. Even with no delay time changes, the sound continues to evolve through time, as the system routing is in constant flux.
The variable nature of the system results in a sonic bed that emerges unpredictably through the installation space in waves--sometimes at a slow gurgle, sometimes as a wash of noise, sometimes almost, but never quite, exploding.
This audio was recorded at various points during the installation period--between July 18 and August 4, 2013, at The Walden School in Dublin, NH. All tracks have been mixed down to stereo from the original 8-channel recordings
