Sound Study 01 — The First Sounding

This first sound study sits at the very beginning of the Oto Sui project, not as a finished composition, but as a way of feeling into what the work might become.

At this stage, it is less about structure and more about immersion, stepping into the sound and allowing it to unfold without forcing it into a defined form too early. It is, in many ways, a sounding board… a first attempt to understand what is there, and where it might lead.

Entering the Sound

The performance brings together piano processed through a Folktek Alter Y tape delay and the Folktek Resonant Garden for the soundscape.

The piano provides a loose tonal anchor, while the Resonant Garden introduces something more fluid and less predictable, a shifting layer of texture that sits alongside the piano rather than following it.

As the piece unfolds, it becomes less about notes and more about space, something that drifts, stretches, and occasionally settles before moving again. It begins to suggest a direction, but does not yet fully arrive.

The Nature of the Folktek Resonant Garden

At the centre of this study is the Folktek Resonant Garden, an electro-acoustic instrument that reveals itself slowly over time.

On first encounter, it can feel unpredictable, even harsh. Its tonal range carries a natural edge, and without careful control, it can quickly move into discordant territory.

But with familiarity, a different character begins to emerge. The instrument responds to gentle touch, to small, continuous adjustments rather than broad gestures. It rewards patience, precision, and a sensitivity to levels, where subtle shifts can significantly alter the resulting sound.

It invites interaction, but not force. Instead, it asks to be played with intention, to be guided rather than driven.

When approached in this way, the Resonant Garden opens into a far more nuanced and expressive space, capable of producing evolving textures that feel alive and responsive. When it also hears the piano as well as its own strings, it can just swell into an ethereal journey, with hints of what it is following.  

This study is an early step in understanding that relationship before I bring the third instrument into this project.

Keeping It Raw

The recording has been kept deliberately raw. It was captured directly from a Zoom LiveTrak L-6 into an iPhone, with only a small amount of reverb from the Zoom applied at the piano source before the signal passes through the Alter X tape delay.

This was a conscious decision.

The intention is to keep Oto Sui grounded in something performative, something that can exist live, in real space, rather than becoming overly refined or constructed in post-production.

What you hear here is essentially what was played.

Imperfection as Process

There are imperfections in this recording. There is a wrong note. There are moments where the sound lingers longer than it should, or where the energy dips.

But that is part of what this study is for. This is not the finished work; it is the process of moving toward it. A way of sitting inside the sound, understanding where it holds attention, and where it begins to drift.

At times, it may feel slow or unresolved,  but those moments are part of the learning.

What This Revealed

Watching and listening back, it becomes clear that the relationship between piano and evolving soundscape needs more intention.

At the moment, it drifts too freely between the two. What’s missing is a clearer sense of movement,  a way for the sound to travel between piano and soundscape in defined sections, rather than existing as a continuous field.

The next stage will begin to explore a more structured approach:

piano → soundscape movement 01
piano → soundscape movement 02
piano → soundscape movement 03

A series of movements, each with its own identity, but connected as part of a larger whole.

Expanding the Instrument

This study also points clearly toward the need for expansion.

The current setup suggests that a single Resonant Garden is not quite enough. The Folktek pedal worked well, but throughout the performance, there was a constant sense that another Resonant Garden was needed for more sonic flexibility and deeper conversation between elements.

Moving forward, the intention is to develop a three-instrument system, allowing the sound to stretch further, breathe more fully, and create a more immersive environment. Rather than working within a single evolving layer, the aim is to move between instruments, shaping the sound through interaction and dialogue.

A useful analogy here is that of a jazz trio. There is a push and pull within that structure, a responsiveness between players, and it’s this dynamic I want to bring into the soundscape. Not as a fixed composition, but as a living exchange between elements, bouncing off each other.

Alongside this, a new instrument is in development, the Nagra Cello — a tape-based system built around short recordings captured to reel-to-reel tape and played back manually through a tape head and effects chain.

This will introduce another layer of physical interaction with sound, further grounding the project in tactility and performance.

Technical Reflections

There were also elements that didn’t fully emerge as intended in this session.

In particular, the use of the Alter X palindrome delay, a technique used to create evolving reversed swooping textures, didn’t come through as expected, largely due to the filter not being set correctly. This is something that will be revisited and developed in the next study.

Looking Forward

Overall, this recording feels some distance from where the project needs to be. But that’s exactly where it should be.

This is the first sounding, a way of listening, adjusting, and beginning to shape the direction moving forward.

From here, the work will begin to develop more structure, more clarity, and a stronger relationship between its elements, moving gradually toward a sound that can extend beyond itself…

into water,
into light,
into image.

Hopefully!! :)