Mark Fell is set to premiere 7 Facts In Logical Space—his new multi-channel project for Lampo and the Chicago Architecture Biennial. The piece features 24 speakers positioned around Preston Bradley Hall, placing electronic sound in dialogue with the acoustic and architectural space.

Conceived as a sonic framework for the Chicago-based bassoonist and improviser Katherine Young, the piece develops Fell’s concern with the spatial distribution of synthetic sound in response to the architectural environment and the interplay of geometries. Fell describes 7 Facts In Logical Space in terms of the relationships between shapes and textures, between the oblique network of synthetic lines and the visceral, organic pacing of Young’s turbulent acoustic timbres.

In contrast to many spatial pieces, the work does not employ any surround-sound systems to create the appearance of sonic movement around the space and audience. The UK composer uses “concrete” approaches to the treatment of sonic and musical space that reject illusion and decoration in favor of the objective presence of material form.

Mark Fell (born 1966, Rotherham, England) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Sheffield, England. After studying experimental film and video art at the local polytechnic, he reverted to earlier interests in computational technology, music, and synthetic sound. In 1998 he began a series of critically acclaimed record releases on labels including Mille Plateaux, Editions Mego, and Raster Noton. Fell is widely known for exploring the relationships between popular music styles, such as electronica and club music, and typically academic approaches to computer-based composition with a particular emphasis on algorithmic and mathematical systems. Since his early electronic music pieces, Fell’s practice has expanded to include moving image works, sound and light installation, choreography, critical texts, curatorial projects and educational activities. He last appeared at Lampo in November 2013, when he premiered One Dimensional Music without Context and Meaning.

The event will take place on September 29, with more information here.

Presented in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Biennial