Verbose

Carlos Bravo (Verbose) is the recipient of the 1st Call of the Matadero Centre for Artists in Residence for experimental electronic music projects in the city of Madrid.

Throughout the residency he will work on E.M.A. (Electromagnetic Musical Anhedonia), a multi-format project that spans two fields of work: scientific research and artistic creation.

“EMA, or specific musical anhedonia, is a neurological condition in which the individual is unable to enjoy or derive pleasure (positive stimuli) from listening to music.

What is the difference between the appreciation of a sound, noise or music? For someone suffering from EMA, none. For someone who does not suffer from the condition, the difference becomes an immense spectrum in which factors such as harmony and rhythm come into play.

The sound element being studied here is the background electromagnetic radiation in the Madrid environment. The public’s overall appreciation of the perception of electromagnetic sounds, which can vary between noise, pulsations, beeps or all of these at the same time, is considered to be similar to that of someone suffering from anhedonia, as he or she is unable to generate a positive stimulus to what they are perceiving.

E.M.A. offers the public the opportunity to enjoy something that is not generally considered to be music: background electromagnetic radiation, enhanced by another electromagnetic radiation phenomenon: light.

(Scientific research) The first part of the residency will involve the construction of different types of antennas to capture the sound of the background radiation (of both human and natural origin) within the environment of the capital. These 'anti-radios' will be used to carry out a catalogued study of the differences between urban and natural spaces. The unedited sound samples will be shared with the general public, under a CC BY-SA licence.

(Artistic creation) - Subsequently, these initially noise-based sound samples will be used to produce an EP of music (although not exclusively). Other musicians playing traditional acoustic instruments will also collaborate in the production, using invasive digital processing.

Light will also play an important role, thanks to a self-built 'pixel mapping' LED installation that will create a luminous space that responds to sound stimuli in real time, narrowing the barrier between light and sound. The installation will accompany the sound creation in future live formats, such as immersive installations or live audiovisual performances”.                            

Bio

Carlos Bravo (1991 Tui, Galicia) is an instrumentalist and a designer of sound, visuals and instruments (hardware). His work is based on the study and creation of and experimentation with light and sound from its source, using different techniques such as acoustics, field recording, modular synthesis and programmable digital environments. In his quest to combine organic sounds, glitches and lights that are performatively embedded in his mind, he had no alternative but to build his own instruments, a task facilitated by his university studies in Physics. Electronics and acoustics. Analogue and digital. Light and sound.

Verbose is the culmination of years of research and a process of refining the tools needed to sculpt a visual and sonic landscape, tools that communicate with each other.