Microcosms by Jake Mehew

This record exists as a means of artistically capturing and presenting sonic material that exists outside of the human experience, and make musical the invisible. In 2020 I was diagnosed with farsightedness, which until that point had gone undetected my entire life. In re-examining the visual world around me, I began to wonder if there were also sounds with musical potential that existed in our day-to-day lives, that through no fault of our own we are completely oblivious to.

What the audience is presented with in this record is the culmination of nine months of captured field recordings, using traditional microphones, and electromagnetic field receivers. Radio broadcasts, amplifiers, televisions, generators; emissions became musical material once appropriate technology was implemented for examination. These samples were organised according to their musical potential, which then became the impetus for composition. This record is a collection of sound design, electronica, and ambient soundscapes, all created through modular sequencing and arrangement. Microcosms originally existed as quadraphonic recordings, which were then brought into MONOM Berlin, and formatted for their 48:9 soundsystem using 4DSOUND spatial audio software. This work is presented to you in a binaural format; the record is intended to be listened to with stereo headphones. What you are experiencing through listening is an auditory illusion, positioning you within the centre of a cube array of 57 speakers. Sounds appear omnidirectionally from the listening position, with 360° of movement potential.

As an electronic artist, Jake skillfully integrates modular tech, generative visuals, and spatial sound in varied setups for live shows. Rooted in improvisation, his performances create unique sonic landscapes, invoking sensations of flow, ecstasy, and trance through expert use of polyrhythms, timbre, and repetition.

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