Kaffe Matthews‘ Sonic Bed :: Opening: September 11, 2008; 7:00 p.m. :: Jardins de Saint-Roch at the corner of the Rue De La Couronne and the Rue d Saint-Vallier East, Quebec :: Exhibition: September 12-20, 2008.

Sonic Bed v2 is a purposely built portable venue which plays music that moves for the prone bodies of an audience, who can come lie in the bed alone or together. The sounds for Sound Bed, v2 are by Magali Babin, John Oswald and Georges Azzaria. Sonic Bed is a sonic and social experiment exploring our perception of sound, presenting an oversized bed as a polished wooden tank with steps to climb up to get in it. Visitors are invited to remove their shoes and come lie on and enjoy specially constructed pieces moving up and down and around their bodies. Subtle, dynamic, at times beyond hearing, Sonic Bed plays music to feel rather than just listen to.

Sonic Bed is also an instrument, to be played by anyone who is interested as well as commissioned composers to make pieces for it using the specially developed software interface, built by and being developed in collaboration with David Muth through his research with Kaffe Matthews.

This interface enables the maker to literally draw and record sounds through the 12 channel sound system hidden under the mattress and side panels whilst lying in it ; meaning that 12 independent sources of sound can be playing and moving independently at any one time.

Sonic Bed_London was conceived and directed by Kaffe Matthews in 2002, realised in November 2005 and its success has spawned the ongoing Worldwide Bed Project. Sonic Bed_London is the original sonic bed, commissioned by Electra for Her Noise 2005, supported by the Arts Council of England and Women in Music. It is a central pin in music for bodies research and was awarded a Distinction in Digital Musics at Prix Ars Electronica, 2006.

The central aim of music for bodies is to make and present new and experimental music in public spaces and to explore and make other ways to experience it.

How do we perceive music ? How does the context in which we experience it affect our understanding ? Is musical atmosphere a function of time ? Can we stimulate our nervous systems directly with its frequencies so adjusting our experience of the environment void of linearity ? How can we listen ?

The sonic furniture Kaffe Matthews has made in the past is surprisingly successful in giving all kinds of people ways in to unfamiliar music. Ten years on and a practical understanding of space, sonic design and architecture through increasingly multi speaker playgrounds is developing this essentially collaborative research in the lab and the public.

Throughout there is a vital link to other practices and thought processes through quarterly meetings with a multidisciplinary Think Tank of professionals. Please contact Kaffe Matthews at info@musicforbodies.net — if you want to get involved in any way.