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Alvin Lucier’s “I am sitting in a room” (1969)

 

The recording “I am sitting in a room” by Alvin Lucier plays with an again and again resumed sound/voice on tape. In the following I will try to showcase my thoughts during each replay. This will look now a bit experimental, as it is, but maybe it helps to understand what I thought while listening. My comments are the ones in blue.

Replay#1: I am sitting in a room different from the one you are in now. I am recording the sound of my speaking voice and I am going to play it back into the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech, with perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you will hear, then, are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech. I regard this activity not so much as a demonstration of a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might have. (- 01:36 min)

Replay#2: I am sitting in a room different from the one you are in now. I am recording the sound of my speaking voice and I am going to play it back into the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech, with perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you will hear, then, are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech. I regard this activity not so much as a demonstration of a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might have. (- 03:15 min) Here, the stutterers in the area of the “R” notes become more prominent.

Replay#3: I am sitting in a room different from the one you are in now. I am recording the sound of my speaking voice and I am going to play it back into the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech, with perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you will hear, then, are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech. I regard this activity not so much as a demonstration of a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might have. (- 04:44 min) “S” tones appear sharper, almost like a weak whistle.

Replay#4: I am sitting in a room different from the one you are in now. I am recording the sound of my speaking voice and I am going to play it back into the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech, with perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you will hear, then, are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech. I regard this activity not so much as a demonstration of a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might have. (- 06:16 min) Some words start to disappear and sound kind of mumble to me. Also, the overall sound changed more drastically from replay three to four than it did before. Some tones suddenly have an echo, which sounds similar to noise out of some of the first movies about aliens.

Replay#5: I am sitting in a room *waves of sound appear* different from the one you are in now. I am recording the sound of my speaking voice and I am going to play it back into the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech *the word speech is clearly identifiable*, with perhaps the exception of rhythm, “is destroyed” *“is destroyed” clearly recognizable*. What you will hear, then, are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech. I regard this activity *“this activity” also recognizable* not so much as a demonstration of a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might have. (- 07:46 min) Individual tones appear flatter. It seems like the tones start to align with each other. Also, it sounds as if there are some additional tones added which reverberate similar like a glass bottle in which someone blows would do.

Replay#6: I am sitting in a room *waves of sound appear* different from the one you are in now. I am recording the sound of my speaking voice and I am going to play it back into the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech, with perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you will hear, then, are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech. I regard this activity not so much as a demonstration of a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might have. (- 09:18 min) Now, I am not even sure if I would understand have the words if I wouldn’t be able to read them along. And, to be very honest Lucier’s voice almost sound like Harry Potter speaking parseltongue.

Replay#7: I am sitting in a room *waves of sound appear* different from the one *even higher tones* you are in now. I am recording the sound of my speaking voice *seems like the “I” tones appear as a higher whistle now* and I am going to play it back into the room again and again until the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of my speech with perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you will hear, then, are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech. I regard this activity not so much as a demonstration of a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might have. (- 10:44 min) For me, this starts to sound like only squeaking waves of tones and noise. The high-pitched ones make it now very unpleasant to listen to.

Replay#8: (- 12:20 min) Honestly, now I am really not able to understand anything anymore. I even missed the start of replay and retape eight. Just a lot of squeaks and whistle like sound – some people would call them noises and I am one of those people.

Replay#9 and going on: I am definitely not able to track the start of each replay anymore. Listening to this is not anymore just “unpleasant.” Really. I am thinking about turning it off and it isn’t over for another two minutes. It seems as everything else but the feedback of the microphone is now completely subtracted.

In the end only the unique acoustics of this particular room are left. And also, my ears don’t stop ringing.

 

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