Silence
Narrative Arc & Experimental Electronics
Silence draws its inspiration from the eerie quiet during the pandemic lockdowns. As the bustle of human voices vanished, the street was stripped down to traffic hums, construction noise, wind, rain, and the sounds of nature. Using this stark auditory memory as a foundation, I combined experimental synthesis with urban field recordings to establish the work’s sonic backdrop, reflecting modern urban isolation under sudden paralysis. Spanning over 40 minutes, the score traces an emotional trajectory from cold detachment to renewal: beginning with dry, mechanical signals, acoustic instruments, rich synthesizers, and layered soundscapes gradually enter to expand the space. In the final movement, warm piano melodies and environmental textures emerge, concluding the dance on an organic, hopeful note. This transition reflects society awakening from stagnation, embodying how people, despite disruption and trauma, inevitably find a path forward.
Wearable Tracking & Live Performance
Alongside composition, I engineered an interactive tracking system for Body EDT Dance Company. Dancers wore HTC Vive Trackers to capture live movement data, which was processed in Unity, streamed via OSC protocols, and calculated in Max/MSP to translate speed and displacement directly into musical parameters. Here, the body was no longer driven by the score, but actively generated the sound. Outside the algorithmic processing, I performed live on acoustic drums, engaging in real-time dialogue with the dancers on stage. Contemporary dance relies on breath and spontaneous presence, defying rigid tempos or pre-recorded audio. Keeping the instrumentation live allowed the music to adapt organically to each moment, imbuing every staging with unscripted vitality.
Credits
Client
Body EDT Dance Company
Interactive Sound Design
DC Tu
Sound Design
DC Tu