Halo

At the heart of my practice lies an obsession with sound. Following in a tradition of sound-artists and composers such as Max Neuhaus and R. Murray Schafer, my work centers around the belief that in today’s visually driven society we must pay closer attention to the impact and importance aural environments play in our lives.

‘Halo’ is the first of a series of immersive object oriented sound pieces that question the role of visual aesthetics in the luring towards sound experiences. Fitted with a 4 channel sound system in the bonnet of a salon hair-drying chair, ‘Halo’ employs ambisonic techniques and technologies in an attempt at diffusing three dimensional sound to the listener. I will speak of the accomplishments of this research, while also sharing some of the setbacks and challenges of diffusing sound in space.

Philippe Battikha is a Montreal based musician, composer, sound-artist, and community organizer. From live performances and recordings, to sound installations and film scores, his work is embedded with a certain fragility and introspection that is at once inviting yet unsettling. His most recent work Sub· text, was presented at the Musée National des Beaux-Arts de Québec (MNBAQ) as part of a group show that explored the new Pierre Lassonde pavilion’s architecture. http://philippebattikha.com/