Full Spectrum | Anna Whitaker & Riley Towers
Full Spectrum was a one night collaboration between sound designer Anna Whitaker and visual artist Riley Towers. Whitaker’s electronic music was synced with the projected visuals of Towers to create a sole immersive experience. Standing together on a small stage covered in computer equipment, the two artists were surrounded by projections of kaleidoscopic images and 3D-audio. From their vantage point, Whitaker and Towers manipulated the sound and visual environment of the performance space with expertise. To me the night seemed to be a love letter to AV (audio visual) and the technical skill needed to create a cohesive performance.
Image: Cat Sorensen
Upon starting the performance Towers’ visuals took form, with distinguishable figures appearing on screen. The clips used were short snippets of human activity; a gymnast swinging, a model undressing, a camera lifted, two lovers embracing. Each video was looped over and over, reversed, slowed down, and drawn out. As Whitaker’s music swelled the audience saw an acrobat swing back and forth countless times. The visuals were distorted, filtered, and bitcrushed to add an electronic feel to the otherwise simple human activities shown. The manipulation of the footage felt both hallucinogenic and as if the data was being corrupted. With the electronic tones accompanying the visuals, the experience felt like a computer analysing footage, perhaps trying to understand human behaviour. This felt especially true when the footage of an individual raising their hands to hold another person's face was paired with softer almost violin-esque electronic music. Towers’ seems to have a great care for the small moments of life, a near obsessive nature emanating from her visuals. The repetitive nature of the visuals provoked greater analyses of the movement of the figures. As I watched a model undress over and over I started to notice the tiny details of her movement, the way her arm muscles flexed as she dropped her dress. I found myself looking for the connections between the music and the visuals, and trying to take in every small detail presented. The experience felt reflective, analytical, and introspective.
I regularly go to see experimental electronic performances, which acted as my main reference point for the immersive sounds of Whitaker. Unlike the often adlib nature of experimental music, Whitaker’s performance felt fully preconceived and even clinical in its execution. It was clear that every sound was chosen carefully and with precision. For me this built a sense of anticipation throughout the performance that complimented the pattern-recognition encouraged by the visuals. Recognisable bass lines were introduced and distorted, pulled apart and repeated in time with the looping visuals. Whitaker’s performance was segmented into clear sections, with some being more ethereal and others being more bass-driven. Looped and modulated vocals were added throughout the performance, featuring provoking lines such as, “Do you still miss me?”. Her questions added to the overall feeling of trying to understand humanity through the obfuscation of electronics. The music was enjoyable, clearly inspired by Whitaker’s genre taste but filtered through the lens of distortion. Some sections featured hip-hop influences, while others were more classically compositional. The balance of upbeat club-inspired music and ethereal soundscapes kept me engaged throughout. I do think more time could have been spent in transition, as some sections felt unrelated to what came before. But, the visuals made up for this with their repeating motifs. What made the performance especially unique was the expert pairing of music and visuals, layering and looping appeared across both in unison to create a holistic experience.
Image: Cat Sorensen
Full Spectrum was wholly unique, feeling like stepping into a hallucinogenic-fueled electronic music video or the dreams of a newly sentient AI. The combination of audio and visuals elevated the performance above a simple DJ set. As all great performances should, Whitaker and Tower evoked a greater reaction than I first expected. Both immersive and well-executed, Full Spectrum demonstrates the emotive power of deliberate audio visual choices.
