York Festival of Ideas: Comes in Waves

Event details

The sound piece Comes in Waves explores the fragile nature of human relationships through sound. Using a robotic piano, machine learning and ambisonic surround sound, the autonomous piece creates a rich soundscape across a body of water outside the Ron Cooke Hub, allowing listeners to walk around the lake and experience the evolving generative soundscape.

Join us and discover the installation by composer and sound engineer Ben Eyes of the University of York’s School of Arts and Creative Technologies.

Image credit: Ben Eyes

The York Festival of Ideas is an annual cultural and educational event held in York, UK, designed to inspire and engage the public through a wide range of free talks, performances, and interactive experiences. Launched in 2011 and organized by the University of York in collaboration with various partners, the festival brings together leading thinkers, artists, and innovators to explore ideas that shape our world, with a strong emphasis on accessibility, diversity, and lifelong learning.

About the performer

Ben Eyes is the Technical and Studio Manager for the University of York’s School of Arts and Creative Technologies and an award-winning composer and sound engineer. His work is typified by large, complex textures and sound collages using field recordings, heavily treated guitars, acoustic instruments and vintage analogue synthesisers. His performances combine video, immersive surround sound, live musicians and live audio manipulation. His interests lie in working outside the usual musical realms including collaborative work in dance, theatre, performance art and film. He won the award for Best Use of Sound at International Community for Auditory Display (ICAD) in 2017 for his composition Fiamignano Gorge based on data from the earthquake prone gorge in Italy. Ben has performed at festivals and concerts across Europe and the US and released music on record labels Time Released Sound (US), The Centrifuge and This Is Music.