Research activities

IKO - Spatial Aesthetics

Bringing new dimensions to our spatial audio research and composition

Sound Reimagined

IKO is the most compact speaker system for Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) available in the world today.

It is unique in its relationships to sound materials and the compositional process. It brings the materiality of a site to life, and elicits powerful affect on listeners.

Highly relational in nature, it involves the sounds, the space, and the listeners in a way which no other system does.

There is no substitute for listening with the IKO. None.

The IKO emits highly directional sound beams in a full 360 degrees. These direct beams combine with reflected sound from the walls, ceiling and floor of a site, to create an exceptional spatial impression. In contrast to the usual ‘outside-in’ multichannel speaker systems, it is an ‘inside-out’ system. Dr Franz Zotter developed the first prototype of the icosahedral speaker in 2006 at the Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics (IEM), University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz, Austria. Originally it was intended to simulate the natural sound radiation of acoustic musical instruments.

The IKO has an ability to orchestrate unexpected confluences and stunning potentialities, which makes its presence at the Sound/Image Research Group exciting.  We are brining the IKO to new publics and spaces, those which extend beyond institutional norms and established practice.

Events

Spatial Audio Lab - Drop-in Lunchtime Listening Sessions

Drop-in sessions will take place twice a month from 13:00-13:45 on the following dates:

  • Wed 23 February 2022
  • Mon 7 March, Wed 23 March 2022
  • Mon 4 April, Wed 27 April 2022
  • Wed 25 May 2022

Venue:  KW006, King William Building, Greenwich Campus

The Sound-Image Research Group are holding lunchtime listening sessions, twice a month, to showcase our IKO icosahedral loudspeaker, one of only a handful worldwide. This speaker offers an exceptional spatial experience, with precision technologies and innovative design which use beam-formed direct and reflected sound. Evocatively, this brings to life the material properties of spaces and affects listeners profoundly. The collaborative and research potentials of the IKO are vast.

We are already working with the Royal Observatory Greenwich to explore their buildings and engage their audiences using the IKO. We have projects underway with partners in wellness, cultural heritage and beyond, and would like to hear from researchers who are interested in cross-disciplinary collaborative potentials which make use of the IKO’s incredible technological and aesthetic affordances. It’s a unique experience, and we invite you to come and find out for yourself - there is no substitute for listening!

Sessions take place in KW006 from 13:00-13:45. You will have the chance to meet our composers, as well as hear work-in-progress from our current artists-in-residence.

Please join us for a lunch break unlike any other.

Sound Meditations from the Future with the IKO

Date:  Thursday 25 November 2021, 6.30-8pm

Venue:  Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Stockwell Street

A 1.5-hour deep listening immersion with one of the most fascinating and technologically advanced speaker systems ever created. On the night you will also learn about the meditative benefits of spatial sound. Perfomed by Angela McArthur and Gerriet K Sharma.

This is a limited capacity invite-only event, however we will be releasing some tickets on a first come first serve basis.

Further information here.