Vocal Cords
Vocal Cords (Oct 2024)
The inaugural issue of High Pitch Magazine delves into voice as technology—a fundamental tool intertwined with the body yet extending beyond it. As voice becomes our central sonic attribute, we engage with artists, curators, and theorists who think through listening and reexamine what voice is and does. Voice, as a matter of interest, has gained traction in recent years, not least because of its significance for computing and human-machine interaction. As speech technology evolves, AI developers shape how machines sound, and voice-synthesizing algorithms create eerily accurate deepfakes. These innovations extend questions around ownership, authenticity, and identity, echoing longstanding concerns about how we perceive and define voice. While some of our contributors examine the intersection of voice and computing technologies, others explore our hearing culture’s limitations, how listeners produce what they hear, the regulation of voice throughout history, or the underlying implications of ‘giving voice.’ The featured contributions include essay excerpts, exhibition reviews, conversations and interviews, personal reflections, audio tracks, and a performance score. Just as the “engaged voice must never be fixed and absolute, but always changing, always evolving in dialogue with a world beyond itself” (bell hooks), this issue will grow over time, acting as a repository for stories and critical inquiries as we continue to collect them.
- Giovanna ManzottiAndante Con MotoLiliana Moro at PAC Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea in Milan
- Ramona PonziniThe Sound of WaterYuko Mohri and the Reconfiguration of Liquidity in “Compose”
- Johanna HardtThe Machine MonologsEli Cortiñas at Fotografiska in Berlin
- Nina Sun Eidsheim“It’s Intimate, and It’s Not Mine…”Talking About Sound with Camille Norment
- Bernardo Follini, Diana AnselmoAudism and the Origins of CinemaConversation between Bernardo Follini and Diana Anselmo
- Alex Borkowski Vocal Aesthetics, AI ImaginariesReconfiguring Smart Interfaces
- Giulia DevalSome Margin Notes on “PITCH”A Performance Lecture on Vocal Intonation
- Anna Bromley, Caterina GobbiListening NearbyConversation between Anna Bromley and Caterina Gobbi
- Luïza Luz, Johanna HardtMusic for Wild AngelsConversation between Luïza Luz and Johanna Hardt
- Amina Abbas-Nazari, High PitchHow Voice is Seen by AIConversation with Amina Abbas-Nazari
- Jessica FeldmanWhat Happens to the Speaking Subject When the Listener is a Computer?Affective Computing of the Speaking Voice
- Esther Ferrer, Elena BisernaI’ll Tell You About My LifeA Score by Esther Ferrer
- Giulia ZompaTalk ShopHanne Lippard at Settantaventidue in Milan