SONIC TWISTER
SONIC LANGUAGE:
The sonic language is built from real multitrack recording open-source samples — each button triggers a unique element of a song (here, top melody, back melody, chords and beat). The participant must find the correct combination to reconstruct all of the three hidden full tracks respectively. Correct sequences produce a ‘correct’ sound effect and harmonized result, while incorrect presses trigger a ‘wrong’ sound effect as well as automatically delaying the correct composition and thus little by little creating an intentionally degraded and corrupted musical experience.
INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE & SYSTEM BEHAVIOUR:
The user interacts with four rows of buttons (one per column). Pressing a button selects a sound. If the combination matches a valid musical track, the sound continues unaltered, and the user can move on. If incorrect, the system will play a ‘wrong’ sound effect and will re-scramble the sound assignments of each circle in that row, while adding a significant amount of reverb to the overall sound composition over time. This prevents elimination process attempts and reinforces attentive listening, forcing the participant to rely on memory and ear rather than logic alone, as well as their own body capacities (to not let go of the ‘right’ compositions they may have found so far).
SONIC TWISTER IS A PSYCHEDELIC, SONIC REINTERPRETATION OF THE CLASSIC GAME TWISTER. THE CONCEPT BLENDS PHYSICAL INTERACTION WITH SOUND COMPOSITION, WHERE USERS MUST DISCOVER CORRECT MUSICAL COMBINATIONS BY PRESSING COLORED CIRCLES ARRANGED IN COLUMNS. UNLIKE THE TRADITIONAL GAME, EACH COLUMN CORRESPONDS TO A FIXED LIMB AND CONTAINS MULTIPLE BUTTONS REPRESENTING DIFFERENT SOUND ELEMENTS. THE AIM IS TO FIND THE CORRECT COMBINATION OF BUTTONS (ONE PER COLUMN) THAT FORM A COMPLETE, COHERENT MUSICAL PHRASE, BEFORE THE SOUND BECOMES FULLY CORRUPTED.
USE OF SPACE:
The project uses a quadraphonic speaker setup to create a disorienting and immersive audio environment. All sounds are spatially randomized across the four speakers - this unpredictability is a key design choice that amplifies the psychedelic and chaotic nature of the work. By removing spatial stability, the experience becomes more overwhelming, forcing participants to rely on their ears while staying in a heightened state of alertness. The central positioning of the participant makes the experience feel intense and isolating, similar to being in the spotlight of a game show where sensory overload becomes part of the challenge.
sonic-twister_process-book.pdf