Sun Boxes (now with Kickstarter)

[wdinc01]

There is a sound art installation at my school right now called Sun Boxes. Its an array of twenty speakers that, together, play a Bb6 chord. Each speaker puts out a different tone, and have a solar panel that powers them. Its an insanely cool piece, and I don't know if I've seen so many people hang out where its set up at. More importantly, people who aren't just art students are enjoying it, which is awesome.

Here's the website: http://www.sun-boxes.com/blog/

The artist said he's going to SXSW next, so if any of you cool dudes plan on going, check him out. I think he said he's going to be at Uncorked on either Sunday or Monday at the end of the festival.

Oh and he has vinyl for sale. Vinyl, guys! VINYL!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sun ... tate-parks

[spacelordmother]

That is beautiful.

Stuff like this blows my mind.

[proroby]

That's awesome.

[behndy]

neaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

[kbit]

Dig the concept and sounds a lot.
I think it'd be cool to see a different aesthetic approach with the boxes, too.

[wdinc01]

What do you mean by that? How would you do it differently?

[kbit]

I think something that looked more ambiguous would be cool. I think the basic structure is fine, but if the box was taller and angled at the top so the solar panel would be flush with the whole thing rather than sticking out. Then make the whole thing a flat black or something. The way they are constructed you could easily say "oh ok, there's a box that houses the speaker and whatever circuitry which is powered by the solar panel." Like it's easy to see what's going on.

& that's not a bad thing, but if it were designed more ambiguously I think it would be more interesting, like "what the fuck are the things?"

Personal opinion, of course. I really tend to favor ambiguity as an aesthetic, so yeah.
It's still a really cool instillation.

[Achtane]

Like a monolith?

[kbit]

Yeeeeaaah. Except small & symmetrical.
Or asymmetrical if you wanna get really into it.
I like monoliths and dreaming of a barren and vast world with nothing around except a huge, detail-less structure to break the horizon.

[wdinc01]

Craig just shared this with me:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sun ... tate-parks

If any of our brethren live in Vermont, I highly highly HIGHLY encourage you all to check it out if this project goes through. And if anyone else can contribute that'd be cool. Honestly, I think its worth it just for a field recording. Its better than those sound machines that just have waves or whatever. This is actually relaxing.

[skullservant]

Really have been interested in these boxes ever since they came out. They seem so soothing and something that would just make you happy being around

[wdinc01]

Its amazing what they're capable of doing. When they were at my school I showed them to people who weren't into art at all, and didn't understand what I was saying when I tried to explain it to them. But the second they stepped on the lawn that the boxes were set up at, they were completely relaxed.

[phantasmagorovich]

Shit, it's really tempting to donate 2,5k and have him come over with those things.

Is it tape loops? Because then they would/could go slower once the sun goes away and sunset would be it all coming to a halt. That'd be awesome.

[wdinc01]

No, there's circuits inside each of the boxes that run a recording of him playing each of the notes on a guitar. Each recording varies in length, so there's some motion in the sounds you hear. Its very cerebral. They do get quieter when the sun is blocked, and if you have it set up just right then when the sun goes down they will all stop at once. I didn't get to see that happen but it sounds awesome.

[JamesHommersen]

This is a very cool idea, love stuff like this.