{"id":14,"date":"2024-11-13T11:40:28","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T11:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/?p=14"},"modified":"2026-03-21T05:32:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T05:32:05","slug":"stairway-to-helheim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/stairway-to-helheim\/","title":{"rendered":"Stairway to Helheim"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stairway to Helheim is an eight-channel sound installation sonifying 138 years of Hong Kong weather into a 47-minute experience. The piece uses an extensive bank of custom \u2018sound objects\u2019 distributed across eight channels. Four data streams (precipitation, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and sea level) are mapped to audio synthesis parameters. For instance, temperature drives cross-synthesis of samples with sawtooth chords, creating an undulating timbral rhythm reflecting the seasons; sea level shapes tonality, driving long-term change towards increased dissonance; precipitation informs loudness and object selection; and \u2018crashing\u2019 sounds indicate heat spells. Data preprocessing in R, synthesis in Max.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Commissioned by ArtScience Museum, Singapore, 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Stairway to Helheim\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/645495067?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"317\" height=\"178\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exhibitions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Juried selection for <em>International Computer Music Conference<\/em>, Hanyang University Museum, Seoul, Korea, 7-13 July 2024 (physical loudspeaker installation in a staircase).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/soundlab.scm.cityu.edu.hk\/research-visit-to-cuc-beijing\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/soundlab.scm.cityu.edu.hk\/2023\/12\/07\/research-visit-to-cuc-beijing\/\">SoundLab Concert<\/a> at <em>China Communication University<\/em> \u4e2d\u56fd\u4f20\u5a92\u5927\u5b66, 27 November 2023 (3D Ambisonics concert version).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dat-act.scm.cityu.edu.hk\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/dat-act.scm.cityu.edu.hk\/\">DAT\/ACT online exhibition<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/soundlab.scm.cityu.edu.hk\/daca\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/soundlab.scm.cityu.edu.hk\/daca\/\">DACA, <em>Data Art for Climate Action<\/em><\/a>, Hong Kong, February-March 2022 (online binaural version).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commission from ArtScience Museum, Singapore, at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinabaysands.com\/museum\/events\/special-event-soundislands-resound.html\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.marinabaysands.com\/museum\/events\/special-event-soundislands-resound.html\">Soundislands Exhibition &#8216;Re:Sound&#8217;<\/a>, 11-23 November 2021 (physical loudspeaker installation in a large staircase).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Publications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lindborg PM (2022\/02). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/372550677_Stairway_to_Helheim\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/372550677_Stairway_to_Helheim\">\u201cStairway to Helheim\u201d.<\/a> <em>Proceedings of the Conference on Data Art for Climate Action (DACA)<\/em>, Hong Kong &amp; Graz, Austria, 23-27 February 2022. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lindborg PM (2021\/11). <em>Stairway to Helheim.<\/em> Eight-channel site-specific, physical loudspeaker installation: a sonification of 138 years of weather data from Hong Kong [<a href=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/stairway-to-helheim\/\">website<\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Stairway to Helheim<\/em> is a 47-minute electroacoustic music composition entirely made with techniques of automatic data sonification. It is a unique work of its kind, creating a large auditory display of Hong Kong&#8217;s weather history. The work pursues my sonification installation works e.g. <em>Locust Wrath<\/em> (2013), <em>LW24<\/em> (2014), <em>LWiOS<\/em> (2015), Pacific Belltower (2017), <em>Loki&#8217;s Pain<\/em> (2020), and empirical research on sonification, especially <a href=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/climate-data-sonification-and-visualisation\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"40\">climate data<\/a>. It explores environmental data and represents it as sound in a radically new spatial context. <em>Stairway to Helheim<\/em> is a work commissioned by the <strong>ArtScience Museum in Singapore<\/strong>, a flagship institution in South-East Asia that is internationally renowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The design combines elements that I have been preoccupied with over several years, namely data sonification (of meteorological records), audio programming (cross-synthesis between own samples and unit generators in Max 8), sound spatialisation (8+1 channels), and site-specific loudspeaker installation in acoustically rich and challenging environments. The poetics of the work is also in line with my investigations of perception Setting the experience of an &#8216;audio journey through history&#8217; as a rather long walk up through a winding staircase echoes classic examples of artists striving against the elements, climbing mountains both physical (like Petrarca did) and metaphorical (think about Spinoza&#8217;s dreams, Fuch&#8217;s Gradus ad Parnassum,\u2026), as well as my earlier piece <em>Kyager <\/em>(2021), which deals with the topics of meaning-creation and artistic ambition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The data for the piece are weather records over 138 years between January 1884 and September 2021, graciously provided by Hong Kong Observatory. A total of 1654 rows of monthly data were rendered to disk (47 min 27 sec, 44.1 kHz 24 bits 8 ch AIF). All data analysis and pre-processing (e.g. Box-Cox transformations) were made in R Studio. The weather records include daily rainfall and temperature, as well as monthly counts of \u2018hot nights\u2019 and \u2018hot days\u2019, and measurement of the sea level in Victoria Harbour. In the autumatic sonification, &#8216;hot nights&#8217; are linked to recordings of objects crashing together, and &#8216;hot days&#8217; are linked to samples of objects falling onto the hard ground.  Then, the amount of rainfall is linked to the size and loudness of &#8216;bouncing ball&#8217; samples, while temperature is linked to the amount of cross-synthesis in the mix of individual samples. By listening to how &#8216;electronic&#8217; or how &#8216;concrete&#8217; the sounds are at any given moment, we can understand what the temperature was in the corresponding period of time. Once the listener hears and understands this, it is easy to follow the seasonal shifts as the music goes along, as well as a generally more &#8216;electronic&#8217; sonic texture over the course of the piece. The latter indicates that temperatures have been rising since the 1800s. Finally, the sea water level is mapped onto the fundamental frequency of the music, and thus the more or less harmonic &#8216;chords&#8217; that are generated. Since this weather record moves more slowly and is only available from the 1950s, we perceive it as a series of modulations that kick in from the half-way point of the piece. Towards the end of <em>Stairway to Helheim<\/em>, the harmonic context is tightly wound, and there are more and more &#8216;crashing objects&#8217; with a synthetic, electronic character. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sonification strategy has developed over several years; see the <a href=\"https:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/leon\/article-abstract\/51\/5\/466\/46568\/Interactive-Sonification-of-Weather-Data-for-The?redirectedFrom=fulltext\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/direct.mit.edu\/leon\/article-abstract\/51\/5\/466\/46568\/Interactive-Sonification-of-Weather-Data-for-The?redirectedFrom=fulltext\">Leonardo<\/a> article and extended discussions in our articles for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.1020102\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.1020102\">Frontiers in Human-Media Interaction<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/aes2.org\/publications\/elibrary-page\/?id=22710\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/aes2.org\/publications\/elibrary-page\/?id=22710\">Journal of the Audio Engineering Society<\/a>, and ICAD proceedings paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lindborg PM, Caiola V, Chen M, Ciuccarelli P, Lenzi S (2024\/09). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/aes2.org\/publications\/elibrary-page\/?id=22710\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/aes2.org\/publications\/elibrary-page\/?id=22710\">Re(de)fining Sonification: Project Classification Strategies in the Data Sonification Archive<\/a>\u201d. Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. DOI https:\/\/10.17743\/jaes.2022.0167<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lindborg, PM, Lenzi S &amp; Chen M (2023\/01). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.1020102\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.1020102\">\u201cClimate Data Sonification and Visualisation: An Analysis of Aesthetics, Characteristics, and Topics in 32 Recent Projects\u201d<\/a>. <em>Frontiers in Psychology, section Human-Media Interaction<\/em>. doi: 10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.1020102.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lindborg PM (2018, Oct.). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/284180417_Interactive_Sonification_of_Weather_Data_for_The_Locust_Wrath_a_Multimedia_Dance_Performance\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/284180417_Interactive_Sonification_of_Weather_Data_for_The_Locust_Wrath_a_Multimedia_Dance_Performance\">Interactive Sonification of Weather Data for The Locust Wrath, a Multimedia Dance Performance<\/a>\u201d. <em>Leonardo<\/em>, MIT Press. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/LEON_a_01339\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1162\/LEON_a_01339<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recording the source materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To create the custom-made sample library, I engaged two SCM students, Manni Chen and Daye Yoon, as assistants for an extensive sound-object recording session at SoundLab, using chairs, bottles, balls, and compact discs. Post-recording edits were made in Logic Pro and then subjected to cross-synthesis and other digital audio transformations using a custom program in Max.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lindborg 2021 Sound object action recordings for Stairway to Helheim\" width=\"317\" height=\"178\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8XanI1YKqz4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"603\" src=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-1024x603.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-1024x603.png 1024w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-300x177.png 300w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-768x452.png 768w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-1536x905.png 1536w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-2048x1207.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" data-id=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/movie-s2h-still_small-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-16\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/movie-s2h-still_small-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/movie-s2h-still_small-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/movie-s2h-still_small-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/movie-s2h-still_small.png 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"603\" data-id=\"17\" src=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-1024x603.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-1024x603.png 1024w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-300x177.png 300w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-768x452.png 768w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-1536x905.png 1536w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-patcher-screenshot-2048x1207.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"785\" height=\"371\" data-id=\"124\" src=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-diskslide.PCT_-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-diskslide.PCT_-1.jpg 785w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-diskslide.PCT_-1-300x142.jpg 300w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/s2h-diskslide.PCT_-1-768x363.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 785px) 100vw, 785px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"780\" data-id=\"123\" src=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/HKO-data-screenshot-1024x780.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/HKO-data-screenshot-1024x780.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/HKO-data-screenshot-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/HKO-data-screenshot-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/HKO-data-screenshot.jpg 1526w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"762\" data-id=\"122\" src=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Helheim-synth-screenshot-1024x762.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Helheim-synth-screenshot-1024x762.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Helheim-synth-screenshot-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Helheim-synth-screenshot-768x572.jpg 768w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Helheim-synth-screenshot-1536x1143.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Helheim-synth-screenshot-2048x1524.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Poetic introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(This is a poetic contextualisation for general audiences.) <em>In Norse mythology, Helheim is the lowest part of the afterworld, the world of the dead. It is ruled by the goddess of death, Hel, a daughter of Loki. As visitors tread up the staircase, they are met with sonic objects splashing down &#8211; obscenely bouncing yoga balls, a hundred tennis balls, a thousand ping pong balls, crashing CDs. The cascade seemingly never-ending, visitors will nevertheless eventually reach the top floor. Released from struggle, they float serenely into the calm of the top level \u2013 is it Parnassum, Helheim, or Purgatory? Or is it another test altogether?<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Credit-Ossian-Elgstrom-Yggdrasil-Ragnarok-Viking-Gods-Of-Asgard-ca-1930-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Credit-Ossian-Elgstrom-Yggdrasil-Ragnarok-Viking-Gods-Of-Asgard-ca-1930-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Credit-Ossian-Elgstrom-Yggdrasil-Ragnarok-Viking-Gods-Of-Asgard-ca-1930-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Credit-Ossian-Elgstrom-Yggdrasil-Ragnarok-Viking-Gods-Of-Asgard-ca-1930.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a personal level, I have for a long time been inspired by history, including norse mythology through books and paintings by my great-grandfather, Ossian Elgstro\u0308m. Above is a photo of his <em>Yggdrasil, Ragnaro\u0308k, &amp; Viking Gods Of Asgard<\/em> (ca 1930), depicting Oden&#8217;s ascent to wisdom through steps of warfare, hedonism, and ascetism, echoing the journey of the Bodhisattva.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stairway to Helheim is an eight-channel sound installation sonifying 138 years of Hong Kong weather into a 47-minute experience. The piece uses an extensive bank of custom \u2018sound objects\u2019 distributed&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,30,5],"tags":[32,33,31],"class_list":["post-14","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-4","category-artwork","category-sonification","tag-artscience-museum","tag-ossian-elgstrom","tag-singapore"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":333,"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14\/revisions\/333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/permagnus.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}