Join us for the season finale of our 2025 New Ear SPATIAL :: series!

Emad Jamal will present "Swarm," a realtime granular synthesis & audio spatialization environment made in Max. To create complex sound environments, incoming audio is recorded into a looping buffer and divided into 24 grains. Each grain is independently modulated and assigned to a unique sound object, which moves through simulated space as an individual in a group. Sound objects are distributed using a boid algorithm, designed to replicate the behavior of a flock of birds moving together. They consult their neighbors, match each other’s speeds, and flock around a common point of attraction. Performers can program the flock of sound objects to change their behaviors, move the attraction point dynamically, and adjust spatial characteristics of the room to affect the overall sound.

ADVIKA will present "Devayani’s Curse," a long-form audio drama based on the story of Kacha and Devayani from the Mahabharata, one of the two great Sanskrit epics of ancient India. This five-movement suite retells the tale from Devayani’s perspective, exploring love and betrayal. The piece raises the question, do the ends always justify the means? When heroes fight for the general good, is it acceptable for innocent people to get hurt in the process?