I have recorded me speaking the poem as it stands, and I tried to edit the voice so that it was still distinctly human but had been re-possessed through the digital realm, the machine consuming the input and conjuring feedback loops and delay cycles. I felt that using my research to inform my sound editing decisions would be a good approach to take, as it re-interprets my reading and conceptual development into sonic signifiers and purposeful sound design.

I read the poem in one take, trying to avoid too much sound editing in terms of word spacing and removal of background noise as I was intending to build up an ambience around the vocals, so I wanted to keep background noise and room ambience. I used return tracks to send the initial dry recording to, using parallel processing to apply distortion, resonant filtering and evolving delays. This allowed me to continuously re-format the vocals, and I listened to the words to incite a visual response in my mind, using this to help guide the tone, timbre and effects I was incorporating to enhance the impact of what was being said.

To intensify the atmosphere surrounding the vocals, I once again used my voice, this time running it through heavy distortion and filtering to make it unrecognisable. Whispers, screams, and throat sounds turned into twisted, shifting noise that makes the overall sound more chaotic, and creates a sense of urgency within the spoken word, as if the words themselves are about to self-destruct.

Whilst I like the isolated vocals with processing, I wanted to integrate one of my previous audio experiments to see how it would affect the tone of the poem. The synth ambience added creates a more vivid picture for me – the ominous drone and ever-changing stutters makes it feel like the narrator is standing at the top of a skyscraper, looking down into a dystopian city resembling ‘Blade Runner’. I get a more explicit sense now that the narrator is an observer, watching this matrix around them re-form their reality. I find it interesting how my perspective has changed from creator to viewer, as I am interpreting the words I have written in a different way.

Finally, I wanted to test out how the spoken word would be affected if I used a more melodic progression as an undertone. I thought that I might be able to strike a different emotional chord and make the words feel more intimate as opposed to cinematic. I created a soft, contemplative composition using my Behringer Neutron – I processed two hybrid sine/saw waves through the internal delay on the synth, and modulated the pitch, delay time and envelopes to construct a morphing, fluid progression of notes. I feel that the melodic content creates a more reflective atmosphere that helps deliver the words in a more conversational as opposed to narrative way.

I don’t really like how my own voice sounds in this context, I would rather get either someone who acts in some capacity or someone who has an expressive voice because I feel that they would be able to deliver the words and flow of the poem in a more impactful manner.