To Fly

To Fly featured a sonic journey of sound-installation, Subsonic to Supersonic, and live improvisation at the Church of the Epiphany.

The original disc, created by Vargas-Suarez Universal & Stephen Barber, weaved subsonic data together with supersonic data from NASA, remixed with various instruments and realized in twenty-two minutes sonic orbits. By remixing the collected recordings of human stories with the disc, the idea of “anxiety” was transformed into affirmative relations, where human is interlinked with the nature and each other.

The exhibition was held in a unique location, Church of the Epiphany on the Upper East Side, where architecture and acoustics further helped in shaping the alternative experience for the audience, re-triggering not only the spirit of sublime in the 19th century, but also an unexpected journey rendering in massive sonic orbit from the deep ocean to the universe.

During the night of performance with lights deemed, audience were deeply situated in the soundscape where they were able to fully explore the potential of listening, grasp flying sperm whale and falling rockets above the church.

Curator: Chiarina Chen
Artists: Vargas-Suarez Universal & Stephen Barber
Live Performance: Chiarina Chen (Chinese Pipa), Bob Malach (Saxophone), Stephen Barber (Piano)
Event Coordinator: Ann Shi
Venue: the Church of the Epiphany

Sonic material sources in chronological order:

00:01 Juno keyboard, acoustic piano
Space Shuttle launch (STS-134, liquid hydrogen burning)
slowed down piano (slowed vibration)
sub-sonic whale clicks (narwhal)
4:54 min. elephant
5:04 shuttle rocket booster falling into earth's atmosphere at 2500 mph. after separation from space shuttle
6:45 space shuttle rocket booster parachute deployment
7:20 space shuttle rocket booster splashdown at 200 mph., in Atlantic Ocean
sperm whale (one breath)
Stephen Barber (musique concrete “pipe dreams” 1978)
elephant growl
sperm whale (one breath continued)
killer whale and low notes on acoustic piano, Stephen Barber electronica
12:44 Bob Malach (basset horn)
17:29 Bob Malach (clarinets)
Bob Malach flutes, space shuttle rocket booster falling through atmosphere and sperm whale (18:02 Juno)
22:02 Bob Malach saxophone, breathing, tapping, pad clicks,
22:56 water percussion, Bob Malach key clicking
23:45 Space Shuttle solid rocket booster whistling through Earth's atmosphere in re-entry at 2500 mph.
23:56 Bob Malach finale (interpretation of a V-SU painting)