TRANSMISSION ART ARCHIVE
Hum
Ethan Rose
Ethan Rose’s Hum responds specifically to the Jefferson Substation, an electrical substation that is located just outside the loop of downtown Chicago. The step down transformers at the Substation emit an audible 60 cycle hum. This rich harmonic drone permeates the surrounding city blocks. For this site-specific radio broadcast, installation, and performance, Rose assembled a small choir of vocalists who will be positioned at a near distance to the transformers. The choir hums the overtone series in harmony with the transformer’s buzz.
The choir’s hum is broadcast and radios are provided to an ambulatory audience. Visitors are invited to explore the site on their own time with radios in hand, freely moving between the embodied presence of the performers and the electrical transformers. Encountering cycles of energy, perception, and transmission, the audience carries the sound of the humming choir to its pulsating electric source. -Reprinted from Radius.