I’ve been suspicious about spatial sound systems since I had a bad experience first with WFS (Wave Field Synthesis), and more recently with Dolby Atmos. However, Monom’s installation of the bespoke omnidirectional 4D sound system is different — sound literally flies around the space. In fact, whilst listening to the performance on their opening night, I lost sense of the speakers completely. Entering into the Monom sound studio felt like crossing a threshold from the Funkhaus’s urban industrial aesthetic into a science fiction film. The space entices audiences to become active listeners, to explore a shifting sonic landscape made up of dynamic sound arrangements that play with the laws of perception, and entirely subvert them. The experimental performance venue and spatial sound studio founded by Gratia Napier, William Russell and Zak Khutoretsky — aka Berghain resident DJ, DVS1. At the heart of Monom is the 4D sound system that doubles as an instrument of creation. It’s made up of 48 omnidirectional speakers suspended throughout the venue, extending to 9 subs submerged beneath an acoustically transparent floor. This weekend, Monom’s futuristic temple of sound is hosting the perfect foray into spatial sound alongside the Spatial Sound Institute, titled “4D sound: A Retrospective.” Whether you make it this weekend or not, anyone who enjoys music should watch this space. (Text: Misha Frahm / Photos: Becca Crawford)
Monom, Nalepastr.18, 12459 Berlin-Oberschöneweide; map
Check their website for event times and tickets
Misha Frahm is a musician, electronic music enthusiast and producer. He has lived in Berlin since 2011 and calls Wedding home.
