The Last Rains, by PerMagnus Lindborg (2014), is a sonification of data expressing the predicted weather in South-East Asia between January 2095 and December 2099, provided by the Tropical Marine Science Institute at the National University of Singapore. A day of rain causes a single pluck on a physical model of a string. Heat makes it ring longer, and atmospheric pressure, humidity, and wind speed are mapped to detuning, vibrato, and plectrum force, respectively. The data are played by a set of ‘virtual harps’, with a timbre reminiscent of biwa, guzheng, or pipa. 352 strings surround the listener, with the lowest near the centre (corresponding to Singapore) and higher ones further out. Sonification compresses time. Sixty months of data pass by in sixty seconds – the last rains of the century. 

PerMagnus Lindborg studied composition and music computing in Oslo (Music Academy) and Paris (Ircam, Paris-4), and is currently assistant professor at the School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. More info at www.permagnus.org.

TheLastRains.ST

PerMagnus Lindborg is a composer, sound artist and researcher. He is a member of the Norwegian Society of Composers, a board member of International Computer Music Association, and an assistant professor at the School of Art, Design, and Media, at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. After piano studies (Ingesund, Sweden), he drifted via composition (Music Academy, Oslo) and music computing (IRCAM and Paris-4) towards research in perception (KTH, Stockholm) and interactive installation design. He has presented live works in 23 countries and recordings on ECM Records, Daphne Records, and Ash International. Highlights include the Audience Prize at Forum-Montreal 1996 and the First Prize at Stavanger Orchestra Competition 2002; commissions from Centre Pompidou 2002, Ultima Festival 2006, and Singapore Arts Festival 2010; and selections for ICMC 2011 Huddersfield, 2013 Perth, and ICMC-SMC 2014 Athens. When not doing music, PerMagnus likes to dive the coral reefs of South-East Asia.