Appall is a purely electronic piece that aims to explore the harmonic, contrapuntal, and compositional capacities of the sine tone, the fundamental unit of sound expression.

The whole piece is an expansion of the initial sine tone that begins the composition. Throughout the piece, this tone is processed through various signal transformations to achieve the compositional aim and a sense of sharpness, using extreme or ultra-high frequencies, intense pulses and the immediate change of the dynamics.

These elements extend into the domain of psychoacoustics, testing the limits of human hearing and perception. The experience goes beyond just auditory sensation, as the tones may feel as though they are vibrating inside the skull, possibly causing the phenomenon of phantom sound, where certain tones seem present despite not being physically generated. Even the noises and tones remain hearable for some seconds after the piece has finished.

There is also, from the beginning of the piece, an exploration of the spatial texture of the short theme that will also increase in spatial movement as the piece reaches its intensity.

The work is a fully intuitive composition, where every pattern and soundscape is the result of conscious, intentional decisions made throughout the creative process, rather than the use of an algorithmic method.

The concept of the piece originated from a sentence in Persian language that combines a bodily reaction to auditory stimuli. The sentence "سوت کشیدن مغز" (which translates literally to brain whistling) refers to the feeling of being shocked or horrified, often due to something terrible or deeply upsetting. The title of the piece Appall is also derived from this phrase. The aim was to make this phenomenon audible, as the piece features numerous upward and backward oscillations throughout. These include the sounds of clips and a both gradual and abrupt increase in pitch, which symbolize the rising intensity and blood flow, followed by a slight return to stability as the disaster subsides at the end.

As a result, the piece employs higher frequencies with a narrower frequency range, in order to convey this sensation. This choice also helps to evoke a sense of warning and marks the climax of the event.

Art work by Arash Akbari

Appall

Mahtab Miandehi