Situated Composition in Emerging Mobile Sound Production Technologies and Practices

Abstract

This article introduces the concept of ‘situated composition’, examining it in relation to developments in mobile sound production technologies and practices. Situated composition draws attention to the specific circumstances in which sound production and compositional activity take place. With mobile devices and apps offering heightened mobility and ease-of-use, ways of working with sound increasingly may be undertaken in a wide range of contexts outside of controlled environments specifically designed for sound work such as studios. Situated composition emphasises the interconnections between the situation in which composition unfolds and the process of composition, approaching composition as inherently distributed and collaborative in multiple ways. This article begins by considering how to situate mobile audio production apps, then moves on to elaborate the concept of situated composition and investigate specific practices. Drawing primarily on interviews carried out with fourteen composers, sound artists, musicians and producers who use mobile devices and apps in their sound work, as well as on podcasts, forums and my own work as a sound artist, I identify seven approaches to using mobile interfaces, focusing particularly on practitioners’ relationships with the surroundings where compositional activity unfolds.