Victor Zheng

The phosphenes we see through our eyelids are a unique sensory immersion, present only in the absence of all other visual stimuli. They derive from nothing, not our dreams nor memories, instead manifesting only the purest imagery conjured by our eyes left to their own devices, through which we can delve into the most immersive and evocative of experiences.

I designed this work to be controlled via only motion gestures captured by the iPad. To transform this fairly limited set of gestures into a wider variety of sonic effects, this composition became an exercise in deciding what parameters to control and what to leave autonomous. The sound objects in this composition behave autonomously, developing with lives of their own while I control only one parameter at a time to guide but do not fully control that trajectory.

The nature of my gestures change throughout the work as well – certain gestures are coded to redefine the other gestures in succession, giving the work a flexible linear flow where I move forward through a soundscape unlocking gestures at my own pace. As a result, every performance is different depending on how quickly I choose to advance through the work and what decisions I make along the way.

Performances:

• 14 June 2025 – Boston, MA performed by self at ICMC 2025
• 25 April 2025 – Chicago, IL performed by self at CCPA Electro-Acoustic Festival, Roosevelt University
• 24 March 2025 – Lafayette, IN performed by self at SEAMUS 2025
• 1 March 2025 – Wheaton, IL performed by self as guest artist at Wheaton College