Episode 085 – Akash Sharma | Experimental artist, Archaeoacoustics conservationist, & Founder of Sound.Codes
Akash Sharma is an experimental artist, archaeoacoustic conservationist, and the founder of Sound.Codes.
Listen to his journey from growing up in Mumbai and studying computers and music, to now helping preserve sound heritage and acoustic signatures via multiple open-source projects!
Sound.Codes is a research lab that encompasses Akash’s diverse interests. This entity showcases the world of sound through avant-garde multimedia projects.
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Rivona cave
Akash develops custom hardware and platform agnostic software to assist audio enthusiasts. Akash also builds his own field recording binaural microphone named as Kaan. This is available on a made-to-order basis.
Kaan
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Keep an ear out for his immersive audio experiences and interactive installations that pop up across the world.
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Algorave event
Akash is an integral part of Algorave India, which is the regional chapter of Algorave, a global algorithmic dance culture movement. He creates live music using computer codes under the aliases Substance_D and/or Old Squirrel.
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KarmaQuad
Akash established a studio called KarmaQuad at the village of Kalga in the Indian Himalayas. It features an quadraphonic room, an electronic lab, a woodworking lab, and an oven.
8 knobs – Lac du Lavitel
Also mentioned in this episode
423hz vs 440 hz – Abhinay Khoparzi – Acoustics – Acoustic explorations of Goan heritage – Acoustic levitation – Aguada underground watertank – Ajanta caves – Alex McLean – Anna – Arvalem caves – Ambisonic room – Archaeoacoustics – Archaeological Survey of India – Archaeology – Archive.Org – Arctic Code Vault – Area 51 – Arunachal Pradesh – Assam – Aum – Bärenzwinger, Berlin – Bhakti – Basilica of Bom Jesus – Buddhism – Campal – Carnatic music – Chalukya dynasty – Chalukya caves – Concert pitch – David Attenborough – Dhanya Pilo – EMF microphones – Equal Temperament Scale – Fibonacci – Fontainhas – Ganjam – Gharana – GitHub – Goethe-Institut Max Muller Bhavan Mumbai – Gong baths – Hampi – Hinduism – Hoysala – Jainism – Joshua “Tig3rbabu” Thomas – Kalga, Himachal Pradesh – Kinesthetic experience – Lodhi – Memory effect on water – Mimosa leaves – Napoleon Bonaparte – Neumann – Ninja – Northeastern Hill University – Orchestra setting – Passion Meter – Penha de França church, Goa – Plantoid – Raia – Right to repair – Rivona caves – Samurai – Siang district – Sleep concerts – Sonic restoration – Sound healing – Sound heritage – SoundTrek – Sufi in India – Tambdi Surla temple – Tantra – The Musafir Stories (Meghalaya episode) – The Story Of – Usgalimal rock carvings – Vedic chants – Vittala temple
Timestamps for reference
05:00 Music and performing, as Algorave
07:17 What does Akash do in the realm of sound?
08:42 What is archaeoacoustics?
10:26 Use of archaeoacoustics in the modern day
11:53 How does gathering data for archaeoacoustics work?
16:20 Collecting audio data from a space
19:12 What is acoustic signature?
20:01 What is Sound Heritage?
23:55 Akash’s work involves capturing sonic snapshots of spaces
26:19 Akash’s first experience of resonating caves
29:18 Projects in the Northeast of India
30:53 Transitioning interest in sound into projects
33:00 Covering Goan archaeological sites for sound heritage
41:17 How can a layman experience sound heritage?
45:12 Some of Akash’s favorite projects – Plantoid
49:10 Project with ITC to gamify nightclub experiences
54:23 Another highlight project
01:01:13 Kaan in a cage in Berlin
01:08:36 What is Sound.Codes?
01:11:14 Human-machine relationships
01:13:52 Humans, machines, and sustainability
01:18:49 Kaan – a binaural microphone
01:23:14 The beauty of binaural sounds
01:26:18 Spirituality, psychedelics, and civilizations
01:31:13 Sacred spaces and sounds
01:33:02 Acoustic levitation
01:38:19 Musical pillars in temples across India
01:42:00 The story behind 423 Hz cosmic frequency
01:45:20 Chants, 108, and cosmic frequency
01:48:42 Indigenous people and their relation to sounds in sacred spaces
01:51:55 Is there acoustic communication between plants and trees?
01:56:06 Sites, sounds, and emotions
01:58:44 Use of sound in healing and medicine
02:04:58 Archiving contemporary civilization digitally
02:11:30 Gharana music project
02:17:10 Algorave India
02:21:13 KarmaQuad
02:22:58 Upcoming projects
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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue
Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
Orient by SefChol
Sonic by Lish Grooves
Sunset Riddim by Konrad OldMoney
All photographs by Akash Sharma, Algorave India, & Sound.Codes, unless otherwise stated.
