Othervoice

Othervoice is a ring of transducers worn around the throat and controlled with a single potentiometer. The instrument vibrates against the skin, resonating within the vocal cavity and emerging, filtered, through the mouth (just like the voice). Because the transducers are external, the rattles and reverberations of the metal and plastic apparatus distort and contribute to the overall timbre.

Additionally, Othervoice can modulate the pitch of one’s real voice when both sound simultaneously, creating beating, difference tones, and various types of modulation usually performed in electronic music. Furthermore, the pressure of the transducers against the neck, and thus the quality of resonance of both the prosthetic and real voice, can be altered (dampening the transducers and restricting airflow) by moving the head in all directions. Performing with Othervoice is a visceral physical experience. At Audium, the instrument intimately connected my body to the space itself, transforming my vocal cavity into a speaker and bridging the gap between my voice and the electronic sounds of the composition.