"Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears..." — Pauline Oliveros

An immersive multi-sensory experience, Sound Touch bypassed the brain and penetrated the skin — a bodily listening experience that was equal parts meditative and ritualistic, exploring music's potential to dig deeper than just your mind. Damien Ricketson composed Sound Touch for solo percussion and electronics, featuring a plethora of instruments, both familiar and bespoke, including 'biosonic' tuning forks, sound cannons, a vibrating plank and luminescent drums.

Premiering in our Season V program at Phoenix Central Park, Sound Touch left audiences in a state of catharsis. Ricketson's composition was brought to life by performer Niki Johnson and director Sally Blackwood, augmented by precise sound design from Ben Carey and dazzling lighting by Fausto Brusamolino. Captured in full by Jeremy Elphick, allow Sound Touch to play upon your nervous system like an Aeolian harp — each string plucked gently into resonance by distant touch.

Sound Touch has been made with the support of the Australia Council for the Arts and the University of Sydney.

Composer: Damien Ricketson
Director: Jeremy Elphick
Performer: Niki Johnson
Director: Sally Blackwood
Lighting Design: Fausto Brusamolino
Sound Design: Ben Carey
              

Executive Producer: Judith Neilson AM