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VARCHIV - Music as Medium

@varchiv Bronze
61 × 46 x 41 cm
Mumok, Wien
© 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS),
New York Photo © mumok Museum,
Stiftung Ludwig Wien

Music forms an essential part of the creative process and serves as a key mode of expression. Often, ideas begin with sound—before taking visual shape. Particular interest lies in atmospheric soundscapes, unexpected acoustic moments, and the varied contexts in which music can unfold. Compositions have been featured in both a fashion show and an exhibition, where custom soundtracks added immersive, ambient layers to the overall experience. Inspiration draws from film, visual art, and everyday surroundings. Ambient sounds from ordinary situations are frequently recorded and transformed into compositions that blur the line between reality and imagination.

“Untitled 01”

Untitled 01 is a stripped-down, low-frequency composition that oscillates between experimental electronics and spectral sound art. The track constructs a dense, textured soundscape, where deep, floating bass tones play a fundamental role. Modulating synthesizers and subtly distorted sound fragments create an expansive atmosphere that unfolds organically.

Instead of relying on a conventional rhythmic structure, Untitled 01 explores movement within the frequency spectrum: subtle dynamic shifts, resonant textures, and spectral morphing processes generate a sonic depth that oscillates between stillness and continuous transformation. The track feels introspective, almost cinematic—a sound that does not impose itself but gradually unfolds, leaving space for associations and shifts in perception.

The production employs reverb-drenched textures, granular effects, and distortion elements, resulting in a complex, multilayered sonic architecture. Stylistically, Untitled 01 sits at the intersection of experimental electronics, ambient, and drone.

“Missing You”

Missing You is a dark, textured track rooted in post-club and experimental sound design. Crushed bass, abrasive noise layers, and fragmented synthesizers create a raw, immersive atmosphere. Processed vocals and bright, angular beats add contrast, while the track emphasizes texture and spatial depth over conventional structure.

d 01 sits at the intersection of experimental electronics, ambient, and drone.

“Untitled 03” (Zwischenzeit)

Untitled 03 (Zwischenzeit) is a sonic deconstruction built from fragments and layered textures. Starting from a processed motif derived from the opening track of Werner Herzog’s “The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner” (Popol Vuh), the piece combines spectral drones with distorted rhythmic structures, inspired by sonic elements from Mount Eerie (The Microphones) and atmospheric fragments from Biosphere’s Rimanti in Pace.

The production employs subtle modulations, spectral transformations, and minimal rhythmic displacements. The sounds are removed from their original contexts, processed, and reconfigured into a new acoustic topography. The resulting atmosphere oscillates between static density and evolving texture. Elements emerge, dissolve, and reappear—as if the piece were suspended in a state of continuous reconfiguration.

Untitled 03 (Zwischenzeit) was developed as a site-responsive sound installation, conceived in dialogue with the artworks and the transitional atmosphere of the Zwischenzeit exhibition.

“Untitled 02” (Not there)

Untitled 02 (Not Here) is an atmospheric sound composition that explores the fragile sense of identity and belonging. Floating synthesizer layers intertwine with pulsating beats and organic field recordings, creating a richly textured sonic space. The track concludes with a warm, analog segment of an acoustic guitar, offering a quiet, conciliatory counterpoint to the preceding soundscape.

“Peer Pressure Remix”

Upon hearing Jon Brion’s Peer Pressure from Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a strong association emerged with the coffee scene from Jean-Luc Godard’s Deux ou trois choses que je sais d’elle—in particular, the passage:

"Mais puisque je ne peux pas m’arracher à l’objectivité qui m’écrase, ni à la subjectivité qui m’exile, puisqu’il ne m’est pas possible de m’élever jusqu’à l’être, ni de tomber dans le néant, il faut que j’écoute. Il faut que je regarde autour de moi plus que jamais. Le monde. Mon semblable. Mon frère."

This connection became the basis for a remix combining Peer Pressure with the voice-over from Godard’s film. The resulting composition seeks to capture the shared atmosphere of both works and to reveal their unexpected resonance through sound.

Music: Vincent Mauerhofer
Images: Vincent Mauerhofer

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