In a 34:20-minute vocal composition, Murmur/Mutter/Yell shuttles through the implications of our private data being mined every time we click “Agree”. Ripe for manipulation, we are the raw material for 21^st century colonization. Sixty-two programmed Wave Field Synthesis speakers place sound precisely in 3-dimensional space, creating a dreamlike conversation between the conscious & subconscious, as our minds tune into the libretto about artificial intelligence colonizing our data, our futures, us.

Jaffé created the libretto, composed from phrases that have grown up around the Internet. The text employs language of brand marketing optimization, language that creates an end-run around an unsuspecting user. “If it’s free, you’re the product”, “Networked, Personalized, Just for You”, “Behavioral Underwriting” informs us we are already inside the Matrix, tomorrow’s lunch. Too trusting, we cede our rights away every time we click “Agree”. Search engine bots exploit our personal data as raw material for profit. Algorithms manipulate our behavior. We are fodder for corporate, political & criminal exploitation. Our loss of privacy is someone else’s financial gain.

This is Jaffé’s fourth sculpture/sound/video installation to explore cutting edge audio technology. Jaffé shares the auditory, perceptual possibilities of Wave Field Synthesis with others, so they too can experience its uncanny physicality. She works with sound to expand sculptural experience, as a gestalt to forge new neural connections, by engaging mind, body & limbic brain simultaneously. Active listening brings awareness to the invisible web invading our homes and feeds.

Walking around the space is encouraged, as sounds are brought directly to you. Vocals are programmed to move across the width and depth of of the field, in front of speakers. You are encouraged to turn your back to the speakers and close your eyes. This promotes what Pauline Oliveros called “deep listening”. The mind prioritizes the visual over the aural. By turning away from the visual dominance of the speakers, you will encounter a richer, more expansive listening experience.