Photo: Annie Feng
Vicky Clarke joins Caro C to explore her experimental approach to sound, from field recording and neural synthesis to AI technologies and spatial audio. She also discusses immersive installations, open-source tools and the unconventional inspirations that drive her work.
Show Notes
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
02:06 - Field Recording, Musique Concrète and DIY Electronics
05:34 - Residency In Russia
06:27 - Neural Synthesis And Machine Learning
10:53 - Working On Aura Machine
14:16 - Working With AI Technologies
16:35 - Open Source Software
18:30 - Developing An Immersive Sound Installation
20:41 - Fear Around Technology
22:23 - Spatial Audio Using Spat
25:28 - Routing Ableton For Spatial Audio
27:53 - Sculptures As Sound Sources
30:32 - Adopting Emergent Technology
33:53 - Geology As A Source Of Inspiration
Vick Clarke - Biog
Vicky Clarke is a sound and electronic media artist from Manchester, England, whose work explores materiality, electrical phenomena and ritual. Working with sound sculpture, DIY electronics and human-machine systems, she explores our relationship to technology considering themes of human agency in autonomous systems, post-industrialisation and techno-emotional states. Her work takes the form of composition, installation and live AV performance. She produces music as SONAMB and her debut album, SLEEPSTATES, a ‘glitchy experimental techno jerker’ (Boomkat) was released in 2022, accompanied by net-art piece ‘SLEEPSTATES.NET'.
‘Latent Spaces’, her 2025 spatial sound installation, was created as a selected ‘In Motion’ composer with Sound & Music UK. Inviting audiences to step inside a computational model, the piece draws on her research into machine learning and musique concréte, working with early neural synthesis models and custom industrial datasets. This research practice developed through artistic residencies and commissions with NOVARS electroacoustic department at the University of Manchester, UK-Russia year of music, British Council, and Cyborg Soloists at the University of Holloway, resulting in her works ‘Aura Machine’ and ‘Neural Materials'.
Vicky won an Oram Award in 2020 from the New BBC Radiophonic Workshop & PRS Foundation. As a solo artist and previously with DIY electronics project Noise Orchestra, she has performed and exhibited at CTM, ICA, MUTEK, National Science & Media Museum, QO2 and STEIM amongst others. Her latest EP AURA MACHINE is out now on LOL Editions.
https://vickyclarke.org/
https://www.instagram.com/sonamb__/
https://linktr.ee/sonamb__
http://sleepstates.net/
https://loleditions.bandcamp.com/album/aura-machine
Interviewer: Caro C - Biog
Described as a 'one-woman electronic avalanche' (BBC) and a 'sonic enchantress' (BBC Radio 3), Caro has been making her own brand of sensual electronica since the late '90s, reared on a diet of black music, Warp Records and Björk.
Caro currently finds herself in ample musical mischief in the Manchester creative mycelium and beyond — making music, teaching, producing podcasts as well as being the instigator and project manager of electronic music charity Delia Derbyshire Day.
http://carocsound.com/
Twitter: @carocsound
Instagram: @carocsound
Facebook: www.facebook.com/carocsound/
Delia Derbyshire Day Charity: https://deliaderbyshireday.com
About the Electronic Music podcast channel
On this SOS channel we feature some of the pioneers of the industry, interview musicians, and talk about retro and current gear.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.
