{"id":5723,"date":"2025-12-02T00:15:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T00:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/?page_id=5723"},"modified":"2026-04-04T18:13:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T18:13:02","slug":"cluster-fields","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/cluster-fields\/","title":{"rendered":"Cluster Fields"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cluster Fields at Zuccaire Gallery, Stony Brook NY, Nov 2, 2024-Feb 19, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1aefwC8jSOdmNyRKi1wrJMqU2x6v3QR1J\/preview\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" allow=\"autoplay\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Cluster Fields<\/em>\u00a0is a collaborative spatial sound installation developed by John Driscoll and Phil Edelstein of\u00a0<strong>Composers Inside Electronics\u00a0(CIE)<\/strong>. The work consists of multiple sounding elements distributed across a site, forming an acoustic environment in which sound is experienced as a dynamic, spatial field rather than as a fixed source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a797b2621524\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a797b2621524\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/cluster-fields\/#Concept\" >Concept<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/cluster-fields\/#System_and_Method\" >System and Method<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/cluster-fields\/#Behavior_and_Experience\" >Behavior and Experience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/cluster-fields\/#Research_Context\" >Research Context<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/cluster-fields\/#Collaboration\" >Collaboration<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/cluster-fields\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Concept\"><\/span><strong>Concept<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the core of&nbsp;<em>Cluster Fields<\/em>&nbsp;is the idea of sound as a field condition. Instead of presenting discrete sonic events from a single location, the installation organizes sound across space through clusters of activity that emerge, interact, and dissipate over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These clusters are not fixed compositions but evolving configurations. Listeners encounter shifting zones of intensity, resonance, and interference, where perception is shaped by movement through the space as much as by the sounds themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"System_and_Method\"><\/span><strong>System and Method<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The installation is built from a distributed network of elements, typically including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>resonant objects activated by transducers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>custom signal pathways<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>software-based processing and control systems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>spatial arrangements adapted to the specific site<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyday materials and constructed forms function as loudspeakers, transforming physical objects into active components of the sonic system. Sound is not simply emitted but shaped through the interaction between electronic signals, material properties, and architectural acoustics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each realization of&nbsp;<em>Cluster Fields<\/em>&nbsp;is site-responsive. The configuration of elements is adjusted to the spatial, acoustic, and contextual conditions of the environment, making the installation inherently variable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Behavior_and_Experience\"><\/span><strong>Behavior and Experience<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Cluster Fields<\/em>&nbsp;operates as a dynamic and adaptive system. Interactions between its components\u2014electronic, material, and spatial\u2014produce continuously evolving sonic patterns. Feedback, resonance, and signal distribution contribute to emergent structures that cannot be fully predetermined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, the work does not unfold linearly. Instead, it presents a changing environment in which listeners navigate a field of relationships. Perception is localized and contingent: different positions within the space reveal different balances, details, and interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Research_Context\"><\/span><strong>Research Context<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project can be understood as an investigation into distributed electroacoustic systems. It explores how sound can be organized without a central point of origin, and how complex sonic behavior can arise from relatively simple interacting elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this sense,\u00a0<em>Cluster Fields<\/em>\u00a0extends methodologies associated with CIE\u2019s earlier work, including approaches developed in collaboration with\u00a0David Tudor. It reflects an ongoing interest in material-based sound production, spatial composition, and the balance between control and listener explortation in live electronic systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Collaboration\"><\/span><strong>Collaboration<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Cluster Fields<\/em>\u00a0has been developed through the collaborative practice of CIE members of John Driscoll and Phil Edelstein. Individual contributions\u2014ranging from instrument design to system configuration\u2014are integrated within a shared framework, resulting in a collectively realized work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span><strong>Summary<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Cluster Fields<\/em>&nbsp;proposes a model of composition based on distribution, interaction, and emergence. By treating sound as a spatial and material phenomenon, the work invites listeners to engage with an environment that is continuously in flux\u2014shaped by the interplay of objects, signals, and space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Contact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phil Edelstein p.edelstein@composers-inside-electronics.net<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John Driscoll  j.driscoll@composers-inside-electronics.net<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Links<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">G E S T U R E S &amp; CLUSTERS <a href=\"https:\/\/zuccairegallery.stonybrook.edu\/_images\/exhibitions\/catalog_exhibitions\/Gestures%20and%20Clusters%20brochure%20FINAL%20singles.pdf\">Pamphlet<\/a> from Zuccaire Gallery<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cluster Fields at Zuccaire Gallery, Stony Brook NY, Nov 2, 2024-Feb 19, 2025 Cluster Fields\u00a0is a collaborative spatial sound installation developed by John Driscoll and [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5723","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"post_type":"page","author_name":"Philip Edelstein","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5723"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5770,"href":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5723\/revisions\/5770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/composers-inside-electronics.net\/cie-wp20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}