SOUND +VISION

A-V artist Halina Rice tells Martin Delaney about the evolutionary process that took her immersive live show from dream to reality

It doesn't take much to put together your own music production setup now, and it doesn't even need a dedicated room, maybe not even a whole table! We've all heard the stories about successful artists who thrive on simple home set-ups. What's even better is that the small production set-up can become the live rig as well. Even video, which used to be complicated and expensive, has become more democratic and accessible, as projects become ever cheaper, more reliable, and more portable. In fact, most venues have a projector now, and it's usually just a matter of checking ahead regarding cables and adaptors for your computer.

Halina Rice is an outstanding example of an artist who endeavours to bring an immersive experience to venues where it might not otherwise happen, while also being able to scale it up further when required. Visit one of her shows and you'll be exposed to atmospheric IDM and carefully crafted sounds, some spacey, some beat-driven, while also witnessing a combination of programmed and real-time visuals, featuring mixed reality projections, haze, and DMX-controlled lighting. This is a true A-V set, with all elements fully integrated and responsive. Something like this doesn't happen overnight. Halina has invested time, money, and energy, into developing the sound and the show. We talked to her about the concepts and techniques behind her original performances, while also getting some inside information about her complex setup.

Visionary sounds