Simina Oprescu
electroacoustic composer & sound artist
sonosphist, noetist
1 Introduction
This research transforms seismic data from significant Romanian earthquakes since 1977, specifically those affecting Bucharest, into an immersive sound installation.
By converting quake magnitudes into designated frequencies, the installation generates an immersive environment where each tone captures the seismic event’s power, making Earth’s movements both audible and physical.
2 From Failure to Recalibration
Seismic activity is reinterpreted here not as a breakdown within nature’s systems but as essential acts of recalibration—moments when built-up pressures
must be released to restore equilibrium. Each quake is Earth’s hidden language of vibration. The inaudible tremor as a painful, melancholic Weltschmerz—a
world-weariness embedded in the Earth’s depths. Earthquakes become not failures but structural necessities, revealing a need for internal realignment. In both the Earth and the human psyche, tension, and release are necessary to sustain balance.
3 Earthquake as Archetype: Fields and Universal Forces
Viewing the earthquake through the lens of archetypes and field theory deepens this reinterpretation, suggesting that seismic events are not merely physical but archetypal expressions of universal forces. According to Jung, archetypes are the psychological correlates of instincts, shaping human perception into patterns that resonate across cultures and times. Earthquakes understood archetypally, embody a primal force—an archetypal field that transcends individual expe- rience and taps into a shared, collective layer of reality. Field theory, which posits that matter is not the source but the result of interacting intangible forces, aligns with this interpretation. David Bohm proposed that “Fields alone are real. They are the substance of the universe. Matter... is simply the momentary manifestation of interacting fields.”
Under this view, seismic waves are expressions of a larger, intangible struc- ture—a field of energy periodically organizing itself into physical form, not just physical displacements. Jung’s insight that archetypes can manifest in the psy- chic or physical realm suggests that seismic activity could be an external man- ifestation of these archetypal patterns. Earthquakes, then, are not random disruptions, but part of a universal order that shapes both mental and material realms. This connection between psyche and matter reflects Jung’s theory of synchronicity, where causally unconnected events appear meaningfully related, hinting at a common archetypal origin underlying inner and outer worlds.
4 Interpreting Tremor
Philosopher Richard Rorty argues that language is not a passive medium cap- turing objective truth, but a tool we use to navigate and shape the world around us.
In the context of seismic events, terms like “failure,” “disruption,” or “break- down” reflect our cultural biases and our desire for control over nature. Rorty would suggest that by reframing earthquakes as natural recalibrations rather than disruptions, we can shift our relationship with them, just as language shapes our understanding of the self and the world. In Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, Rorty critiques the idea of the mind as a mirror passively reflecting reality. Instead, he suggests that perceptions and beliefs are adaptive tools rather than simple reflections of an objective world.
In this sense, seismic activity does not merely “mirror” internal or external turmoil, but resists simplified interpretation. Seismic waves are forces within a shared, unpredictable environment, negotiated by humanity and nature.
5 Sonic Fiction: Re-describing
Seismic waves are reimagined as a form of sonic fiction. Through re-description, earthquakes—often seen as chaotic or destructive—are re-envisioned as acts of recalibration or reorganization, challenging traditional notions of stability. This aligns with Rorty’s pragmatism, where meanings are fluid and adaptable, allowing us to see seismic activity as a necessary realignment.
Technically, the composition captures authentic earthquake frequencies and transposes them into the audible spectrum through algorithmic processing. These transformed frequencies are layered with sub-bass to create a resonant field that immerses listeners in the physicality of sound. Through controlled modulations in amplitude, pauses, and echoes, the arrangement mirrors pat- terns of disruption and recalibration, creating a sensory experience that allows the audience to “hear” the Earth’s recalibrations.
6 Nature, a Silent Witness
As Maurice Merleau-Ponty states, nature is “a silent witness to our existence, in which we are neither entirely foreign nor entirely at home” (6) The Earth’s tremors, like internal conflicts, are not directed at us, yet they profoundly im- pact us. They are part of nature’s vast, impersonal rhythms—indifferent to human concerns yet deeply entangled with our experience. In this light, seis- mic waves are not merely geological events but reminders of our embeddedness in nature’s cycles, where human interpretation remains secondary to nature’s inherent order.
7 Disruption as Renewal
Finally, this project tests traditional notions of failure, suggesting that disruptions—whether seismic or emotional—are not collapses but essential moments of recalibration. These ruptures are necessary within an ongoing process of be- coming, where transformation and realignment are intertwined. Both physical and emotional upheavals serve as forces of renewal rather than destruction.
