DESCRIPTION:
'An Ode to All India Radio' by Poulomi Desai.
‘Switched On’ event organised by Radio Arts. 9 May 2015.
The Beaney - House of Art and Knowledge, Canterbury, UK

The sitar becomes a subversive transmitter beyond it's continued cultural, exotic, noose. Transformed and transmuted into a noise maker and receiver, the sitar interacts with modified radios as receivers / transmitters, creating phase and frequency modulations, a modified tabla machine (starts at 8:00) 'injected' into custom made sonic handbags, including a unique, walkabout, 'pursemin', an entwining of a silver purse and theremin. This improvised, sound art performance / installation by Poulomi Desai placed aptly in 'The People's Gallery' at The Beaney, was commissioned for 'Switched On' a unique live event hosted by Radio Arts, presenting the work of an array of cutting edge sonic and visual experimenters. The amazing galleries of The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury played host to the dazzling audio-visual tape manipulations of Sculpture, The Bohman Brothers‘ peculiar improvisations with found texts and everyday objects, time-travelling outer-space communication from digital artist Iris Garrelfs and a sound art performance for prepared sitar and modified radios from Poulomi Desai. Wesley Goatley performed two of John Cage’s works for radio, while the galleries will were illuminated by the immersive interactive visuals of Genetic Moo and the kaleidoscopic sound-films of Ben Rowley. The live performances were complemented by radio installations from Anthony Elliott and Magz Hall. DJ Jim Backhaus (Xylitol / Kosmische) provided interludes of radiophonic music. Big thanks to Magz Hall at Radio Arts, The Beaney, the massive audience and all the performers and artists.

Poulomi Desai acknowledges the VLF recordings made by Joyce Hinterding (Electrical Storms 1992) and Steve Mcgreevy (Irdial records 1996) and Renato Romero's VLF research since 1993.