Memorable road trips often hinge on your ability (or good fortune) to match the views with the right tunes. Such harmony between sight and sound is at the core of Nite Ride, an innovative project commissioned by Artengine and launched Friday, October 23 with a series of bus tours that immerse riders in rich audio.
Artengine artistic director Ryan Step dreamed up Nite Ride during a darkened drive on the north shore of Lake Superior. He was listening to Tim Hecker's Mirages album.
"I thought it would be so amazing if we could have artists conceive of soundtracks for a specific driving experience," said Stec. He and co-curator Emily Falvey paired Hecker with Marla Hlady for two very different audio-in-auto experiences.
"Tim's music will be played on a 5.1 surround sound system and will mix with the deep and mechanical sounds of the moving bus," explained Stec. "Marla's ride is much more experiential. She has departed from the notion of surround sound and created five sound objects. These beautifully constructed wooden boxes contain speakers and motion-sensitive switches that allow the passengers to control the sound loops as they pass the boxes around."
Nite Ride tours continue until Saturday the 31st (no rides Monday October 26th). Audio tracks and driving routes will also be available to download for personalized tours. For ticket and other details: www.niteride.ca.
