These two sound compositions are amongst Henri Chopin’s key audio poems. They are considered to be early examples of his electroacoustic sound poetry, in which physiological vocal processes themselves become the subject of the composition.
Here, the human voice is treated not as a source of linguistic meaning, but as acoustic material. Chopin is not interested in the voice as a source for language, but in its physical properties. He utilises the body’s resonant cavities, such as the throat, mouth and nasal cavity, to make sounds such as breathing, wheezing, whispering, clicking, gurgling, tongue movements, throat sounds and lip vibrations audible through electroacoustic means. With the aid of microphones, tape recorders, mixing tables and tape manipulation, body sounds can be heard that are barely perceived in everyday speech. Chopin’s works are at the intersection of sound poetry, electroacoustic music and performance.
This audio cassette is regarded as one of the paradigm examples of Chopin’s concept of body-oriented sound poetry, in which the human body itself becomes the poetic instrument.