Upcoming

Here’s a quick overview of upcoming events, 

and then more details on talk and soundwalk below.

April 1 Wed 6pm (5:30pm doors, snacks) 

Talk and discussion on human echolocation with Daniel Kish

MIT, Room W20-429, MIT Student Center, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139

Daniel Kish “Human Echolocation and the Whole Body Sensorium:  Reflections from the blind on what it means to see”

followed by moderated discussion with Kyle Keane and Ian Condry.  

April 8 Wed 1:30 – 3pm (meet at 1:15pm) 

Hybrid soundwalk with Jacek Smolecki at MIT

MIT, Room 2-132, 1:30pm start, please arrive between 1:15-1:25pm, Building 2 is at 182 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 20139, and room 132 is a classroom on the ground floor.  http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=2

RSVP requested Ian Condry (condry@mit.edu), bring wired headphones if possible, some will be available

April 8 Wed. 7-11pm

Experimental Club Night at Cloud & Spirits with quadraphonic DJs and light experiments

Cloud & Spirits (bar, 21+), 795 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139

7-11pm with special guests Bobalee and brownsugarbabe (LJ Franklin), 

plus residents Nelly, Justin, and Ian; light experiments by Seth R. & Hannah Z.  

April 15, 6pm (5:30pm doors, snacks) 

Open Decks with Ambrio spatial DJ Mixer, demo and workshop with Jannouk Van Dyck (Ambrio Sound) at the Lab

MIT, Room W20-429, MIT Student Center, 4th floor, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139

Please RSVP (condry@mit.edu) if you’d like to experiment with the spatial DJ mixer from https://ambriosound.com which enables panning, spread and more in surround sound; bring laptop w/ stems (up to 4 x stereo) or bring USB stick for XDJ; vinyl may be an option too.  

Open call is coming in early April for Spatial Mixtape submissions.  We will be seeking submissions for 4-channel and 8-channel surround mixes for consideration to be included in our Spatial Mixtape events later in the year.  Further details to come via email from me.  

Save the date: Dissolve Music @ MIT, October 8-9, 2026 (Thu/Fri) at MIT, Building W97, black box theater at 345 Vassar St., Cambridge, MA 02139.  Our annual two-day spatial music festival and conference returns this fall.  

All events are free and open to the public.  

Questions, comments:  condry@mit.edu

On behalf of co-organizers, Nelly Kate and Justin Looper, we hope to see you in the coming weeks!

MORE DETAILS on the talk and soundwalk:  

Talk and discussion

April 1 Wed 6pm start (5:30pm doors, snacks) talk and discussion

“Human Echolocation and Whole Body Sensorium: Reflections from the blind on what it means to see” 

Daniel Kish, M.A., M.A., COMS

MIT, Room W20-429, MIT Student Center, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139

Talk followed by moderated discussion with Profs. Kyle Keane (U Bristol) and Ian Condry (MIT).   

Abstract

Daniel Kish offers a perception-based paradigm and framework for understanding the achievement and practice of self-determined freedom for blind people. The reach for freedom is foremost behind development and adaptation, especially in the formative years, driving every developmental stage throughout the lifespan toward self-determination, leading toward equitable and respected community inclusion, belonging, and achievement. While this process is largely supported and motivated by visual input for sighted people, Daniel presents a nonvisual perceptual basis for understanding how this process may be preserved and adapted for constructive development in blind people. We will understand what is meant by self-determination, the basic perceptual mechanisms around this process, and the pertinent environmental domains that effect this practice.

Bio:

Blind since infancy, Daniel Kish holds Masters degrees in Developmental Psychology and Special Education. He is the first totally blind Orientation and Mobility Specialist, teaching blind people how to get around.  He is President of World Access for the Blind, which develops and mobilizes innovative approaches to help foster self-determination for blind people. In over 40 countries, he has taught over 3,000 blind students, and conducted professional development for tens of thousands of blindness service providers. Daniel has appeared in over 175 public outlets globally. He has authored over a dozen scholarly articles on brain plasticity and behavioral adaptations to blindness, and published the first textbook on human echolocation and self-determination.  He is pursuing his PhD in neuro-anthropology at Macquarie University, undertaking the first anthropological study of blind people.

RSVP and more info:  condry@mit.edu

Kyle Keane is Senior Lecturer in Accessible Technology at U Bristol (UK) and Researcher in MIT Spatial Sound Lab, which was founded by Ian Condry (Professor, CMSW, MIT) in 2019 as a community studio for immersive audio, hosting talks, listening sessions and workshops.  

Hybrid soundwalk

April 8 Wed 1:30 – 3pm (meet at 1:15pm) 

Hybrid soundwalk with Jacek Smolecki at MIT

MIT, Room 2-132, 1:30pm start, please arrive between 1:15-1:25pm, Building 2 is at 182 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 20139, and room 132 is a classroom on the ground floor.  Contact if lost or late:  Ian Condry Tel. 508-314-2567.  

Inaudible Cities: A Hybrid Soundwalk Between Here and Now, There and Then

Inaudible Cities connects the most immediate with temporally and geographically distant soundscapes. Equipped with special audio receivers, participants will follow an itinerary that is partly defined yet largely open to spontaneous encounters. As everyday urban details—water fountains, switchboards, ventilation shafts, sewers, and cobblestones—are processed in real time, they transform into sonic manifestations of the classical elements: earth, water, air, and fire.

Using a customized set of microphones—including geophones, contact microphones, hydrophones, and electromagnetic detectors—Smolicki will gradually capture these familiar sounds from the vicinity of MIT Campus, weave them together, and use them as portals to soundscapes of fragile environments documented during his fieldwork on the Pacific West Coast, in the Arctic Circle, at Canaveral National Seashore, and beyond. Participants will be equipped with receivers and headphones through which this slowly evolving soundscape composition will be streamed.

The different strategies of working with field recording, transmission, and processing of both immediate and pre-recorded soundscapes will be discussed before or after the walk.

There will be 25 spots available. 

RSVP requested Ian Condry (condry@mit.edu)  Contact if lost or late on the day:  Ian tel. 508-314-2567

Please bring wired, over-ear headphones (some will be provided).

Jacek Smolicki, PhD, is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, designer and educator. His work explores the critical, existential and technological dimensions of listening, recording and archiving in human and more-than-human contexts. Manifesting as soundwalks, soundscape compositions, experimental archives, and installations, his work has been presented internationally, including at Ars Electronica, Sonorities, and In-Sonora. He has, among other subjects, engaged in artistic work and written about the Canadian Pacific Coast soundscapes, tallest wooden radio mast in Europe, sounds of trees, alternative archives, ethics of field recording, and media archaeology of artificial voices. His edited book Soundwalking: Through Time, Space and Technologies was published by Routledge in 2023. Between 2020 and 2023, he was a Swedish Research Council postdoc grantee, and in 2022–23, he was a Fulbright visiting scholar at Harvard. In 2019, he co-founded and ever since co-directed the Walking Festival of Sound. He is currently a 2026 Loeb and Art Lab Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design.

More info:  www.smolicki.com

Hope to see you! Thank you for all your support.  

Best, Ian

Ian Condry, Professor, MIT

Writings, music, radio:

https://linktr.ee/iancondry

Past events

Quick view here, more details below:  

Feb. 7 (Sat.), 2026, 3:00pm – 5:30pm (doors 2:30pm), Spatial Sound Boston Community:  Introductory Salon Gathering, a new cross-college initiative of Berklee, Emerson, MIT, Harvard.  

Berklee College, Room 112, at 22 Fenway, Boston, MA 02215

RSVP please and more info:  Ian Condry condry@mit.edu

Feb. 11 (Wed) 5 – 6:30pm, Talk / demo:  Satoshi Yamaguchi, former drummer of RADWIMPS discusses new voice activated drumming tech for dealing with dystonia, collaboration with MIT Music Tech

MIT, Killian Hall, Building 14 ground floor, 160 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139

Reserve a spot (free):  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mit-music-tech-and-the-mit-spatial-sound-lab-present-satoshi-yamaguchi-tickets-1980645742734

Feb. 12 (Thu) 6-10pm, WaveForms: A Multimedia Art Occurrence, organized by Masary Studios, Boston Museum of Science, & Emerson College, featuring our Spatial Sound Mixtape and more

Emerson Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111

Free ticket reservation (NOTE: we expect this event to sell out, so please reserve your slot in advance):  https://www.mos.org/events/waveforms-multimedia-art-occurrence-winter2026

I hope to see you there!  More details one these events below. 

MIT SPATIAL SOUND LAB EVENTS

February 2026

1) Spatial Sound Salon, introducing a new cross-college initiative: 

Feb. 7 (Sat.), 2026, 3:00pm – 5:30pm (doors 2:30pm)

Berklee College, Room 112, at 22 Fenway, Boston, MA 02215

Spatial Sound Boston Community:  Introductory Salon Gathering, a new cross-college initiative of Berklee, Emerson, MIT, Harvard.  

RSVP please and more info:  Ian Condry condry@mit.edu

Spatial Sound Boston Community: Introductory Salon Gathering. SSBC is a new group dedicated to learning, teaching, and thinking spatial sound. Along with discussion and networking, this salon will feature brief talks and demos by Ian Condry, Justin Looper and Nelly Kate (MIT), Amber Vistein and Ben Aron (Emerson), Yvette Janine Jackson (Harvard), and Lee Gilboa (Berklee).

Our goal is to create a communal space for Boston-based artists, teachers, and students who are interested in all forms of spatial audio (technology and innovation, composition, performance, pedagogy, and installation work, among others). This inter-collegiate community includes members from MIT, Emerson College, Harvard University, and Berklee College of Music. We hope to create a platform for conversation, critical thinking, and the exchange of ideas between peers.

Please join us for our first salon-style gathering, where we will introduce our vision, share some work-in-progress, and start building the foundation of what we hope will become a generative part of the Boston artistic community, especially for those interested in immersive audio. . 

Please RSVP, or contact me for more info: Ian Condry, condry@mit.edu

2) Talk / demo: Satoshi Yamaguchi, former drummer of RADWIMPS

Feb. 11 (Wed) 5 – 6:30pm, 

MIT, Killian Hall, Building 14 ground floor, 160 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139

Talk / demo:  Satoshi Yamaguchi, former drummer of RADWIMPS discusses new voice activated drumming tech for dealing with dystonia, collaboration with MIT Music Tech

Reserve a spot (free):  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mit-music-tech-and-the-mit-spatial-sound-lab-present-satoshi-yamaguchi-tickets-1980645742734

Talk title:  “The Past Can Be Changed: How RADWIMPS Drummer Satoshi Yamaguchi Reclaimed Music Through Neuroscience Research and Voice-Controlled Drums”

This lecture-performance focuses on the life lessons Satoshi Yamaguchi has learned through major turning points marked by both success and setback as a professional musician. Drawing on his personal journey, the talk explores how music, research, and technology became interconnected, leading to the emergence of new forms of creative expression.

Satoshi’s story begins when he lost the ability to play drums due to Musician’s Dystonia, a neurological movement disorder affecting his accuracy in hitting the bass drum with his right foot. After 10 years of living in the darkness due to a lack of understanding around him, Satoshi will present the light – research and technology – that saved him and gave him the ability to play again. In conjunction with the talk, Satoshi will perform using VXD (Voice Controlled Drum-set), a system that enables the bass drums to be triggered through the human voice, a technology co-developed by YAMAHA Corporations and Keio University. This technology combines advanced audio processing techniques, software, and mechanical design, showing that innovative music systems supported by technology can change lives.

Speaker Bio:

Satoshi Yamaguchi is a musician, researcher, and performer whose work explores the relationship between music and society through both practice and inquiry. He began his career as a drummer in his teenage years with the Japanese rock band RADWIMPS, internationally known for their soundtracks for the films your name. and Suzume. Since the band’s major debut in 2005, Satoshi has performed at the forefront of the Japanese music scene.

In 2009, Satoshi developed musician’s dystonia, a neurological condition affecting motor control, first experiencing symptoms during a national concert tour. While continuing to perform for several years, he ultimately made the decision in 2015 to suspend his activities as a drummer as his condition progressed.

Since 2021, Satoshi has served as a Visiting Researcher at the Keio University SFC Research Institute, where he has been engaged in participatory research on musician’s dystonia. His research contributions have been published as co-authored papers in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Neurology.In 2023, he undertook a research residency at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), further developing an interdisciplinary perspective on embodiment and technology.

Building on these research experiences, Satoshi co-developed VXD in 2024 through a collaborative project between Keio University and YAMAHA—a system that enables acoustic drums to be driven by the human voice. In 2025, he announced his first solo tour, marking his return to the stage after a decade. All seven performances sold out, reflecting strong public engagement with his work at the intersection of music, research, and technological innovation.

Killian Hall
MIT Building 14W
160 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139
https://whereis.mit.edu/?go=14

Special thanks for support: MIT-Japan Program, Global Mediations Lab, CMSW

3) WaveForms:  A Multimedia Art Occurrence

Feb. 12 (Thu) 6-10pm, WaveForms: A Multimedia Art Occurrence, organized by Masary Studios, Boston Museum of Science, & Emerson College, featuring our Spatial Sound Mixtape and more

Emerson Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111

Free ticket reservation (NOTE: we expect this event to sell out, so please reserve your slot in advance):  https://www.mos.org/events/waveforms-multimedia-art-occurrence-winter2026

WaveForms returns for its third year to present a multimedia art occurrence at Emerson Paramount Center in Boston, MA. Presented by the Museum of Science, MASARY Studios, and Emerson College, the evening will feature installation artwork, audio visual performance, spatial sound, experimental animation, and video screenings from artists around the globe as part of the Museum’s Year of Revolutionary Science.

Art, science, and technology are woven together in this one-night-only multimedia art occurrence, exclusively activating the Paramount Center!

WaveForms is produced and curated by a unique cohort of organizations to bring the event to life:

• Video + Animation Screenings curated by Boston CyberArts

• Media Installation Artworks curated by Illuminus Boston

• Spatial Sound Mixtape curated by MIT Spatial Sound Lab

• Audio Visual Performances curated by MASARY

• LED Media Facade curated by Emerson College

AV Production Partner – AVFX

FREE TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE, this event WILL SELL OUT:  https://www.mos.org/events/waveforms-multimedia-art-occurrence-winter2026

I hope to see you at some of these events!

Please contact me if you’d like further information, or to suggest friends and colleagues to invite too.  

To unsubscribe, please just let me know.

Hopeful!

Best,

Ian

Ian Condry, Professor, MIT

Writings, music, radio:

https://linktr.ee/iancondry

508-314-2567

MIT Spatial Sound Lab

spatialsoundlab.mit.edu

Mariam Gviniashvili

live ambisonics sound performance demo and discussion

Nov. 12, 2025 (Wed.)  5:15pm (5pm doors), 

MIT, Room W20-429, MIT Spatial Sound Lab

Stratton Student Center, 4th floor, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139

Demo, talk, and performance:  Mariam will discuss her sonic practice, her use of ambisonics technology, and perform excerpts from her work.  She will also give a performance 11/8 Sat. at Berklee.  

Mariam Gviniashvili is a composer and sound artist working at the intersection of electroacoustic music, 3D sound, and multimedia performance. Her work explores the physical and emotional dimensions of sound and space, often integrating visuals and live performance.

Originally from Georgia, Mariam’s musical journey began in early childhood with singing and piano, eventually leading her to composition studies at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, the Liszt Academy of Music, and the Norwegian Academy of Music. This diverse background informs her artistic themes, from the distractions of online meetings in DAYDREAMING (2022) to the “strange cosmic ballet” (5 against 4) of the audiovisual piece REVELATION (2021), and DECONSTRUCTION (2020), a reflection on the spread patterns of viruses.

Her work has been presented at festivals, venues, and radio broadcasts worldwide, including INA GRM, ZKM | Center for Art and Media, Ars Electronica, EMPAC, and more. Mariam is the recipient of two Honorary Mentions from Prix Ars Electronica (2021, 2023), the PRIX CIME, and the Work of the Year Award (NKF).

https://www.mariamgviniashvili.com

Special thanks to sponsors: MITHIC and CMSW.

RSVP, more info, contact: condry@mit.edu

Free and open to the public.  

Hope to see you there! 

Best,

Ian

Ian Condry, Professor, MIT

Writings, music, radio:

https://linktr.ee/iancondry

Eric Wong

An interactive spatial sound performance with deviated frequencies

Oct. 20, 2025 (Mon) 6pm (5:30pm doors)

Please note special location:

MIT, Room E25-117

45 Carleton St., Cambridge, MA 02139 (Room 117)

Same building as MIT Medical

http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=E25

Performance description:

Eric Wong utilizes multiple Bluetooth speakers to create a spatialized sonic environment that decentralizes the overarching PA system. The portability of these speakers allows both performers and audience members to engage with the sound in varied, dynamic ways. By dispersing the speakers across the space among the audience, they become interactive elements at the performance.

The pitch materials are either in ratio with one another for different shades of harmonies, or are interfering with each other in closely deviated frequencies. The listener’s physical proximity to each speaker influences their perception of these harmonic relationships, revealing different textures of harmony or dissonance depending on their location within the space.

Bio:

Eric Wong is a Berlin-based musician and sound artist whose work involves auditory perception and the exploration of human relationships with sonic environments. He often incorporates spatialized sound and reduced expressions in his work, focusing on fewer gestures instead of constructing linear or non-linear sonic narratives. 

Wong has performed at venues, series, and festivals including Volksbühne (Berlin), Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin), Cafe OTO (London), and many more.  He has released music on labels Edition Wandelweiser, Creative Sources, Inexhaustible Editions, Full Body Massage Records, Lona Records, Sello Postal, Vintage Vinyl HK, Party Perfect!, Aloe Records, Ftarri, and Infant Tree.

Born in Minneapolis, MN in 1981, he spent his childhood and teenage years in Hong Kong before moving back to study psychology at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, and audio production and engineering at the Institute of Production and Recording. Afterwards he relocated to Hong Kong again where he was active in the indie rock and improvised music scene. He moved to Berlin in 2014.

https://www.eric-wong.net

Sponsored by Goethe Institut, MITHIC, and Global Mediations Lab (CMSW)

Dissolve Music @ MIT 2025 was a great success. Thanks to all the performers and audience members!

Building W97, black box theater

345 Vassar St., Cambridge, MA 02139

Free, open to the public, details below

Oct. 2 (Thu)

7:00pm – 9:00pm (doors 6:30pm): 

MUSIC performances in order + reception to follow

William Smith electroacoustic spatial composition

Leftroman (Ian Condry) spatial beats and bass, new album premiere

dragonchild 4-LP vinyl octophonic composition

Switch Angel with LOFI.SCIFI live coding music and generative video 

Oct. 3 (Fri)  

3:00-4:30pm lightning TALKS and discussion, free and open to the public

Featured speakers (roughly 10 min. talks + 10 min discussion for each) expected order:

Portrait XO American musician based in Berlin will discuss her experience with AI and music production. 

Alejandro Cabrera Founder, Audio Brewers, ambisonics software for music production and listening

Miyuki Tanaka Curator and author from Japan who works on sound and disability justice

Kyle Keane Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol (UK), frontiers of accessible technology

7:00-9:00pm (doors 6:30pm):  MUSIC performances + reception to follow

Manaswi Mishra improvised music for the futures of AI instruments, based at MIT

Christian Frederickson, Dan Safer, Ishmail Houston-Jones original music and freeform dance from MIT Theater w/ friend

Nelly Kate, Justin Looper, Access Lab and Library improvised sound, live captions, transistors in translation, Lab co-organizers

Portrait XO music and AI, sound and visuals, based in Berlin

DESCRIPTION:  

Dissolve Music @ MIT is a two-day spatial sound showcase and conference, welcoming local scholars and artists as well as others from Japan, Europe, Australia, and across the US.  Held in MIT’s black box theater in Music and Theater Arts’ building W97, the event aims at community building to connect students, faculty, musicians and technologists through performances, discussions, lighning talks, and receptions.  

This is a project of the MIT Spatial Sound Lab, a community studio since 2019 to explore the social, artistic and technological potential of creating music and sound art that comes from all directions.  Our goals aim to dissolve boundaries between sound art and music, between academic disciplines, and between audience and performers.  

The 2025 edition will be the fifth iteration of the event, featuring artists from MIT, Berlin, Tokyo, Athens, Melbourne, NYC and beyond.  Focal themes this year include accessibility, inclusiveness, AI and creativity, and the social possibilities of spatial sound for live performance. 

RESERVE TICKETS (free):  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dissolve-music-mit-tickets-1527513186059

MORE INFO about the Lab and events:  spatialsoundlab.mit.edu 

Contact:  Ian Condry, condry@mit.edu 

This event made possible with generous support:  

Global Mediations Lab MIT, 

MITHIC Sound Lab Unworking Group, 

MIT Office of the Arts, 

Comparative Media Studies / Writing (dept),

Music and Theater Arts (dept)

MIT Morningside Academy for Design, 

and the numerous artists and volunteers affiliated with

the MIT Spatial Sound Lab.  

Special thanks to my co-organizers, Justin Looper and Nelly Kate too.  

We hope to see you there!  

Best, 

Ian 

Ian Condry, Professor, MIT

Writings, music, radio: https://linktr.ee/iancondry

Our experimental club night continues . . .ECHO CHAMBER #2:

OLMEC head vs. Tesla DANCE PARTY

May 14, 2025 Wed 8pm – midnight

Cloud & Spirits (bar) 795 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139

live quad + spatial mix with residents

Nelly Kate

Justin Looper

Leftroman 

Special guest DJ:  M_TT D_LL

$10 / NOTAFLOF / 21+

RSVP, info & contact:  Ian Condry condry@mit.edu