A 2020 archival recording of a small “symphony” of fluorescent lights. As the switch is toggled on and off, the lamps respond with delicate, shifting pitches—soft electrical tones that briefly bloom, shimmer, and fade.

As part of an ongoing inquiry into machine listening, I routed the recorded sound through Suno’s upload analysis to observe how a model narrates what it hears. Its transcription frames the piece as:

“Experimental percussion-based composition featuring a rhythmic dialogue between metallic and wooden textures, The piece is built around a steady, mid-tempo 4/4 pulse characterized by resonant, bell-like strikes on a metal surface, possibly an anvil or heavy pipe, alternating with sharp, dry wooden clacks, The production is raw and minimalist, emphasizing the natural acoustic decay and spatial reverb of a large, industrial room, There is no melodic or harmonic content, focusing entirely on the timbral contrast and rhythmic precision of the percussive hits, The tempo remains constant at approximately 90 BPM, with a repetitive pattern that suggests a mechanical or labor-oriented atmosphere".

Farhad Farzali is a sound artist exploring the intersection of traditional and marginal cultures, popular aesthetics, and contemporary music. His work documents neo-folklore in Azerbaijan and beyond. Exhibited globally, he has showcased and performed at the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival (2014), Venice Biennale (2019), and Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah (2023). His works are part of Yarat Contemporary Art Space and other major museum collections in Azerbaijan. Сurrently lives in Berlin.

Aiganym Mukhamejan (b. 1999) is based in Amsterdam and is a multimedia artist who employs ironic selfportraiture
to reflect on Kazakhstan’s evolving cultural and political identity. Her work often engages with
themes of tradition and modernity, feminist perspectives, and the socio-cultural transformations occurring
in contemporary Kazakh society.