Attention goths: this music was literally generated by human blood
When Dmitry Morozov created an installation using the bioelectrical properties of his own blood to generate electronic music, he must have known the stir it would cause. The installation, rather chillingly titled ‘Until I Die’, was presented at the Kapelica Gallery in Ljubljana, Slovenia, back in 2017.
Morozov was inspired by Luigi Galvani, the discoverer of electrical properties in animals, and Alessandro Volta, who developed the Voltaic pile, the conceptual starting point for all modern electric batteries, as well as Alexander Bogdanov, a Russian pioneer in hematology.
Over the course of 18 months, Morozov “donated” blood for the musical project, until he had amassed 4.5 litres, a quantity that was later diluted into seven litres; he also took extra care in ensuring that the blood retained its original electrochemical properties. Fascinatingly, he also donated the final 200 millilitres on-site, during the installation itself—it was drawn from Morozov’s arm “during the performance presentation, shortly before the launch of the installation”.
Using techniques I do not fully understand, Morozov was able to create a series of batteries using his own blood, which, when hooked up to speakers, generated curious electronic noises or, if you prefer, music: “A sound unit is connected to the main battery. It consists of voltage converters, buffer capacitors, an Axoloti sound module, a small booster with speakers and a display that shows the voltage after the conversion. This voltage (6.5–7 V) is the main operating voltage of the sound system.”
“This installation operates on unique batteries that generate electricity using my blood,” Morozov writes on his website. “The electric current produced by the batteries powers a small electronic algorithmic synth module. This module creates generative sound composition that plays via a small speaker. The blood used in the installation was stored up gradually over 18 months”.
“The blood was diluted with distilled water and preservatives such as sodium citrate, antibiotics, antifungal agents, glucose, glycerol, etc,” he added. “The last portion of blood (200ml) was drawn from my arm during the performance presentation, shortly before the launch of the installation”.
“Two mutually reinforcing concepts form the central premise of the project,” he adds. “The first one is my desire to create a technobiological hybrid device after several years of fruitful but exhausting work. This device would be something that is in all but name me, that uses my vitality to create electronic sounds,” explains Morozov.
“Another crucial component of the installation is the generation of electricity: this is the cornerstone of my creative work. The fact that my body’s most important fluid can animate a device designed as an extension of myself beyond my body is also very significant.”
You can find out more about the project at Morozov’s website, but a bulk of the information is also included in the video below.