Alex Kearney

What did you do before joining dBs?  

I'm currently studying the MA Innovation in Sound degree at dBs Plymouth. Outside of my studies, I am a sound artist (The 21 Gram Experiment) and lIve electronic music performer and producer.
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Why did you first get into sound art?

While studying the BA (Hons) Electronic Music Production, I used my dissertation module to create a live theatre performance that saw me collaborate with multiple people across several disciplines, which directly led to working on the sound elements for some community-based art projects and then onto subsequent commissions. I gravitated towards sound art because I enjoy the freeform and abstract nature of its practice, but also how it can be highly conceptual. It can be hard to apply this in a more traditionally music-based practice.
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Any special areas of interest?

I have a passion for hardware-based live performance, applying generative and aleatoric processes, the “violation of expectation” is a term used to describe not conforming to traditional compositional and performative techniques, and I try to run with this when I can.

What do you love most about what you do?

Being creative, in any of its forms, It’s a huge motivator and a passion of mine. To be able to start with a blank canvas and end up with 'something', be that a personal piece of art, a collaborative project or seeing something I’ve had a hand in come to fruition is immensely gratifying.

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Tell us about your proudest career moment?

So far I would say my performance, 'Footwork in Flow' for my BA dissertation, which was at The Barbican Theatre and was a real collaborative process and showed me how to pull a project together. It was also where I started to develop my sound art practice.
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Also playing Hellfest to 100,000 people was cool!

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What do you get up to outside of your role at dBs?

I'm a freelance sound artist, collaborator and convention disruptor.

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Tell us something our students may not know about you?

I have Chromaesthesia.

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