Sonic Bed

Sonic Bed (part of the music for bodies project) is a virtual and terrestrial research project making new music and ways of enjoying it through your body rather than just through your ears.

“These [beds], with speakers immersed in their upholstery, create situations that transform the listening experience for the sitter into a stimulating and sensual massage, turning ‘weird’ or ‘boring’ music into something meaningful. All kinds of people would queue for hours, have very different experiences and talk of the musical as well as physical and psychological sensations they have had afterwards.” -Kaffe Matthews 2000

The success of Sonic Bed London, the first to be exhibited, spawned the growing number of localized versions of the Bed in different countries around the world. The British Council commissioning Sonic Bed_Shanghai in April and Taipei Cultural Department the Sonic Bed_Taipei in November. Both beds are hand-made by local craftsmen, one is hand carved, and they are upholstered in locally made fabrics. Workshops and commissions will follow in Shanghai and Taichung in 2007 to make new music for both Beds by artists, children, older residents and composers. Sonic Bed_Quebec is also commissioned for February 2007, with the potential of Sonic Bed_Scotland, Sonic Bed_New York, and Sonic Bed_Paris on the way.