The sensuality of low frequency sound

This chapter will examine musical works that feature electronically produced low frequency sound to create unique, sensuous responses in listeners. How these sounds and related concepts are rendered and received is discussed in the works of three artists working across music performance, installation, and composition: Thembi Soddell (Australia), Marina Rosenfeld (United States of America) and myself (Australia). The distinctive and unique approach to employing low frequency sound by each of us is framed as a way to extend the listening experience toward a more physical and embodied experience for audiences. The engagement of very low frequency (VLF) sound in the works is discussed from compositional, performative, and reception perspectives. A brief overview of the experience of VLF in music is followed by a claim for its sensuous nature, and the range of theoretical approaches to engaging VLF are discussed, informing the subsequent discussion of exemplar works.