Welcome to the MIT Spatial Sound Lab
The MIT Spatial Sound Lab is a community studio for making immersive sound productions. Please sign up for our email list to learn about upcoming events, workshops, listening sessions or to get involved in one of our research tracks.
Welcome
The MIT Spatial Sound Lab is a community studio for making immersive sound productions and for researching the social possibilities of immersive audio, especially for public performance. We started in November 2019, thanks to a collaboration with d&b Audiotechnik and MIT Office of the Arts.
We are housed in the MIT Stratton Student Center at 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 in room W20-429, a shared space operated by MIT Arts. We have a 14.2 speaker system that runs the d&b Soundscape, an object-based mixing platform.
We organize workshops, listening sessions, sound events and ongoing research, experimentation and production.
Our research themes include: Accessible Technology and Disability Justice; Soundscapes of Global Feminism; Spatial Music Performance; Spatial Justice; Sonifying Supermassive Black Holes; Interactive Spatial Design and more.
If you’re interested in getting involved or learning more, please send us an email to be added to our periodic updates. We hope to see you!
Contact: Ian Condry (Professor, MIT) condry@mit.edu
Events
Upcoming
Eric Wong
live spatial sound with deviated frequencies
Oct. 20, 2025 (Mon) 6pm (5:30pm doors)
MIT, Room E25-117, 45 Carleton St., Cambridge, MA 02139, same bulding as MIT Medical. Note special location.
AND ALSO . . .
Mariam Gviniashvili
live ambisonics sound performance demo and discussion
Nov. 12, 2025 (Wed.) 5:15pm (5pm doors),
MIT, Room W20-429, MIT Spatial Sound Lab
Stratton Student Center, 4th floor, 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
More details:
Eric Wong
An interactive spatial sound performance with deviated frequencies
Oct. 20, 2025 (Mon) 6pm (5:30pm doors)
Please note special location:
MIT, Room E25-117
45 Carleton St., Cambridge, MA 02139 (Room 117)
Same building as MIT Medical
http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=E25
Performance description:
Eric Wong utilizes multiple Bluetooth speakers to create a spatialized sonic environment that decentralizes the overarching PA system. The portability of these speakers allows both performers and audience members to engage with the sound in varied, dynamic ways. By dispersing the speakers across the space among the audience, they become interactive elements at the performance.
The pitch materials are either in ratio with one another for different shades of harmonies, or are interfering with each other in closely deviated frequencies. The listener’s physical proximity to each speaker influences their perception of these harmonic relationships, revealing different textures of harmony or dissonance depending on their location within the space.
Bio:
Eric Wong is a Berlin-based musician and sound artist whose work involves auditory perception and the exploration of human relationships with sonic environments. He often incorporates spatialized sound and reduced expressions in his work, focusing on fewer gestures instead of constructing linear or non-linear sonic narratives.
Wong has performed at venues, series, and festivals including Volksbühne (Berlin), Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin), Cafe OTO (London), and many more. He has released music on labels Edition Wandelweiser, Creative Sources, Inexhaustible Editions, Full Body Massage Records, Lona Records, Sello Postal, Vintage Vinyl HK, Party Perfect!, Aloe Records, Ftarri, and Infant Tree.
Born in Minneapolis, MN in 1981, he spent his childhood and teenage years in Hong Kong before moving back to study psychology at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, and audio production and engineering at the Institute of Production and Recording. Afterwards he relocated to Hong Kong again where he was active in the indie rock and improvised music scene. He moved to Berlin in 2014.
Sponsored by Goethe Institut, MITHIC, CMSW.
AND
Mariam Gviniashvili
demo, talk and performance for doing spatial music with ambisonics
Nov. 12 Wed. 5:15pm (doors 5pm)
Location: MIT, W20-429, MIT Spatial Sound Lab
Stratton Student Center, fourth floor 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
Demo, talk, and performance: Mariam will discuss her sonic practice, her use of ambisonics technology, and perform excerpts from her work. She will also give a performance 11/8 Sat. at Berklee.
Mariam Gviniashvili is a composer and sound artist working at the intersection of electroacoustic music, 3D sound, and multimedia performance. Her work explores the physical and emotional dimensions of sound and space, often integrating visuals and live performance.
Originally from Georgia, Mariam’s musical journey began in early childhood with singing and piano, eventually leading her to composition studies at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, the Liszt Academy of Music, and the Norwegian Academy of Music. This diverse background informs her artistic themes, from the distractions of online meetings in DAYDREAMING (2022) to the “strange cosmic ballet” (5 against 4) of the audiovisual piece REVELATION (2021), and DECONSTRUCTION (2020), a reflection on the spread patterns of viruses.
Her work has been presented at festivals, venues, and radio broadcasts worldwide, including INA GRM, ZKM | Center for Art and Media, Ars Electronica, EMPAC, and more. Mariam is the recipient of two Honorary Mentions from Prix Ars Electronica (2021, 2023), the PRIX CIME, and the Work of the Year Award (NKF).
https://www.mariamgviniashvili.com
Special thanks to sponsors: MITHIC and CMSW.
RSVP, more info, contact: condry@mit.edu
Both events are free and open to the public.
Hope to see you there!
Best,
Ian
Ian Condry, Professor, MIT
Writings, music, radio:
‘
Past events
Dissolve Music @ MIT 2025 was a great success. Thanks to all the performers and audience members!
Building W97, black box theater
345 Vassar St., Cambridge, MA 02139
Free, open to the public, details below
Oct. 2 (Thu)
7:00pm – 9:00pm (doors 6:30pm):
MUSIC performances in order + reception to follow
William Smith electroacoustic spatial composition
Leftroman (Ian Condry) spatial beats and bass, new album premiere
dragonchild 4-LP vinyl octophonic composition
Switch Angel with LOFI.SCIFI live coding music and generative video
Oct. 3 (Fri)
3:00-4:30pm lightning TALKS and discussion, free and open to the public
Featured speakers (roughly 10 min. talks + 10 min discussion for each) expected order:
Portrait XO American musician based in Berlin will discuss her experience with AI and music production.
Alejandro Cabrera Founder, Audio Brewers, ambisonics software for music production and listening
Miyuki Tanaka Curator and author from Japan who works on sound and disability justice
Kyle Keane Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol (UK), frontiers of accessible technology
7:00-9:00pm (doors 6:30pm): MUSIC performances + reception to follow
Manaswi Mishra improvised music for the futures of AI instruments, based at MIT
Christian Frederickson, Dan Safer, Ishmail Houston-Jones original music and freeform dance from MIT Theater w/ friend
Nelly Kate, Justin Looper, Access Lab and Library improvised sound, live captions, transistors in translation, Lab co-organizers
Portrait XO music and AI, sound and visuals, based in Berlin
DESCRIPTION:
Dissolve Music @ MIT is a two-day spatial sound showcase and conference, welcoming local scholars and artists as well as others from Japan, Europe, Australia, and across the US. Held in MIT’s black box theater in Music and Theater Arts’ building W97, the event aims at community building to connect students, faculty, musicians and technologists through performances, discussions, lighning talks, and receptions.
This is a project of the MIT Spatial Sound Lab, a community studio since 2019 to explore the social, artistic and technological potential of creating music and sound art that comes from all directions. Our goals aim to dissolve boundaries between sound art and music, between academic disciplines, and between audience and performers.
The 2025 edition will be the fifth iteration of the event, featuring artists from MIT, Berlin, Tokyo, Athens, Melbourne, NYC and beyond. Focal themes this year include accessibility, inclusiveness, AI and creativity, and the social possibilities of spatial sound for live performance.
RESERVE TICKETS (free): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dissolve-music-mit-tickets-1527513186059
MORE INFO about the Lab and events: spatialsoundlab.mit.edu
Contact: Ian Condry, condry@mit.edu
This event made possible with generous support:
Global Mediations Lab MIT,
MITHIC Sound Lab Unworking Group,
MIT Office of the Arts,
Comparative Media Studies / Writing (dept),
Music and Theater Arts (dept)
MIT Morningside Academy for Design,
and the numerous artists and volunteers affiliated with
the MIT Spatial Sound Lab.
Special thanks to my co-organizers, Justin Looper and Nelly Kate too.
We hope to see you there!
Best,
Ian
Ian Condry, Professor, MIT
Writings, music, radio: https://linktr.ee/iancondry
Our experimental club night continues . . .ECHO CHAMBER #2:
OLMEC head vs. Tesla DANCE PARTY
May 14, 2025 Wed 8pm – midnight
Cloud & Spirits (bar) 795 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139
live quad + spatial mix with residents
Nelly Kate
Justin Looper
Leftroman
Special guest DJ: M_TT D_LL
$10 / NOTAFLOF / 21+
RSVP, info & contact: Ian Condry condry@mit.edu
May 7 Wed 6:00pm start (5:30pm doors & snacks)
Spring’s End 2025 Showcase: original spatial sound compositions
Camille Toubol Fernandez (Berklee)
Fadil Cantave (MIT)
Timo Preece (Berklee)
April 23 Wed – Berklee Multi-Channel All-Stars x MIT Spatial Sound Lab, hosted by Prof. Lee Gilboa
5:30pm doors and snacks
6:00pm spatial mixtape performances featuring current students and faculty at Berklee College of Music
including (alphabetical order): Ophelia Badretdinova, Ela Brown, Camille Toubol Fernandez, Borys Uzieblo, Advika Krishnan, Charlie Shi, Teya Weir and Prof. Lee Gilboa
MIT, Room W20-429 at Stratton Student Center, 4th floor, Arts Studio / Spatial Sound Lab at 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
May 7 Wed – End-of-Semester Lab Showcase
5:30pm doors and snacks
6:00pm performances TBD
If you might be interested in presenting work on May 7, please contact me (Ian) condry@mit.edu
MIT, Room W20-429 at Stratton Student Center, 4th floor, Arts Studio / Spatial Sound Lab at 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
4/16 W 6pm talk, demo, performance (5:30pm doors & snacks),
Andrew Neumann “Spatialization (the Analog Way)” flyer below
Room W20-429, Stratton Student Center, 4F, 84 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Andrew Neumann is a local artist and winner of a Guggenheim grant, who performs sound and video works around the world.
In this talk and performance, Andrew will discuss the possibilities of using a modular synthesizer in a multichannel speaker environment. He will use a modest sized eurorack system controlling a quadraphonic panning module, via the use of LFOs, VCAs, arpeggiators, etc., to send signals throughout the speaker array system. He will explain the patch, and discuss his own history of working modular synthesis and integrating video as a visual component.
BIO: Andrew Neumann is an American artist who works in a variety of media, including sculpture, film, video installation, and electronic/interactive music. His work is largely concerned with developing hybrid systems that integrate sound, image and text into performative and installation situations.. In 2004 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship. He received a New Work Grant through Harvestworks in 2019. He has had one-person shows at bitforms Gallery in Seoul, Korea, the DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA, bitforms Gallery, NYC, the Boston Cyberarts Festival. His music is currently available through Bandcamp. His single channel videos have been shown on PBS, The Worldwide Video Festival, Artist Space, Microscope Gallery, and elsewhere. He has been awarded residencies at The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, Ucross Foundaion, AIR Krems, Austria, STEIM, and elsewhere. He was included in “ROCKS ROLE (after Ryoanji)” at Artist Space, NYC. He has had solo music/video performances at numerous venues, including the List Visual arts Center, MIT, Experimental Intermedia and Roulette, both in NYC.
April 2 Wed – “Flares” by Xavier Paes and Ines Tartaruga Agua, a multichannel music performance exploring eco-awareness, gleaning, and multidimensional calls to action
6:00pm performance in multichannel sound
MIT, Room W20-429 at Stratton Student Center, Spatial Sound Lab at 84 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
3/12 Wed 6p, 7p, and 8-10pm “Puro Spirito,” MIT Room W20-429, as part of Artfinity: MIT Arts Festival 2025. Ticketed performances 6pm and 7pm, & open afterparty/reception 8-10pm. FREE.
Xavier Paes, Ines Tartaruga Agua “Puro Spirito”
with Kris Pilcher opening
https://artfinity.mit.edu/event/puro-spirito-immersive-sonic-experiences
https://readymag.website/xavierpaes/todayistoday/about
3/8 Sat 10am – 12noon “Boston’s Birds,” soundwalk, demo and discussion with Florian Grond and Vytautas Bucionis, as part of Transcultural Exchange Conference (requires conference registration).
February 13, 2025 (Thu) 8pm – midnight “Fight Back Dance Party” at Cloud & Spirits, 795 Main St., Cambridge, MA 02139, 21+ / $10 / NOTAFLOF; music in quad surround by Nelly Kate, Justin Looper & Leftroman; visuals by Seth Riskin (baby light ballet) & Kris Pilcher (live painting).
Dissolve Music Oct. 3-4, 2024 (Th/Fri) Spatial sound performance and talks about spatial justice.
Sonic robot sessions with Moritz Simon Geist Oct. 7-9, 2024 (M, Tu, W).
WaveForms with MASARY Studios and others, a multimedia event including our “Spatial Mixtape,” featuring local artists in quadraphonic surround.
Unstuffy 01, June 2024, workshop on accessible tech and disability justice.