Sonic Fabrics

Alyce Santoro of Sonic Fabrics weaves a blend of old audiotapes and cotton that retain their magnetic properties even after they are fabricated.


Some FAQ's from her website:

How is it possible to "listen" to Sonic Fabric?

Sonic fabric emits sound when you run a tape head (the little thingy inside the
tape deck that touches the tape) over it. Because the tape retains its magnetic
quality through the weaving process, it acts as a big wide band of tape.

What does the fabric sound like?

I had no idea when I first conceived of this project that the fabric would be
"listenable"... the point for me was just to get as many of my all-time favorite sounds
onto the recording. So I made a collage of layered samples from my collection using an
analog 4-track recorder. When you run the tape head over the fabric you are reading
4 or 5 strands of tape at once ... in other words, 16 or 20 tracks all mixed together.
It sounds kind of like scratching a record backwards or radio static.

How can I make my own Sonic fabric listening device?

It's quite simple, actually. Just take an old tape walkman, unscrew the head
and remount it on the outside of the plastic housing using silicone. Plug in the
headphones, turn the volume all the way up, and press PLAY. Now run the head
over the fabric. Works best if you drag it along in the same direction as the
tape (as opposed to running it along the warp, which is cotton or polyester).
Try it at various speeds and see what happens.

more here