Soundscapes of Nathaniel Ober
When I was introduced to sound artist, Nathaniel Ober’s work, I could not help but reflect on my father’s old adage, “You have two ears and one mouth, what should you do more of?” Ober has described his work as “encouraging less speaking and more listening,” - a man tuned into the higher rules of human philosophy.
The desert will indeed strip you of the noise which is blossoming for some but can be daunting for others. For here is where you can clearly hear the sonic landscape of the natural world as well as your own thoughts. Ober states, “With the simple act of listening, we learn new ways of empathizing with our environment, our neighbor, and even ourselves.”
Plainly put, Ober creates instruments. He grew up playing the guitar but has been building multimedia installations for over 20 years. His work is gritty and elegant while provoking, with inspirations from astrophysics and planetary movements to ritual. Automatadrone is his latest installation in Joshua Tree at The Firehouse. The show is a medley of his works – a culmination of many various projects all under one roof. He explains, “Each instrument will be playing its own note and adding to the overall soundscape.”
“It’s sort of an experiment to see how many things I can plug in at once!”
Can you tell me about your show, Automatadrone?
Automatadrone comes from the words “automata” and “drone”. An automata is a machine that performs a function according to a predetermined set of coded instructions, especially one capable of a range of programmed responses to different circumstances. They were usually built to mimic human motions but even a vending machine is a form of “automata”. And “drone” in music is usually a constant note that is played along to like the bagpipes or as heard in many Hindu religious music.
Your art seems to live in a contemporary cultural space bracketed between sound healing and AI. Are you into sound healing or the musical innovations of AI technology?
I rely on many years of interest and personal research into sound (physically, mentally and even spiritually). This includes sound as a healing force, but I am not tied to this as a practitioner. I’m very weary in general of anyone in the “sound healing” community that claims to be an expert. Instead, I use sound as an artistic medium to experiment and play and leave those determinations to people that have experienced my work.
On the AI side of things, it is also quite intriguing to me, but I don’t think machine made music should ever replace actual musicians. It’s definitely not my intent. I use computers and mechanizations to do things that humans cannot. For example, play a composition based on planetary motions that could cycle for over a billions years before repeating. In that way, AI is super inspiring. But real music is best left for musicians to play.
You are a master fabricator. Do you have a day job?
Yes, unfortunately I have to support myself with dreaded work. I do a lot of carpentry, handyman, construction and general labor to keep myself afloat. I used to do a lot of tech related work like web design, graphic design and I was even a teacher abroad for many years. But now I take commissions and odd jobs that come my way.
And of course, why the desert? How did you end up here?
Well, good question. I guess I’ve just been following whichever way the wind blows for most of my life. I was born and raised in Indiana, moved to Columbus Ohio for a decade. I’ve lived in India, Sri Lanka, and Finland and then made my way back to California, where I did my masters at UCSC in Santa Cruz. Then I moved to Big Sur for quite some time. I was residency hopping the globe, all the while I lived in my van while back in California. I had a good friend that bought property down here in Joshua Tree almost a decade ago and have been coming here off and that entire time. I guess I just ended up here?
The show is only up for a week, boo hoo. Anything in the que?
I’m helping a group of friends set up “All Summers Eve Rendezvous” (#9!) at the Palms in Wonder Valley, happening April 21-22, 2023. It's a real fun little music fest we’ve been doing for nine years now. I’ve been a show organizer for a couple of years, and I’m trying to get more weirdo stuff involved like art installations and performances other than music. So that’s next on my radar.
Nathaniel Ober. Photo by Estée Ochoa
Automatadrone Sound Installation
The Firehouse, 65430 Winters Rd, Joshua Tree
Opening reception, Friday, February 10. 6 - 9 pm (with set by Galecstasy at 8pm)
Closing reception, Saturday, February 18. 2 - 9 pm
February 11-17 viewing by appointment. Email nio@pointe9.com