AHRC Funded Research at Oxford Brookes

Max Eastley worked as a Research Fellow in the Sonic Art Research Unit at Oxford Brookes University from 2010 - 2013 under an AHRC award. The title of Eastley's research project was Aeolian Sound: An investigation of Aeolian Phenomena and their incorporation into Sonic Culture.

The key objective of Eastley's research project has been to energise debate regarding Aeolian Phenomena; their Cultural, Natural, and Sonic Histories; and their presence in Contemporary Sound Art practices. Further objectives included:

  • The examination and documentation of the Natural History of Aeolian Phenomena.
  • The collation and documentation of materials - both texts and recordings - relating to the invention of Aeolian devices including Aeolian Bows, Flutes, Tiles, and Harps.
  • An examination of the impact Aeolian Sounds and Phenomena have had on Sonic and Literary Culture.
  • The creation, testing and installation of a series of experimental Aeolian devices in both rural and urban environments.

Aeolian Sound explored these objectives through the creation of installation, performance, text and online outputs including:

  • A series of newly constructed Aeolian devices to take up temporary and permanent positions in rural and urban environments.
  • Multi-media publications to include transcriptions of Aeolian phenomena; audio recordings; video documentation; and texts discussing the various histories of Aeolian devices.
  • Peer-Reviewed Journal Article charting the impact of Aeolian phenomena on Sonic and Literary Culture.
  • This website, which both charts the progress of the project and serves as an archive for images; sound-recordings; video; transcriptions and textual responses to the process.