johan pardo

Ikaro is a “photosynthesizer”, an audiovisual and performative instrument which emits light and translates it into sonic frequencies. In the continuity of visual music devices, that represent sound in the form of a visual medium, Ikaro invites the user and the audience to look as well as to listen.

Ikaro imagines a new way of producing sounds by manipulating light. Through an interface composed of a series of modular elements, the system allows several ways of combining, emitting and filtering light, reinterpreting the concept of a modular synthesizer by controlling fans, LEDs, and lasers. Analog sound synthesis consists in modulating sounds in the form of an electrical signal: in Ikaro, the sound is directly produced by photovoltaic cells that transform light into electrical variations. Through those “light microphones”, Ikaro also explores a fundamental dimension of electronic music in a raw way.

“Ikaro” is a term that designates specific chants of Amazonian basin, especially of the Chipibo-Conibo ethnic group. They are also called “songs of light”, which come from visions and bring them. They also designate a craft that is their own, based on black and white geometric patterns that are usually punctuated with vivid pieces of colors. This title was chosen for the resonance as well as a tribute to this culture.