Cicada FM

Cicada FM is an infinite point, location specific modular sound installation, whose name and concept pays homage to the summer emergences of millions of cicada singing in trees. Cicada FM consists of various low power FM transmitters and a collection of battery, solar and crank powered boom boxes, and transistor radios. FM radio signals are broadcast to the receivers orchestrated into a malleable large-scale sound installation. The project usually takes place in wooded areas but also has been staged in urban environments as well as indoor locations. Kuffner has used between 4 and 60 radio sources broadcasting as many as 6 unique mono signals at one time. Often the content that is broadcasted will be linked to a central theme behind each installation. One of his seminal pieces was called Sonnets for Trees, which is a series of abstract love poems (often wordless) written to trees from the point of view of whispering into the cracks of the bark. Other pieces have emulated white noise from various locations in juxtaposition to natural sounds of the installation site.