Parasocial Listening Event

This project is a spatial-audio listening event for the EP “parasocial” led by the innovative music songwriter Bishop Ivy. It includes a demonstration of Ivy’s custom-made electronic glove that was used to control the speed of the music in synchronized live performances.

Twelve speakers were arranged in a circle at Carnegie Mellon’s Alumni Concert hall, each playing different stems from the record. Attendees were invited to walk around the room, changing their experience of the sound by changing their location.

All songs were written and produced by Bishop Ivy. 12-speaker version mixed by Ivy. The stereo version was mixed and masted by Ground Control, also known as Apollo LTD.

The EP “parasocial” expresses how the songwriter recognized that he would often write to others without expecting any response.  Whether writing to a partner or himself, it was as if he was writing to ghosts. “Parasocial” depicts the kind of one-way relationship that someone might have with people unaware of the relationship, such as celebrities or fictional characters. Ivy mentions that he likes the similarity to the word “paranormal,” that connected to the analogy of ghosts and the ghosts’ nature of the record in general. 

Check out the project page to watch project video documentation, listen to the live performance, and learn more about the Songwriter’s other projects connected with “Parasocial.”

This project was made possible by Frank-Ratchye Further Fund Grant #2022-001.