Material–Texture–Sound
- Jul 6
- 1 min read
During NSCAD Design Week 2026, Design and Expanded Media joined forces to host Paul David Rollmann’s hands-on research session exploring how physical materials translate into sonic textures. Through close listening and practical recording exercises, participants collected sound samples from a variety of textiles, manipulated tactile qualities, and shaped those recordings into musical and textural elements. Students examined and handled different surfaces, stretched and pulled fabrics over frames, and varied tension to change sonic character. Some recorded with field recorders and high-quality microphones to capture subtle haptics, then engaged in deep listening to identify timbral and rhythmic possibilities. By the end of the session, participants had created audio samples that were edited and processed into finished recordings. The following day, Paul David Rollmann performed these experimental recordings while David Clark from the Expanded Media department matched the audio with live, audio-reactive projected visuals.
Paul David Rollmann lives and works in Kleestadt near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose music is at the forefront of his creative work. Led by an intuitive approach, his productions are reductive yet rich in anecdotes combining audio-visual snapshots, material research and the processing of moods.