Large Dark Wind Chime (Tritone Westy)

The sound of the wind chime was recorded in the dome of Secession in Vienna on September 17, 2008 at 2.30 pm. The specifically developed wind chime was installed on the top of the building to send out “bad vibes” over Vienna during the course of Klaus Webers’ solo exhibition.

The wind chime is 4.3 meters high and made from tempered aluminium. Its composition is based on the Tritone (tritonus)—the “diabolus” in music, what is know as the “devils interval.” “Diabolus in Musica” is Latin for the Devil in Music. It is used to describe a musical interval consisting of three whole tones comparable to the augmented fourth or diminished fifth. It is often used as the main musical interval of dissonance in Western harmony.

In medieval times, the Tritone—after being rejected by the Church as the interval of the Holy Trinity—was deemed the interval of the Devil himself. Some sources say the interval was outlawed as it was thought to evoke sexual feelings. There was a general belief that playing the interval aroused the devil. As a result a great deal of superstition became associated with the interval. Through this original symbolic association with Satan, and its avoidance, the interval became known in Western cultural convention to carry evil connotations and represent the “other.” In popular music such as heavy metal and particularly black metal the Tritone is an important interval. It is even used in the theme tune for The Simpsons.

The chimes are designed so that the frequency ratios of the instrument create distinct beats and waves when several pipes vibrate simultaneously. It is less about the isolated individual tones and instead their droning after-effects. Alternate pipe constellations result in different vibration patterns. These sonic patterns can be seen to modulate the surrounding physical space, dynamically overlapping or taking on the sound of the urban environment.

The recording of the sculpture was basically not manipulated in the recording studio.

Concept & Composition by Klaus Weber
Record Cover Design by Christian Wurster