Sonic and Social Fermentation

The Alchemy of Sound and Intersectionalities

Sound begins as a seed—a vibration in the air, a hum of possibility. Like the raw ingredients of fermentation, it holds the potential to transform, connect, and nourish. It resonates beyond its immediate presence, unfolding in layers as it intersects with people, places, and histories. This alchemical process is at the heart of projects like Soy and Synth, Jendela Sonorama, and TAHANGUENTAR, where sound serves not only as an art form but as a medium for exploring empathy, identity, and shared experiences.
My contribution to this almanac is an excerpt from my upcoming publication, structured as a cookbook, where I reflect on my artistic practice through several key projects—particularly the three mentioned above. Each project metaphorically aligns with a recipe I have developed over the years, especially those connected to Soydivision, the platform and artist collective I founded in 2016.

The Sonic Mutation Journey: From Soy & Synth to TAHANGUENTAR

Soy and Synth began in 2018 as a sonic and social experiment, centering on improvisation as an act of negotiating empathy.

Link to some of soy and synth audio archive

Each edition paired sound artists—most of whom had never met before—on stage, challenging them to communicate and co-create through sound. With each performance, I also prepared a dish dedicated to the event. The process mirrored the way ingredients interact in a recipe, yielding unpredictable yet deeply resonant results. Over time, Soy and Synth evolved into an organic social gathering, expanding social capital and fostering friendships and collaborations.

During the project’s 24th edition on May 30, 2020, we invited Pedro Oliveira to perform. This encounter sparked the inception of another project — Jendela Sonorama.
Emerging from a shared desire to position sound as a research interface, Jendela Sonorama investigated historical phenomena in both Indonesia and Brazil. Envisioned as a South-to-South sonic dialogue, the project sought to uncover hidden knowledge from shared experiences of colonialism and diaspora. Just as fermentation requires time and the right conditions to evolve, Jendela Sonorama developed into a platform where sound artists explored these intersections.

Link to some of soy and synth audio archive

Over time, the project further mutated into TAHANGUENTAR, a theatrical and cinematic intervention. As its project statement describes:
“TAHANGUENTAR takes sonic performativity into a cinematic realm, experimenting with narratives rooted in oral traditions, historical trauma, and speculative future
mythologies.”

The Fermentation Analogy: From Soybeans to Tempeh Bacem

This transformation—from Soy and Synth to Jendela Sonorama, and ultimately to TAHANGUENTAR—mirrors the process of turning soybeans into tempeh, and then into tempeh bacem.
Fermenting soybeans with Rhizopus mould allows them to break down and merge into a new, complex form. Similarly, sound begins as improvisation (Soy and Synth), develops into a structured yet evolving research framework (Jendela Sonorama), and eventually matures into a fully realised artistic intervention (TAHANGUENTAR).
Just as fermentation amplifies flavours, enriching and deepening tempeh’s character, the intersection of sound and social engagement enhances the impact of these artistic projects. To complete this metaphor, I offer a recipe for tempeh bacem—a traditional variation of tempeh. This dish, slow-cooked in spices and coconut water, embodies the principles of careful cultivation and transformation, much like the journey of sound in my work.
Link to some of soy and synth audio archive

Recipe: Tempeh Bacem

Ingredients:

• 200g tempeh, cut into thick slices
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 200ml coconut water
• Oil for frying

Instructions:

1. In a pan, combine tempeh slices, coconut sugar, tamarind paste, bay leaves, garlic, shallots, coriander powder, salt, and coconut water.
2. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
3. Once the tempeh has absorbed the flavours, remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
4. Heat oil in a pan and fry the tempeh until golden brown on both sides.
5. Serve warm, savoring the layers of flavour

Sound as a Catalyst Bacteria in Social Fermentation

Sound, much like the bacterial cultures in fermentation, is an unseen yet powerful catalyst for transformation. Just as Rhizopus mould interacts with soybeans—breaking them down and fostering their transformation into tempeh—sound interacts with social and cultural mediums, shifting perceptions, generating dialogue, and creating new forms of expression. This process is both unpredictable and essential—it fosters growth, deepens connections, and turns raw sonic elements into meaningful compositions that resonate far beyond their origin.
Through its intersections—of art and activism, culture and memory—sound reveals its alchemical ability to bridge divides, foster dialogue, and inspire collective action. The bacteria in fermentation create a living, dynamic ecosystem, much like how sound in social settings generates evolving networks of understanding and collaboration.
This fermentation is not just a metaphor, it is an active process that shapes how we experience sound, art, and each other.
This is the essence of Sonic and Social Fermentation: The Alchemy of Sound and Intersectionalities—a suggestion, an invitation, a speculation that sound (much like fermentation) undergoes a dynamic transformation.