RADIO

RADIO

Work created in 2025/8/23

This work is an Internet art piece that reconstructs the experience of operating a radio receiver through the Web Audio API. Through a virtual radio interface, users can explore diverse sonic contents distributed across different frequency bands.
At its core lies a real-time sound synthesis system based on a Web AudioContext operating at a sample rate of 22050 Hz. The visual design—green digital numerals displayed against a minimalist black background—deliberately references the aesthetics of 1980s digital devices and terminal screens. This visual choice not only evokes nostalgia but also offers a critical perspective on the materiality of digital media.
A defining feature of the work is the allocation of contents with distinct acoustic characteristics to different frequency bands. Within the 88.0–108.0 MHz range, abstract sonic materials such as 'Textural Noise' and 'Harmonic Drones' can be received, each generated with varying quality indices and noise ratios. Through this design, users are invited to experience the work as a process of active exploration.
By recreating the twentieth-century medium of radio within a browser environment, the work simultaneously questions both continuity and rupture in media history. Replacing the physical reception of electromagnetic waves with digitally synthesized signals foregrounds a fundamental inquiry: is the essence of media to be found in the 'transmission of information' or in the 'experience of physical phenomena'?
The real-time sonic responses to adjustments of the tuning slider suggest the possibility of tactile experience within digital environments. The visualization of parameters such as AudioContext node counts and quality indices exposes the otherwise hidden internal states of digital processing, signaling a commitment to transparency.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of this work lies in its delicate balance between nostalgia and futurity. While it mimics the analog medium of radio, its implementation relies on state-of-the-art web technologies. This contradiction is intentional, casting light on the complexities of the human–technology relationship.
That said, from the perspective of sonic diversity, an even more experimental approach might have been pursued. The existing categories of 'Textural Noise' and 'Harmonic Drones' remain tied to established notions of experimental music, leaving room for a deeper exploration of the sonic possibilities unique to the Internet.
RADIO functions as an exemplary instance of a media-archaeological approach within digital media art. Its design—combining technical sophistication with conceptual clarity while encouraging active user exploration—deserves recognition. At the same time, the work possesses a critical power to prompt reconsideration of what 'reception' means within today’s media environments.