The Cherenkov Effect is a project that aims to capture the nuclear anxiety of the 1980s through a combination of generative music and performance art. Radioactive materials such as Strontium-90 and Polonium-210 are used in combination with Geiger counters, microcontrollers, and Ableton Live to create music that evokes feelings of fear and dread familiar to those who lived through the Cold War.
Each track takes its name and inspiration from a nuclear facility — civilian or military — somewhere in the world.
It is an open source project built with Processing, Arduino, TouchDesigner, and Ableton Live.
Watch this video to see how it all works
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Arduino Giga R1 WiFi | AUD$129.95 |
| Seeed Grove Mega Shield | AUD$18.44 |
| 5x Geiger Counter Sensors | AUD$37.99 x 5 |
| 5x 30cm plug-to-plug servo leads | AUD$5.95 x 5 |
| 1x radioactive disc | AUD$320.65 |
| Track Name | Length | Branch Name |
|---|---|---|
| APS 1 Obninsk | 4:00 | obninsk |
| Calder Hall 1 | 7:22 | calder-hall-1 |
| Calder Hall 2 | 3:18 | calder-hall-2 |
| Trinity | 4:20 | trinity |
| Beloyarsk 1 | 5:12 | beloyarsk-1 |
| Novaya Zemlya | 6:28 | novaya-zemlya |
| BR-3 | 4:36 | br-3 |
| AVR Juelich | 5:14 | avr-juelich |