Soft Jaws
Underwater Sound Installation, 2004
Västra Hamnen, Mälmo, Sweden, Aug. 6& 8, 2004
Soft Jaws is an underwater sound installation; the speaker is completely submerged so the audience must swim or float in the water to listen. The composition is made from humorous samples (there aren’t many) taken from the film Jaws. Drunken sailor songs and off-key clarinet blasts combine with the sounds of the swimmers and ambience specific to the site.
This underwater broadcast was installed in the sea at Västra Hamnen, a public swimming area in Mälmo, Sweden and very near Copenhagen, Denmark. The event was organized by Laika with support from Malmö Kulturnämnd, and curated by Alison Gerber of Hostel Projects. The event, part of karta/terräng (maps/terrains), included 10 other sound artists from around the world, and was documented via underwater recording. The recording is available for purchase on Compact Disc from Laika (www.laika.nu).