How do you compose a score for an experience that defies language? This was the central challenge for composer Prateek Rajagopal on the Tribeca-premiering VR installation, In The Current of Being.The project immerses viewers in the true story of a woman’s harrowing journey surviving electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), requiring a sonic landscape that could convey memory, trauma, and resilience all at once.I sat down with composer Prateek Rajagopal to discuss how he built a musical language for VR and the responsibility of translating profound human trauma into sound.Let's dive in. - YouTubewww.youtube.comNFS: Hi Prateek! How did you use spatialization to shape the audience’s sense of Carolyn’s body and environment with In The Current of Being?Prateek Rajagopal: Spatialization is the heart of this project. The moment you put on the headset, you’re transported into another world, and the haptic suit deepens that by translating sound into physical sensation. To match that, I approached the music as a living being. I used combined panning, hardware reverbs, and spatial imaging to create the illusion of movement, so the sound doesn’t just surround you – it moves with your experience.NFS: I understand you often record and manipulate your own instrumental playing. Did your own body, as a performer, become part of the haptic design process in any way?PR: My body wasn’t directly part of the process, but my background in extreme metal shaped the way I approached the music. Playing live in that genre is all about intensity – the riffs are punishing, and you...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday