An Archival Echo: Recalling the public domain through real-time query by vocalisation

In this paper we present a novel system for performative interaction with an archive of public domain music recordings. The system uses real-time query by vocalization to retrieve sounds extracted from chart hit singles of the 1960s. This enables the user, or performer, to generate a cascade of archival echoes from vocalisations. The system was developed for a series of music workshops, held as part of a two art projects centered around the reuse and repurposing of archive recordings. As such the design decisions were shaped by the conceptual framework of the artists and intended audience. Here we outline the context and background of the art projects, describe the query by vocalisation system and discuss the workshops, where the artists invited amateur musicians to use the system to develop a public performance.