Radio Chthulucene 87.9 FM

For this project I wanted to merge the fun of celebrating birthdays with the creative capabilities of technology. I was inspired by depth of the “Happy Birthday” song at scale and the personalized social technologies that have unlocked a new facet of personal celebratory. This localized radio station plays the song “Happy Birthday” on 87.9 FM with the warmth of a birthday call and the novelty of custom radio hardware, powered by an Arduino and an FM transmitter.

It was the basic idea of creating a device which can charge an ordinary mundane moment into an interesting and unforgettable one. The project lives inside of a gift box that encapsulates the very spirit of birthdays and gifting. Even the box adds an element of mystery and joy to the exhilarating birthday occasion. The direct segue to Volume 10 is a means of ensuring that thematic integrity reaches across the major content of the project, serving to prevent the work from being reduced to technical achievement alone, and leaves a lasting emotional impression on its audience.

The project itself is (for technical folks here) a simple programming of an Arduino to play the “Happy Birthday” melody of simple sine wave tones. This system is built around an Arduino with an FM transmitter module, here the TEA5767, that broadcasts the song over 87.9 FM. It turns the hacked-together ditty into a loose streaming network that any FM radio in your vicinity can tune into. This feature of the project highlights the social nature of radio, inviting listeners in the broadcast region to join them in the celebration.

Through an FM transmitter, the project reframes a commonplace piece of technology, regarded by many as a relic of another era, into a platform for self-representation and partnership. The decision to broadcast on 87.9 FM is meaningful and indicative of a local/public mode of communication that, however fleeting, may be able to unite folks together in the simultaneous celebration of a birthday song.

My goal in building this project was to discover what could be created with everyday technology and use it to bring moments of joy and bonding. The supposed-dead FM radio comes alive as a platform for individual expression, a flagging of success. In so doing, this project unites the old and the new, and illustrates how advancements can revitalize an old craft.

The project also represents my interest in the place where art, technology, and human experience meet. A perfect reflection of how technology, when used with imagination, can magnify the very human qualities of celebration and togetherness. A basic tune played over FM radio, this project makes a mainstream song sound new again and serves as a new approach to commemorate the technical and emotional aspects of the human experience.

A huge thank you to the Visual Art Facility Team for giving me the gallery space to install my project, and for helping me so much throughout the whole process. We also support and recognition of the importance that their initiative was key to the completion of this project.