Dolunay Solmaz
© Dolunay Solmaz

Laurie Anderson – O Superman


Spiral Spectogram Analysis

— FORMAT

Audio-Visual Analysis / Creative Coding Study


— ROLE

Concept development, spectral analysis, visualization design, implementation


— MEDIUM

Processing (Minim + FFT), Sonic Visualiser, spiral mapping, time–frequency analysis


— DATE

12.01.2026


Overview

This project analyzes Laurie Anderson’s O Superman (1981) through computational listening and visual mapping, asking how repetition, tonal stasis, and electronically mediated voice can build a sense of authority that intensifies over time.


Concept / Research Question

Rather than treating the song as a narrative arc that “resolves,” I interpret it as a sustained system of containment. Minimal musical materials—restricted pitch space, the looped “ha” syllable, and stable harmonic grounding—operate as temporal anchors that prevent linear development and reinforce an accumulating sense of control.


Method

The analysis combines:

  • - Close listening and structural annotation
  • - Spectrogram analysis in Sonic Visualiser (melodic range + time-frequency inspection) Laurie Anderson – O superman
  • - Spiral mapping, where time is drawn as a contracting trajectory toward the center, turning musical progression into a visual metaphor of tightening authority


Technical Implementation

I implemented an FFT-based analysis pipeline in Processing to decompose the audio signal into frequency bands and track how prominent elements evolve over time. This approach allowed me to isolate recurrent sonic gestures—such as the continuous “ha” ostinato (around ~260 Hz)—and visualize their behavior independently.

Code: https://github.com/dolunayslmz/spiral-spectogram



Mapping Logic (Spiral Diagram)

The visualization is structured around a spiral coordinate system:

  • - θ (angle) represents the progression of musical time
  • - r (radius) gradually shrinks to model “containment” and intensification
  • color and opacity are mapped to frequency bands and amplitude energy

Outcome

The final output produces spiral-shaped spectral traces that render the song’s repetition as a visual architecture.


Credits / Note

This project was the final assignment for the World Music Theory class taught by Robert Oliver Beahrs.

Source track credited for context: Laurie Anderson — O Superman (1981).

For portfolio documentation, short audio excerpts can be found below. The long version were trimmed to avoid copyright reproduction.