If the idea of playing physical space like an instrument sounds intriguing, then welcome to 4DSOUND.

The audio experience organization, founded by classically-trained composer Paul Oomen in Amsterdam, is responsible for a new take on soundsystems that delivers a phantom imaging previously unheard of. With 16 columns arrayed in a 16 by 16 meter configuration—each column containing three omni-directional speakers set at a different height—plus nine sub-bass speakers beneath the floor, it offers immense precision to the musician controlling it (musicians who have already performed on it include Vladislav Delay, Pantha Du Prince, Stimming and more). Sound not only becomes truly three-dimensional—the fourth dimension is time—variables such as sound walls, which limit how far sounds can travel, create unique experiences for individuals within the space.As 4DSOUND Creative Director John Connell relates in his recent talk, “Understanding Space Through Sound”, presented at CTM Festival in Berlin last January, spatial sound not only creates new realities for the listener, it also plays a role in exploring consciousness. And as an example of the integration of cutting edge technologies—each interface to the 4DSOUND system is digital, using the likes of software such as Ableton Live or Lemur—the capabilities of 4DSOUND also imply a whole new era of perceptional possibilities.