Matt Heckert (USA), BA of San Francisco Art Institute, 1980-1988 worked as director/artist with Survival Research Laboratories conceiving performance scenarios, designing and building robots, props, sets and generating entire performance soundtracks; since July 1989 independent work on Mechanical Sound Orchestra: therefore several solo shows at festivals and museums in Europe.

I design and build machines that produce sound. They are often installed for sound performance in former machine locations (old factories, power stations, etc.). A digital control system is set up, which allows me to run the machines or "instruments" from a computer interface. My method of composition is to run individual machines until a desired rhythm pattern or tonal quality is achieved. The displayed numbers on the computer screen are recorded, named and assigned a track. Tracks are then laced together and saved as a piece. The piece "Salt Train" was conceived and written during the time I was working on my installation at the Salzmagazin in Hall in Tirol.