Idiolexicon

I am Sitting in a Room by Alvin Lucier (mp3) is one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of sound I've ever heard. Lucier records a short speech. He then records himself playing that recording, records the 2nd recording, etc.

The idea is that, with each iteration, you're listening less to Lucier's own voice and more to the pure resonant frequencies of the room in which he's making the recording. (Of course, you're also listening to amplified tape hiss). By the end of the piece, what you're hearing is not speech at all, but it still carries the rhythms of speech. It's strange.

There's also a dark irony in Lucier's text. "I regard this activity not so much as a demonstration of a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out any irregularities my speech might have," referring to his slight speech impediment.