In March 2026, Notam invites you to two evenings of workshops in electromagnetic listening.
If you want to learn how to build your own electronics and are curious about the sound of electromagnetic fields, this workshop could be for you. Electromagnetic listening devices allow you to utilise electromagnetic fields as sound sources.
In this workshop we will review simple electronics, soldering, electromagnetic listening devices, and electromagnetic sound sources. We will also explore how we can use these sound sources for artistic purposes.
Individual guidance will be given along the way, and if the participants have questions and their own ideas, we can solve this together. The workshop will give you a good foundation for further work with self-produced electronics and electromagnetic listening after the course.
Goals for the workshop
The aim of the workshop is to provide a simple and basic review of electronics and soldering, so that after the workshop participants can take home a small circuit that they have soldered together themselves. The course requires no prior knowledge.
The course provides basic training in the practical use of soldering equipment, electronic components, working with electronics, electromagnetic fields and analogue audio work. Participants will gain a basic understanding of how the circuit works, and get to test their listening in practice. This will be useful for people working with, for example, sound art, sound engineering, music, composition and installations.
After the workshop, you will have created a listening device that enables you to listen and record electromagnetic activity.
About electromagnetic listening
Electromagnetic waves are found everywhere in the urban landscape where there is electricity. It is also a phenomenon that can be observed in nature, for example during powerful solar storms, the same thing that gives us the Northern Lights.
Electromagnetic listening devices, or an inductive sniffer as it is also called, is widely used for experimental music and art. This circuit allows you to record sound directly from electrical devices that you cannot otherwise hear. This material is well suited as sound sources for various forms of sound art, music and sound design. Electromagnetic listening devices are often used in conjunction with electronic music, where you want to explore new forms of electronic sound.
Electromagnetic waves, translated into sound, have been used by artists such as Christina Kubisch (DE) and Magnus Bugge (NO). Their explorations of natural and man-made environments reveal an unfamiliar and alien world that is all around us all the time, accessible via a small electronic circuit.
Read more about the artistic use of electromagnetic listening here:
https://christinakubisch.de/electrical-walks
https://christinakubisch.de/installations/il-respiro-del-mare
https://www.frieze.com/article/haroon-mirza-ceremonies-and-rituals-2024
About the teacher
Christian Blom (b. 1974) is a Norwegian artist and director of Notam. Blom works with composition, sound art, installations and performance, often with electronics and mechanics at the core. He works alone and in collective processes, and important collaborators have been Verdensteatret, Winterguests and Ellen Røed.
Blom has shown his work at Ircam, Empac, National Art Museum of China, Guangzhou Art Museum, Audio Art Festival Krakow, Lydgalleriet, Metamorf, PS122 New York, Ultimafestival, TEKS, Steirischer Herbst, Bozar, Theatre Der Welt, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, Nordic Music Days, World Music Days and several other national and international institutions.
Christian Blom has been working with electronics and sound since the early 2000s and has extensive experience in the artistic use of electronics.
Course schedule
Evening 1:
introduction to electromagnetic listening devices
electromagnetic sound sources for artistic purposes
introduction to soldering
Start-up for construction of own electromagnetic listening device
Evening 2:
Completion of own electromagnetic listening device
creative work with electromagnetic listening devices
The way forward, self-study
Practical information
When: 12 and 13 March, 2026, 18:00 - 21:00
Price: 1325,- kroner. Components are included in the price.
Language: Norwegian or English as required
Teacher: Christian Blom
Where: Notam, Oslo. This is a physical course, and will not be posted online.
12 available seats
