Octonomy is the moniker of Heidi Lorenz, a Brooklyn-based sound artist. Her performances and recordings as Octonomy span multiple genres — from harsh noise to darkwave, as well as ambient, industrial and techno. Her work frequently delves into themes of occultism, anti-religion, and anti-capitalism.
Currently Heidi is developing the score for a film called Strange Paradise, directed by analog photographer and filmmaker Kelli McGuire.
LISTEN:
“Strange Paradise” is her fourth film score. All of these films deal with high femme protagonists and antagonists, and feature primarily women and queer people.
Their subject matter includes: cults, mental illness, murder, suicide, hauntings, queer & femme sexuality, alternate realities, kitsch, nostalgia, paganism, blood, dream-like states of unreality, and esoteric religious paraphanelia.
LISTEN:
Lorenz uses a palette of found sounds, field recordings, power tools, samples, and noise, as well as the human voice. All these elements are treated with reverb and distortion and then sequenced through hardware synthesizers to create pulsing, rhythmic soundscapes.
The sound design of Dave Smith Instruments’ patches, specifically the OB-6, is highly influential in her work for the “Strange Paradise” score.
Listen:
Both Lorenz and director McGuire draw inspiration from the cult films “Suspiria” and “The Wicker Man,” 1960’s culture and aesthetics, and (faux-)religious iconography in the development of their respective components for “Strange Paradise.”
SCENE with MAIN THEME:
About the Authors
Heidi Lorenz has done a number of commissioned sound pieces and longform ambient compositions in addition to her sound design, songwriting, & DJ work as Octonomy. Based out of her Brooklyn studio, she writes for experiential spaces, performances, films, and immersive installations. All of her work is composed with a legion of analogue and digital synthesizers, as well as layered samples and field recordings. Her current projects center on soundtrack work for independent horror movies.
Kelli McGuire is an analog photographer based in New York City. Kelli makes work depicting women, aiming to portray a surreal yet cinematic setting.
