The Nest

The Nest was a quirky way to release an album and encourage people to appreciate music in the most beautiful natural environment. I made a replica rock to blend into the environment, concealing electronics and music playing hardware. Listeners had to follow GPS co-ordinates onto Cape Town's Table Mountain where they unlocked the secret rock by whistling a tune. They could then fetch the album with a USB drive, or plug in headphones to listen to the album, with a spectacular view of Lion's Head.

The Nest was made by casting sandstone sand in resin, and conscientiously installed to be as discreet and noninvasive as possible. The whole system was powered by hidden solar panels. I desgined a simple "user interface" using an LED ring that showed the listener when the Nest was ready to play music or had completed USB download.

The project hoped to bring physicality back to music in a digital age, and allowed listeners to appreciate music with a powerful visual aid, uninterrupted views of the mountains and seas of Cape Town.