"the rumo(u)r" // May 12, 2026
Digital Audio Composition; Original Music and Reclaimed Sounds.
For Stereo Speakers (00:03:55)
For Stereo Speakers (00:03:55)
The rumo(u)r is…
… they’re going to build one of those Data Centers in the neighbourhood. On the lot of the old hospital. About time somebody knocked that place down. It’ll bring jobs, I’m sure. Some prestige, and wealth. Look what happened in San Francisco. They’re calling us “Data Center Alley” already. It sounds cute but it reminds me of tornados.
The rumo(u)r is…
… it’s not too noisy. They say 60-some decibels, about the same as a conversation. I’m sure after a while you just tune it out. Like a giant white noise machine. Anyway, I can’t complain, we just bought our kid a drum kit! It can’t be worse than that motorcycle Jeff down the street rides to work every morning. And it’s got to be better than the construction noise. I’ll be glad when they’ve finished building it.
The rumo(u)r is…
… they’re addressing the complaints about the noise. Building a wall. They say they have to run the fans 24/7 to keep the computers cool, and that they’re complying with all the local ordinances. But we checked and the ordinances only talk about maximum volumes, not how long they last. Plus, I bought a decibel meter and sometimes it says the noise is almost 75 in our backyard. I don’t really understand decibels but ChatGPT says every 10-decibel increase means twice as loud. Maybe I’m using it wrong. I’m sure they’re doing everything they can.
The rumo(u)r is…
… they’ve invested millions in this. Of course they can’t shut it down now that it’s up and running. Plus this technology is the future. We need the data centers, so I guess this is the cost. Although I wasn’t expecting the increase in our utility bills. Or the drop in our water pressure. There’s been talk of all the money it’ll bring to the community but I haven’t seen any evidence of it around town yet. Hopefully soon. I heard Mayor Evans just bought that big house on the hill. Expensive, and nowhere near the Data Center. We love our house. I wonder what it’s worth now.
The rumo(u)r is…
… Chris had a strange episode after dinner last night—nearly fainted. But their blood pressure’s been giving them issues for years so I doubt it’s related. Everyone does seem to be slightly more on edge though. The cashier at the bank today was distracted, and Meredith at the dry cleaner looked really tired. A report on the news the other night said the constant noise can make you sick. Headaches, nausea, anxiety, blood pressure, stress levels. Even the sounds too low to hear. They say we feel it in our bodies. They say our brains never get a chance to rest. I’m sleeping less, up early every morning. It’s been months since I’ve heard the birds sing.
The rumo(u)r is…
… they’re going to build another one of those Data Centers in the neighbourhood. Next to the one they built on the lot of the old hospital. So where do we go when we get sick?
… they’re going to build one of those Data Centers in the neighbourhood. On the lot of the old hospital. About time somebody knocked that place down. It’ll bring jobs, I’m sure. Some prestige, and wealth. Look what happened in San Francisco. They’re calling us “Data Center Alley” already. It sounds cute but it reminds me of tornados.
The rumo(u)r is…
… it’s not too noisy. They say 60-some decibels, about the same as a conversation. I’m sure after a while you just tune it out. Like a giant white noise machine. Anyway, I can’t complain, we just bought our kid a drum kit! It can’t be worse than that motorcycle Jeff down the street rides to work every morning. And it’s got to be better than the construction noise. I’ll be glad when they’ve finished building it.
The rumo(u)r is…
… they’re addressing the complaints about the noise. Building a wall. They say they have to run the fans 24/7 to keep the computers cool, and that they’re complying with all the local ordinances. But we checked and the ordinances only talk about maximum volumes, not how long they last. Plus, I bought a decibel meter and sometimes it says the noise is almost 75 in our backyard. I don’t really understand decibels but ChatGPT says every 10-decibel increase means twice as loud. Maybe I’m using it wrong. I’m sure they’re doing everything they can.
The rumo(u)r is…
… they’ve invested millions in this. Of course they can’t shut it down now that it’s up and running. Plus this technology is the future. We need the data centers, so I guess this is the cost. Although I wasn’t expecting the increase in our utility bills. Or the drop in our water pressure. There’s been talk of all the money it’ll bring to the community but I haven’t seen any evidence of it around town yet. Hopefully soon. I heard Mayor Evans just bought that big house on the hill. Expensive, and nowhere near the Data Center. We love our house. I wonder what it’s worth now.
The rumo(u)r is…
… Chris had a strange episode after dinner last night—nearly fainted. But their blood pressure’s been giving them issues for years so I doubt it’s related. Everyone does seem to be slightly more on edge though. The cashier at the bank today was distracted, and Meredith at the dry cleaner looked really tired. A report on the news the other night said the constant noise can make you sick. Headaches, nausea, anxiety, blood pressure, stress levels. Even the sounds too low to hear. They say we feel it in our bodies. They say our brains never get a chance to rest. I’m sleeping less, up early every morning. It’s been months since I’ve heard the birds sing.
The rumo(u)r is…
… they’re going to build another one of those Data Centers in the neighbourhood. Next to the one they built on the lot of the old hospital. So where do we go when we get sick?
"DATA CENTER NOISE Listening Party"
Multimedia Installation; Single Channel Interactive Video and Crowd-Sourced Audio
For Computer Monitor and Headphones (01:00:00)
DATA CENTER NOISE is the first in a series of work by the transatlantic arts project GULFF. It explores the auditory byproducts of the AI era.
For Computer Monitor and Headphones (01:00:00)
This multimedia installation comprising an interactive computer station, headphones, and a domestic built environment, invites participants to step into a suburban home office and select from 11 instances of community-sourced audio recordings of the noise pollution emitted by data centers 24 hours a day. This audio, converted into a series of perpetual loops and embedded into video files that collage related news reports, social media footage, corporate logos and data related to each facility—such as ownership, size, volume and distance from nearby residences—overpowers all other sources of noise on screen: conversation, traffic, birdsong.
Presented in the center of affluent Manhattan—a net recipient of data center power—DATA CENTER NOISE recontextualizes the sounds that rural and suburban communities endure in order to facilitate unfettered technological progress.
Participants may also select, from the audio options “the rumo(u)r,” a new piece of original music and accompanying video by GULFF which is built upon these same community-sourced recordings and news reports.
On the desk alongside the computer, a notepad of handwritten journal entries—synthesized from online forum discussions, social media and news commentary—mirrors the evidence communities are required to gather to facilitate their legal action against these facilities. Participants are invited to leave their own thoughts in the blank pages that follow these entries.
- Press Release
- AI Week NYC Event Listing