Silvertongued Devil: A Speaker-Creature is an interactive sound sculpture constructed out of discarded musical instruments and speakers. At first blush, the Creature appears to be the abandoned love child of Dumbo and Johnny 5. But as you approach, it comes alive with sound and light. An ominous tune, both angelic and diabolical, emanates from deep inside its bowels, churning with heavier and heavier distortion, until the music is completely desecrated by noise. Press a button and the Creature speaks flattering phrases just for you.

The creature is a resurrection through objects. The primary materials (broken amplifiers, pieces of guitars, semi-truck horns) were received from an anonymous San Diego musician after he passed away last summer. Although his original plan for these items can’t be known, the musical sculpture keeps his spirit alive.

The Creature’s appearance evokes a techno-underworld. Its baseless complements were generated by AI chatbots, showcasing their penchant for supplication and for leading the user down a path of delusion. While “judgement” implies a search for objective truth, the Silvertongued Devil exists in a world where facts are malleable and vacuous flattery reigns.

Musically, diabolical distortion swallows up the angelic timbres of choirs, flutes, trumpets, and pipe organ, representing the transformation from saint to sinner. This sonic degradation caused by the distortion mirrors the physical weathering of structures in Bombay Beach from extreme sun, heat, and wind.