• 40th Anniversary Re-release designed by Lisa Alvarado

    ESS's 40th anniversary celebrations continue with the second in a series of limited edition reissues featuring sold-out artist designs from years past. This shirt was originally designed in 2019 by artist and musician Lisa Alvarado (Natural Information Society). Lisa selected a fresh new color for this 2026 re-release.

    Purchase here

  • Florasonic 25th Anniversary Installation

    Florasonic returns Aug. 23rd - Oct. 11th at the Lincoln Park Conservatory with three newly commissioned quadrophonic works by Jenn Grossman, Oskar Thor Arngrimsson (Ótal), and Regina Martinez with Mario V. Martinez, celebrating 25 years of Florasonic. Admission is FREE with reservation. Opening reception is Sunday, Aug. 23, 1–4pm.

    More info

  • Sonic Pavilion Festival 2026

    Sonic Pavilion Festival 2026 presents seven 24-channel sound compositions for the globally unique trellised speaker array at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in the heart of downtown Chicago. Featured artists include Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh; Black Diamond (Hunter Diamond & Artie Black); Courtney Werner & Many Hands (David Henderson); Kikú Hibino & Traxman; Macie Stewart, Lia Kohl, & Whitney Johnson; M. Azevedo; Sadie Woods

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    • We are a community supported non-profit dedicated to the curation, evolution, and exploration of sound.

    For 40 years Experimental Sound Studio has nurtured avant-garde and exploratory artists through production, presentation, education, and preservation.

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    Exploding Star Orchestra at Adler Planetarium

    Events

    Last year we presented 337 artists in 81 different programs in-person throughout Chicago and online.

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    Full-Service Recording Studio

    ESS offers comprehensive production facilities and expert support for nearly 150 artists per year in over 300 sessions.

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