July 29th, 2020 / 520 Sound Lab. Aguascalientes, Mexico

The experimental duo Worldwide Beaners gathered at 520 Sound Lab in Aguascalientes, México for a deep improvisational rehearsal, blending raw acoustic textures with digital manipulation leading up to their presentation at the In Media Festival—a local gathering of experimental art, sound, and multimedia expressions.

Formed by two improvisers deeply rooted in sonic exploration, Worldwide Beaners exists at the intersection of performance art, sound experimentation, and sculptural instrument design.

The duo consists of Miguel Ovin, producer and founder of 520 Sound Lab, and Pablo Rubio Vargas, sound artist and instrumental explorer. Together, they fuse improvisation, found sounds, and a passion for unconventional instrumentation into raw, immersive performances. Thriving on spontaneity, repurposed instruments, and the intersection of traditional and experimental sound design.

For this special performance, they introduced an original instrument they call the contrapolín—a hybrid sound sculpture, built by them using recycled wood as the body, fitted with bass strings and an electric pickup, its deep, resonant tones resemble a double bass but with a rugged, one-of-a-kind character that lends itself to noisy, tactile play with untamed quality, perfect for percussive and textural experimentation.

On the other side of the sonic spectrum, Rubio Vargas wielded a Guzheng, a traditional Taiwanese string instrument known for its delicate timbre and percussive potential. Though typically played in ceremonial or classical contexts, in Rubio’s hands the guzheng becomes a tool for improvisation and texture, complementing the contrapolín’s low-end rumble with shimmering harmonics and rhythmic gestures. In this performance, its delicate tones were transformed through live granulation processing in Max, extending and reshaping its sound into evolving textures and interesting layers of sound.

The result is a dialogue between two sonic worlds—handmade grit and ancient resonance—shaped in real time through improvisation. The interplay between the contrapolín’s deep, physical resonance and the digitally manipulated guzheng created a sonic landscape that was both organic and otherworldly.

Their rehearsal, captured in audio, video, and photography, showcases the duo’s ability to craft immersive, evolving soundscapes, tension and synergy through improvisation and sonic experimentation.

The Worldwide Beaners performance at In Media Festival promises to be a standout moment for experimental music in the region, their work highlights the power of repurposed materials, digital sound processing, and live improvisation in contemporary sound art, blurring the boundaries between traditional forms, noise, and sound performance.