Sun Boxes At Important Records

This has been in the planning and almost-happening stages for months. Every time they would set a day, it would get rained out, and I would get cranky. This is something where rain is more than just a gross, wet nuisance. It actually makes the Sun Boxes not work.

Sun Boxes are a creation of Craig Colorusso, which he installed at Important Records HQ for a one day affair. Each box is a solar powered speaker with a chip that emits a single guitar tone played by Colorusso. Very straightforward. There are no batteries, so when the sun fades, so does the music. There were 20 Sun Boxes, each with a different guitar loop that, according to Craig, would take about 7 months for all of the boxes to reach point zero again. That means walking through the boxes yields a new aural experience every time, even if you trace your previous path.


There was something magical about the Sun Boxes in that it seemed damn near impossible to pinpoint which sound was coming from which box. I could be sitting in front of one box and still not be able to tell what sound it was making. All of the boxes seemed to be fusing together under the sun, creating a single organic harmony that incorporated the surrounding sounds of trees rustling, overhead jets, and the nearby golf course.


The simple serene fun of walking through a field of drone boxes is nearly indescribable. It's just something that needs to be participated in on your own. Colorusso lives in the Boston area, but the Sun Boxes can be deployed anywhere, at any time (as long as it's not raining). So keep an eye out and maybe you'll spot one in the wild some day.

I shot a shitty video that does nothing to convey the experience, which you can see below, and there are more photos of the event on Flickr.