Passing Beneath the Surface is a suite of sound works by British artist Robin Rimbaud, aka Scanner (b. 1964, London). Renowned for his pioneering use of intercepted communications and sonic experimentation, Scanner has been a leading figure in electronic and sound art since the early 1990s. His early adoption of radio scanners to capture mobile phone conversations and ambient transmissions established a unique artistic voice that explored the boundaries between public and private space, technology, and surveillance.

Over a four-decade career, Rimbaud has produced a vast body of work spanning sound installations, operas, ballets, virtual reality, and public art. Major projects include sound commissions for Tate Modern, SFMOMA, and the Pompidou Centre, as well as permanent works like Salles des Départs in a Paris morgue and Vex, a house featuring a continuous soundtrack that won the RIBA London Award.

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A prolific collaborator, Rimbaud has worked with artists and performers including Laurie Anderson, Bryan Ferry, Michael Nyman, and Pauline Oliveros, among others. His soundscapes have accompanied more than 75 dance productions and feature in both commercial and experimental settings—from the Royal Opera House to Cisco’s global office phone systems.

Passing Beneath the Surface, commissioned and curated by Keith Whittle and funded by Arts Council England, reflects Scanner’s continued exploration of how sound shapes perception and place, traversing a rich terrain of musical genres and spatial contexts.