Tainted Loop is a sound composition that functions as an audiovisual dialogue with Yuko Tatsushima’s painting I Cannot Be a Bride Anymore (1999). The work focuses on the condition that follows a traumatic experience, addressing not the event itself but its psychological and bodily aftermath. The composition seeks to evoke an internal landscape where time ceases to function linearly, and memory returns in cyclical, fragmented, and altered forms.

Repetition stands at the core of the work, operating as a sonic analogue to the obsessive mechanisms of memory. These repetitions do not create stability; instead, they intensify a sense of entrapment, as they are continuously disrupted by subtle deviations and discontinuities. The title Tainted Loop reflects this altered return: a repetition that is marked, unable to revert to an original state of innocence.

The composition is built upon a deep, low-frequency drone that serves as a continuous foundation, over which granular and glitch processes of metallic and glass-based sounds unfold. These textures create a dense and fragile sonic environment, directly resonating with the visual intensity and suffocating structure of the painting. A female voice appears as a trace of presence, fragmented and detached from linguistic function.

Structurally, the piece develops in a non-linear manner, moving through successive peaks and gradual releases without reaching a final resolution. Tainted Loop proposes an experiential approach to post-traumatic states, where sound becomes a carrier of tension, memory, and embodiment.