This research is structured on the following primary problem: Howcanthecharacteristics of the perceptual dimension created by acoustic phenomena in La Monte Young’s sine wave installations be explained? The hypothetical answers are as follows: Young focused on the acoustic beats, combination tones and the standing waves. The sine waves, unlike the other composite waveforms, have a single frequency component, so when they are heard loudly and continuously, they allow for more distinct acoustic beats and combination tones to emerge. At the same time, they create standing wave patterns in an enclosed space. A participant can feel different standing wave patterns as him/her explore the interior. In this way the participant discovers the connections that emerge beyond those in the foreground in the listening experience. The aim of this research is to determine the characteristics of the perceptual dimension created by Young with acoustic phenomena in his sine wave installations and their effects on the listening experience. Qualitative research was conducted, and after a literature review, quantitative data on the acoustic phenomena in the installations were obtained with simple mathematical operations. The notes taken during a fieldwork at the Dream House, in 2022 were also used to study acoustic phenomena and their role in the experience of the participant.

As a result, first, it was understood that the composer reduced his tools to only sine waves. It was seen that the three basic requirements for creating acoustic phenomena in installations were high sound level, continuity and sine waves. Both the reduction of the number of sounds and their reduction to their purest structural components are the results of the desire to prioritize acoustic phenomena in composition. This research has thus drawn attention to a new source of the minimalist reduction. Young’s reduction of sounds to the sine waves, to allow a dimension of perception to be experienced through acoustic phenomena, is suggested as a new source of the minimalist reduction. Thus, a new research and discussion plane for minimalism in music opens. The fact that the acoustic phenomena cannot be easily distinguished at first sight, but are discovered through focus or bodily movements, as in the standing wave experience, is the way to open the doors of perception. This approach has dissolved the distinction between the work and the listener, taking the individual out of a passive position and rising him/her to an active participant role in structuring the experience. In the experience of the participant, rhythms, new sounds and melodies are waiting to be discovered. While acoustic beats create beats and rhythm in this dimension of perception, combination tones provide infinite sound possibilities. In particular, the fact that the prime number harmonics that emerge as combination tones are not included among the waves of installations has shown that the experience of the participant is richer and more diverse than the waves obtained by the sound devices. During the experience, when the participant moves into this dimension of perception, can hear beats, rhythmic patterns and new sounds. At the same time, the participant can create their own music as he/she enters standing wave fields or repeats certain movements. Thus, this dimension of perception encouraged by the installations completely changes the traditional listening style and the role of the listener.

This research proposes the analysis of the acoustic phenomena as a new context for the study of minimalist music analysis. It is believed that this article will be inspiring for future research both by suggesting a desire to transcend the limits of perception through acoustic phenomena as a source of minimalist reduction and by drawing attention to the new analytical context.