How does the world just beneath the surface of the ground sound when transformed into heavy metal riffs and bass lines played by local bands? 

Heavy Metal Detector is a participatory art project and an alternative music distribution system by Irish musician and artist Steve Maher. It transforms ordinary metal detectors into instruments of sonic discovery – hacked to blast heavy metal music whenever they detect metal underground. As participants sweep the landscape, they unearth hidden layers of the city, revealing unseen connections between place, sound, and subculture. 

The project plays with ideas of the underground – both literally and metaphorically – blurring the lines between archaeology, urban exploration, and musical counterculture. Each iteration taps into the local scene, amplifying the work of underground musicians and making subcultures momentarily audible in unexpected public spaces.

The experience comprises a guided metal detecting tour, where the Lostfarmers are encouraged to encounter new music while experiencing a tactile electro-magnetic engagement with everyday materials from the environment.

The Heavy Metal Detector Booth and performance meeting point is situated in the local bodega DOK300 in Havnebyen (The Harbour City) and is part of Lost Farm Public Program around Sjællands Odde.

Steve Maher is a folk musician and relational artist. His practice spans a broad range of topics, with a central focus on cultural artifacts and rituals. He is particularly interested in the tension between how science and technology function versus how they are perceived on cultural, ideological, and social levels. Steve Maher is from Limerick, Ireland, now based in Helsinki, Finland.

The original programming of the detectors was carried out with the assistance of Alejandro Olarte and commissed by M-Cult Helsinki.

Thanks to DOK 300 for hosting the Heavy Metal Detector performance. Follow the local bodega here.

Steve Maher at Lost Farm Festival is supported by the New Carlsberg Foundation.