Sounds are all around us. I can hear the tapping of my keyboard, a distant phone ringing, the murmur of voices from the desk behind, a door slamming shut. Is this harmonic or an intrusive nuisance - exactly how much noise can you take?

Sound artist Paul Chivers says its all a matter of orchestration. He believes that if these various beats and rhythms are brought together in the right way, it can be pretty exciting. Paul's exhibition Threshold, which opens at Usurp Art Gallery this week, explores our ability to process sonic information.

Everyone who visits can connect to the installation using their mobile phone, laptop or other device. There are knobs to tweak, pads to be hit and even gestures add to the volatile dynamic.

"When you walk in the door there will something already rolling and bubbling along," says Paul. "Whatever you feed in will affect the sounds in the room through various devices. You can hear your sound interrupting the other material , the starts and stops of rhythm.

"It's like the effect when you're between two rooms in a club and hear both at same time. When you walk down the street the noise isn't regulated it can contain piped audio, mechanical noise or conversation; how many layers can you add? It's about being more receptive to sound."

Paul, from Northwood Hills, is currently in his second year studying sonic arts at Middlesex University. In the late 1980s he performed under the name of Ramjac alongside Orbital, The Shaman and The Irresistible Force at the legendary Acid House parties Live Wire, Back to the Future, Energy, Sunrise, Humanity, Synergy, Fundamental and Spiral Tribe. After several years running recording studios, Paul now freelances as a technology educator and a programmer specialising in drums for Coldcut, Asian Dub Foundation and Juno Reactor. He performs live percussion and technology with Dr Das and Dub Colossus.

His final year degree project focuses on multiple noise streams and sound ownership. What we hear around us is comprised of eclectic sonic episodes - a jumble of appropriated audio. So who owns it asks Paul?

"If you take ownership of it, then it becomes fun to use it and play with it and look at what you can do. Ever since the advent of the sampler and personal computer, we've been encouraged to take a bit from here and there."

To this end, Paul has embarked on a project to mash up the entire Beatles catalogue and press it onto vinyl.

"It's such a big issue in so many ways and it's very controversial so I am consulting with a lawyer. It clearly states on every Beatles record and on I tunes that they hold the copyright but I'm looking at the importance of asking questions about who owns what in our remix culture and mash up world, where everything is editable on a domestic computer and shared throughout the world on the internet. I'll be submitting a documentary of the Beatles piece and its consequences for my thesis."

Paul is also holding a sound event at Currys in Ruislip where every audio device will be switched on for a hour.

"As a technologist I wanted to access this great conversation of noise-making things. A bunch of volunteers will walk in and switch it all on, starting with the laptops, then radios, GPS phones and TV through to the soundsystems, which will be the big canons for that grand finale - arms in the air moment."

Threshold runs until December 4 and opens at Usurp Art Gallery, Vaughan Road, West Harrow with a launch event on this Friday, from 6.30pm-10pm. Volume@Currys takes place on Saturday, November 19 from 5pm-6pm at Currys, Victoria Way, Ruislip.

If you want to volunteer for Volume@Currys email chivers.paul@gmail.com

Details: www.ramjac.co.uk