Audio - process and analysis

(Finished arrangement in Ableton)

To begin with, i decided to make 2 tracks. These were conceived over the course of 2 days. split evenly 6 hours each. The day after i listened to the two sketched out audio tracks on repeat.
On the fourth day was consumed by making an amalgamation of the two tracks, having stripped them both down to the essential grooves and patterns. This was the basis for my track.
Regimented and parts for construction in place to be constructed, i built this audio out of suggestive Sounds and rhythms.

Firstly, the heart of the audio, the kick track. This was Comprised of 3 x 606 kicks playing simultaneously out of a midi drum rack, and then resampled to an audio track as it is easier to deal with when its isolated. This also meant that hours couldn't be wasted tweaking things for next to no gain. One filtered with a high pass, and one with a low, and one just tweaked to give a bit more suck and pull. This really warmed up the tone of the kick, the essential part to any good minimal techno sound. This was left un modulated apart from a gate and compression, again to add vibrancy.

(First half of audio (kick track re sampled)Pattern)

(2nd half of audio (kick/snare track re sampled)Pattern)

The kick track for the smoothed out section towards the end is again simple in its construction and straight forward. A classic kick/snare scenario. For me the clever bit with constructing this sort of a low end sound was to have toned sub hits on each of the kicks. Clearly illustrated above. This really allowed the drums to develop their own toned texture, away from the actual 'bass track,' which in essence is a fairly mid-low octave melody part.
The snare i wanted to be promenant and to have a more natural sound. I went for a woodblock. This has a 'beatrepeat' effect on every second hit. Using a bit of compression i was able to make the snare hit really stand out. I wanted it to be extremely dry and slightly abrasive. This was also achieved by reducing the length of the sample to next to nothing. The length of the wave form directly effects the longevity of the sound. So notice on the first hit of the snare, its a slightly higher pitch, this is due to the length of the sample being played. I also added 'swing'. (16th) taking it in and out of time giving a slightly more humanist feel. This i feel really sends the track on its way sounding like thunder rolling down hills. This is the section of the track that i am most happy with over all. Its exactly the sort of sound i was hoping to create.

(2nd half of audio (kick/snare track effects and automation)

The only effects and automation that were put over this track are a compressor and a gate. Tweaking the attack, hold and release on the gate and adjusting the threshold of the compressor allowing me the 'headroom' to push the levels a bit higher.

(hi hat pattern)

The hi hat pattern is a relatively straight forward one, simple hits on the off beat, creating a 2-step pattern, that interacts with the bass which resolves its rotation after 16. 2/4 drum beat with a 4/4 bass line (simple and highly effective). The sound that i used was an ableton instrument, 'backbeat room.' This already had some quite nice automation features that i used sparingly as you can never be to sure of the quality of samples direct from Ableton. They seem to lack any of the crispness and mastering levels of many of the free sample packs available online.

(Hi Hat Effects and modulation)

So to aid the cause of the flanged sound that was over the hats, i added chorus, which seemed to grab hold of the trailing patterns and give it further enunciation, and some reverb to help the hats sit correctly in amongst the other sounds. Final adjustments were made to the dry and wet parameters of the reverb and chorus.

Examples of the bass patterns........

(Bass pattern 1 of 6) eg

(Bass pattern 4 of 6) eg

There are 6 different rhythmical patterns to the bass - line. Offering variations over 4, 8 and 16 bars..

(Bass effects and automation)

The bass required the most automation out of all the sounds as it yet again was an Ableton standard.
It just sounded really flat and lifeless. There were some automation functions that came with the sound that were heavily altered to begin with. 'Tube', 'phaser', 'velocity' and 'cut off' really seemed to drastically alter the sound, more often than not in a distractive way.
the added effects really came from added distortion and this effect called 'spectrum'. 'Spectrum' really pushed the midrange of the bass frequencies. This in turn really helped characterize the bass tone. Still really dry, a filter was applied to take the bite out of the higher frequencies of the bass anad i added some compression and a gate over it to accentuate more of the suck and pull dynamic that i have been trying to capture from the beginning. This seems to be a continuing theme over a lot of minimal techno tracks.

(Shuffle pattern) eg 1

The shuffle and noise patterns were created out of static and glitch samples obtained through the 'Tim Exile Sample pack' curtsey of Native Instruments. This is one example of the pattern. The noises are all samples that were put together in a drum rack and played through midi, then re sampled into audio, as before, due to the samples being easier to manage as a single clip of audio. The patterns also swings slightly in and out of time, again creating the illusion of more humanism influence.

Arranging the track really just happens as a follow on to creating the parts. The track was almost made as the final arrangement sugests, as a natural progression. I created a beat, then the bass, then the rythmes then Dynamic.... In a similar sort of work flow to that the arrangement just appears out of no where with a few hours playing. (Obviously without dynamic)

The latest tweaks will surely not be the last as i will soon be picking fault with my own creations as i should do, i want to resist the temptation to do anything other than add complementary dynamic and possibly remaster, sorting the levels and mix as i go.

First 2 audio attempts

These are the first two attempts at making the audio. Sketching out the ideas to then deconstruct, and then construct into its correct minimal framework.

Actress - Of influence (audio)

The new Actress album is fantastic. It manages to ignite five-to-ten subgenres of electronica without ever sounding completely committed to any one of them. I hear a lot of dubstep and house colliding with the metallic zig-zag blasts of Autechre. Simple yet raw, and that's just the tip of the iceberg with this subtle, oscillating album opener "Hubble".

Interesting Lynch light and sound installation

Catching big fish - Ideas

Lynch - Product placement - Total Fu**ing Bullshit

Datamatics [ver 2.0] - Ryoji Ikeda - 18th April 2011 - Review

Datamatics [ver 2.0] is the latest electronic audio/visual creation of Japanese composer Ryoji Ikeda where he mines data mania for both the material and the theme of his work. The intention is a meditation on the wild relationship between the sound of data and the data of sound today. The effect, however, is formalism.

Ikeda’s mixture of technical precision with perceptual overload presented a significant challenge to experiencing interior time. Perhaps it would have been possible had I been able to divorce the musical experience from the visual torrent.

The audio is both clean, noisy and hardheaded in such a way that the individual's personal extension into the virtual tends to be blunted.

There also, however, is another proposed spatial reality relevant to Ikeda, most notably the topological space model of fuzzy space where there exists only a concept of nearness. In this respect he reminds us that hearing and seeing is not an activity divorced from consciousness.

his music is conceptual in that his sound deprives us of our habitual perceptive boundaries by surpassing them. Through the excessive, Ikeda makes me remember that throughout time there have been consensual realities that have proven to be nothing but daydreams.

A visual/audio that slashes into symbolist romanticism.

youTube account to display creations - another step in the right direction?

I finally got round to making a youtube account. As everything is self directed, i felt it was about time time to start directing myself... Managed to find a couple of videos that i was happy enough with to put up there as filler. The issue now is content. Time for Making and creating. I WANT TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY!!!!!

Having already completed 35 blog posts of research and thinking for this project, i feel increadibly positive and everything about my person is vibrating at a higher, more attuned frequency. Im starting to like what im doing, where i am, who i am and the most exciting part... Whats next. I want more and more... I can feel hte positivity and drive for the first time in a very long time. (I feel its down to the fact that i like what im doing now) I also feel the conceptual ideas are developed and accute enough to actually make something with depth and detail. Hopefully, something that i will be proud of.

GET SERIOUS ABOUT IT!

Mr Oizo - Last night a DJ killed my dog

Great minimal track. Simple, grooves, swing, rhythms and reduced clicks

Cobblestone jazz - Sunchild

Stunning!

Semiotic Study

A great video that illustrates a brief study in which artifices of the consumer landscape are deconstructed into a rhythmical abstract space. (Original Subjects included:Home Depot sign, Car dealership signs, Starbucks sign, Kfc sign, big box store light fixtures etc.)

Rational 1 - Context and primary research

Fortunately before this project started, in the last year I was able to see Chris Cunningham in Manchester, and both Rioji Ikeda and Quayola at Sonar Festival live. These experiences helped contextualize what sort of artists are out in the field today and the level of skill required to make industry standard pieces of work. (As well as many local artists and design houses that will be discussed at a later date) Whilst Cunningham was an hour’s sensory bamboozlement, his aesthetic style is not as refined and really appeared to lack narrative or have any semblance of cause and effect. Just lots of good glitched live action shots, juxtaposed unfortunately by a gimmiky lazer.

Ikeda is primarily known as electronic sound artist, although his performances are always constructed around some sort of visualization of the sound elements he’s working with. His work examines the relationships found in data structures, and he uses patterns found in various types of computer data to generate both sound and image. Ikeda’s work extends from the idea that data itself, the actual patterns of ones and zeros, can be perceived as sound and visual elements in an artistic presentation. When asked about his influences in a 2008 Japan Times interview, Ikeda lists not musicians or visual artists, but mathematicians, and in examining raw data, he uses mathematical relationships to create form and structure.
His performance at sonar really pushed the limits of my mental dexterity as I tried to fathom how he had manufactured the sensations I was feeling. How could a video of black and white lines moving together with audio have produced such results?
Studying Ikeda, it is predominantly the aesthetic that is intriguing for research purposes. Clean, strict, minimally constructed and beautifully arranged compositions. This is what I have taken away from his work for research, as well as his originality and raw continuity within his concepts; the experience itself however was something else. The audio was also incredible, however the focus has been in aesthetics.

Quayola is a visual artist based in London. His work simultaneously focuses on multiple forms exploring the space between video, audio, photography, installation, live performance and print. Quayola creates worlds where real substance, such as natural or architectural matter, constantly mutates into ephemeral objects, enabling the real and the artificial to coexist harmoniously. Integrating computer-generated material with recorded sources, he explores the ambiguity of realism in the digital realm.







Working in both the artistic and the commercial field, Quayola intelligently experiment with mediums traditionally perceived as separate. Currently active as Visual Artist, Graphic Designer and Director, he constantly collaborates with a diverse range of musicians, animators, computer programmers and architects. Quayola creates hybrid works blurring the boundaries between art, design and filmmaking.
For research, Quayola was my main point of inquiry. Especially his ‘PTA’ series, the execution of which is mesmeric. In conjunction with : Autobam, Audion, My My, Peter Spiess, Oliver Hacke, RunStopRestore, JPLS and Hearthrob, who constructed the audio, Quaola has made an impressively compelling A/V. The semiotic use of simple shapes, and dynamic colour really sets his work apart from anything else I have seen. Quaola uses max msp, a piece of software I wish I could get my hands on. The facilities are there within college and must be taken advantage of.
The audio is also special. Cleverly constructed minimal techno comprised of really ‘dry’ sounds that almost give this work an organic feel.
Live the experience transformed and a combination of multimedia outputs interfere with normal everyday perceptual habits, the large screens and sheer scale of the work captivated me. This has been my main source of inspiration for the current self-directed project. A contemporary practitioner I thoroughly respect. In an interview with Quayola he states:

“I am definitely more a designer than a programmer, but I am fascinated and inspired by the aesthetics of coding and digital art in general. I try to bring together these two languages to create some sort of hybrid work in between.”

Pfadfinderei is an internationally renowned design collective. From the development of motion design productions to the conceptualization of events, Pfadfinderei offers a broad spectrum of solutions that crosses borders between required function and contemporary design, all through the lens of advanced visual art & multimedia.
Their most recent product has come in conjunction with Moderat, an amalgamation of Modeselektor and Apparat.
Loads of high-speed camera shots of fabric floating in wind, clever lighting and great use of tried and tested film and camera techniques.
As a collective they span a wide veriety of mediums, reaching and collaborating internationally producing a high standard of creative, visual design.




AntiVJ is a visual label initiated by European-based artists whose work is focused on the use of projected light and its influence on our perception.
Artists and designers of the moment clearly stepping away from standard setups & techniques, AntiVJ presents live performances and installations where projections on volume, visual mapping, tracking and augmented reality, stereoscopy and holographic illusions are challenging the audience's senses.
AntiVJ have been there as a reference across all the video projects I have done. Mainly as an example of what can be achieved with video mapping, projections on volume, stereoscopy, augmented reality and tracking.

These 5 practitioners have inspired and informed the direction of my self directed study in many ways and have provided me with a foundation, particularly in aesthetics, but also in sound design, from which my ideas can take form. At this point in the project, this research has been the catalyst for looking at minimalism - conceptually and aesthetically, symbolism, form, shape and semiotic intent inherent within visual art and the manipulation of it.
Primary research and looking at people in industry dynamically changed my perception of it. Actually having the experience of seeing what and how, in a live scenario has been hugely beneficial in as much that it has made me think a lot harder about the execution of a piece and the environment it is set in. Looking at local V/A enterprises could potentially give me direction for this. i.e. someone local such as ‘Test Space’ who actively seek out new and upcoming artists and aid them with studio space or simply a space to exhibit, then this could provide a framework and point of reference from which to discuss my A/Vs execution. This should be the next move I make.

……‘Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features……’

The Cube - Contakt - Richie Hawtin (interactive visuals with Minus)

Here’s what Richie Hawtin had to say about The Cube.


Richie Hawtin at St. Andrews, Detroit
What is The Cube?

“It’s an interactive cube structure covered by LEDs that recognizes people who’ve signed up for Contakt membership.

“If you join Contakt as a member you get a special card which is embedded with a microchip.

“The Cube can detect when a member is in the club.

“It also broadcasts messages via bluetooth and LAN.

“So when you come to a Contakt event, anyone who has their bluetooth turned on will receive a message.

“Anyone who has LAN connectivity on their mobile will also receive a message.


When Richie Hawtin played, The Cube changed colour
“Sometimes that message might contain a picture, or music.”

How do you and the rest of the Minus artists interact with The Cube?

“From the DJ booth or stage, we can trigger The Cube into various states.

“Usually it’s blue and white, but I can make it turn red or green when I play.

“We can control its intensity and more.”

Who built The Cube?

“A team of about six of us built it. I came up with the idea, and then we worked with lighting experts and technicians to build it.”

Interview from beatportal.com

Minus Records - About (owned and run by Richie Hawtin)

Since 1998, Minus has been the home base and canvas for Richie Hawtin and a small family of like-minded artists, producers and DJs hailing from the America’s and Europe. Hawtin’s Plastikman and Concept projects established the label at the start while inspiring a new generation of producers to join his side, creating one of the most close-knit collectives in electronic music today.

The musical and live experience of the Minus sound is a varied and unique mix of minimal techno, heralding influences from the past with a strong sonic focus on the future, always integrating technology. A specific design aesthetic is present through the broad catalog of vinyl, CD, DVD and digital releases, accented with special packaging, limited editions and special promo products.

With a growing catalog and roster, Minus is home to both underground club hits and artistic vanguards within electronic music. Special events, tours and label showcases take the “minimize to MAXIMIZE” sound around the world with artists performing at clubs and festivals nearly every weekend. Minus remains active online through it’s website, bringing fans in closer with podcasts of the ‘Connected’ video journals and a growing interaction with the community online and on the road, a dedication that was established early with Plus 8.

For the next chapter of Minus, the company’s attention is on Berlin, with a new headquarters and affiliation to the city's vibrant culture and arts community. Special events in Berlin and tours around the world will continue to promote new artists and exciting new releases along with a fully redesigned m-nus.com website.

Gaiser - background research

http://www.m-nus.com/#data.pl?artist=Gaiser;MiddleAndRight





Following a string of finely crafted Minus EPs (And Answer, Neural Block and Eye Contact), Gaiser has become one of the most exciting and sought after producers of his generation. With an instinctive feel for the intricate mechanics of minimalist sound sculpture, his music contains the perfect balance between rhythmical energy and sonic finesse and nowhere is this more apparent than on his thunderous debut album Blank Fade.

Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Gaiser spent most of his teenage weekends succumbing to the gravitational pull of Detroit, hanging out with friends and going to gigs. At that point he was into punk and playing drums in a few different bands but everything changed around the age of 14 when he experienced his first Techno party. Richie Hawtin was at the controls and Jon was completely blown away by the pure energy of the music and the originality of the sounds. From a musical perspective, everything was so new and fresh that he immediately set about figuring out how it was created. He quit the bands and began collecting drum machines, synths and fx units, before finally moving to Detroit after graduating from high school.

For the next few years, if he wasn’t at home patiently programming his machines and perfecting his studio skills, he could be found digging through crates of vinyl at Record Time in Detroit. Plus 8 had an office in the back of the building, so it wasn’t long before he got acquainted with Tim Price, Clark Warner and the rest of the crew and from this chance meeting he has developed into an integral part of the Minus family. It’s not hard to see why. His natural energy and rhythm are clearly responsible for the irresistible drum patterns that drive his productions forward but it’s also the subtleties - the delicate melodies and dramatic changes in atmosphere that give his sound such a distinctive edge. Music has always been in his blood, his early punk rock exploits counter-balanced by the more considered approach needed to learn piano and symphonic percussion and by drawing on these earlier experiences, he has avoided the genre’s more self-referential clichés.

Now living in Berlin, Gaiser was recently back where it all began for him all those years ago, mixing and matching his sounds with the rest of the Minus crew on the first leg of the Contakt global tour in Detroit. There’s clearly a certain symmetry at work here but more to the point it represents the culmination of three years of hard work and constant touring across Europe, the US and Japan. What always stands out about his performances is the ability to make an immediate connection with the audience, soaking up the vibe and playing according to their reactions. He’s a musician who lives off his instincts, channelling his moods and emotions directly into his computer, translating new experiences and sensations into sound. There simply is no other way.

Richie Hawtin - Background research

http://www.m-nus.com/#data.pl?artist=Richie%20Hawtin;MiddleAndRight





Artist, DJ, conceptualist and ambassador, more than anyone else in modern electronic music, Richie Hawtin has relentlessly proved himself to be a true innovator. The one-man mogul behind acclaimed Techno imprints Plus 8 & Minus sends signals out all over the world from his HQ in an old fire station in Windsor, Ontario – just across the border from Detroit Techno City. The signals are constantly evolving, his Plastikman persona gave Techno a unique face with a series of four ruthlessly minimal albums of skeletal beauty, while breathtaking festival live sets at Glastonbury and Tribal Gathering helped invent stadium Techno.

Hawtin describes his unique process “I recorded, sampled, cut and spliced over 100 tracks down into their most basic components. I ended up with over 300 loops, ranging in different lengths. I started to recreate and reinterpret each track and then put the pieces back together, as if an audio jigsaw puzzle – using effects and edits as the glue between each piece”.

“I don’t like mix CDs, everyone’s being lazy, so I gotta do something different,” says Hawtin. “Some people think it’s about me using some extra equipment – a drum machine and some effects - but it’s a whole philosophy really. ‘Let’s take it to the extreme, to somewhere that’s it never been before’ “

As Techno and art move closer together Hawtin sees it as a logical part of his constant reinvention. “It’s about setting a standard for yourself and progressing yourself. Showing people you can do something interesting that’s more than just dance music.”

Minimalism - a definition / concept characterisation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimalism

Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features. As a specific movement in the arts it is identified with developments in post–World War II Western Art, most strongly with American visual arts in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with this movement include Donald Judd, John McLaughlin, Agnes Martin, Dan Flavin, Robert Morris, Anne Truitt, and Frank Stella. It is rooted in the reductive aspects of Modernism, and is often interpreted as a reaction against Abstract expressionism and a bridge to Postmodern art practices.
The terms have expanded to encompass a movement in music which features repetition and iteration, as in the compositions of La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and John Adams. Minimalist compositions are sometimes known as systems music. (See also Postminimalism).
The term "minimalist" is often applied colloquially to designate anything which is spare or stripped to its essentials. It has also been used to describe the plays and novels of Samuel Beckett, the films of Robert Bresson, the stories of Raymond Carver, and even the automobile designs of Colin Chapman. The word was first used in English in the early 20th century to describe the Mensheviks.

Minimalist music is an originally American genre of experimental or Downtown music named in the 1960s based mostly in consonant harmony, steady pulse (if not immobile drones), stasis or gradual transformation, and often reiteration of musical phrases or smaller units such as figures, motifs, and cells. It may include features such as additive process and phase shifting. Starting in the early 1960s as a scruffy underground scene in San Francisco alternative spaces and New York lofts, minimalism spread to become the most popular experimental music style of the late 20th century. The movement originally involved dozens of composers, although only five—Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, John Adams and, less visibly if more seminally, La Monte Young—emerged to become publicly associated with it in America. In Europe, its chief exponents[citation needed] were Louis Andriessen, Karel Goeyvaerts, Michael Nyman, Gavin Bryars, Steve Martland, Henryk Górecki, Arvo Pärt, and John Tavener. The term "minimalist music" was derived around 1970 by Michael Nyman from the concept of minimalism, which was earlier applied to the visual arts.For some of the music, especially that which transforms itself according to strict rules, the term "process music" has also been used. Recently, Minimal techno has started gaining popularity among dance music enthusiasts. It takes the same idea that "less is more" from classical composers and applies to this new genre.

Stylistic origins Minimalism
Detroit techno
Acid techno
Ambient
Cultural origins Early 1990s, Detroit, Michigan, USA, Berlin
Typical instruments Keyboard, synthesizer, drum machine, sequencer, sampler
Mainstream popularity Underground initially, widespread club trend by mid 2000s
Derivative forms Maximal

Minimal techno is a minimalist sub-genre of techno. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition, and understated development. This style of dance music production generally adheres to the motto less is more; a principle that has been previously utilized, to great effect, in architecture, design, visual art, and Western art music. Minimal techno is thought to have been originally developed in the early 1990s by Detroit based producers Robert Hood and Daniel Bell,although what is currently referred to as 'minimal' has largely been developed in Germany during the 2000s, and made very popular in the second half of the decade by labels such as Kompakt and M-nus.

In his essay Digital Discipline: Minimalism in House and Techno Philip Sherburne also proposes what the origins of Minimal techno might be. Sherburne states that, like most contemporary electronic dance music, minimal techno has its roots in the landmark works of pioneers such as Kraftwerk and Detroit Techno's Derrick May and Juan Atkins. Minimal techno focuses on "rhythm and repetition instead of melody and linear progression", much like classical minimalist music and the polyrhythmic African musical tradition that helped inspire it. By 1994, according to Sherburne, the term "minimal" was in use to describe "any stripped-down, Acidic derivative of classic Detroit style".
Los Angeles based writer Daniel Chamberlin, attributes the origin of minimal techno to the German producers Basic Channel and in doing so fails to credit the contributions of Robert Hood or mention the influence of Hood, and other members of Underground Resistance, on the Berlin techno scene of the early 1990s (the scene out of which Basic Channel emerged). Chamberlin draws parallels between the compositional techniques used by producers such as Richie Hawtin, Wolfgang Voigt, and Surgeon and that of American minimalist composer Steve Reich, in particular the pattern phasing system Reich employs in many of his works; the earlist being "Come Out". Chamberlin also sees the use of sine tone drones by minimalist composer La Monte Young and the repetitive patterns of Terry Riley's "In C" as other influences. Sherburne has suggested that the noted similarities between minimal forms of dance music and American minimalism could easily be accidental; he also notes that much of the music technology used in EDM has traditionally been designed to suit loop based compositional methods, which may explain why certain stylistic features of minimal techno sound similar to works of Reich's that employ loops and pattern phasing techniques.

Wikipedia has enabled me to provide an appropriate format or framework within which i will be to characterise and develop research.. Contemporary minimal sound artists.
Further research will include looking at Richie Hawtin and M-nus records (Gaiser, Heartthrob) and a look at some of the Compakt artists such as Michael Mayer, Justus Köhncke and Jürgen Paape.

This will also tie in and further develop looking into the minimalist visuals that Quayola has created. His whole PTA series was done in conjunction with M-nus records artist such as.. Autobam, Audion, My My, Peter Spiess, Oliver Hacke, RunStopRestore, JPLS, Hearthrob.

This is the sort of minimalist construction process that i will be adapting to my project. Simple, reductive sounds, with the emphasis being on rhythmical patterns and reduced and sliced samples.
(Lots of white space)

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT) Ryoji Ikeda +/- [the infinite between 0 and 1]

ARTICLE FROM _ http://www.e-flux.com/shows/view/6589

"Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda creates at the extremes of sound, light and mathematics to produce complex transformative works of singular beauty. In Paris last year he projected vast blinding white light up into the city's night sky from sixty-four floodlights situated in front of Tour Montparnasse, France's tallest skyscraper. spectra [paris] was a version of spectra [amsterdam], Ikeda's commission for DREAM AMSTERDAM which lit the city's Vondel Park, Van Gogh Museum, Wastergasfabrick cultural space and Java Island.

In April Ikeda presents Ryoji Ikeda +/- [ the infinite between 0 and 1], his first major retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT). The exhibition includes new commissions, large-scale and audiovisual projections, sound works and sculptural pieces, evolving the synaesthetic effects of Ikeda's earlier works, fusing sound and image in intensely physical experiences.

Ryoji Ikeda +/- [ the infinite between 0 and 1] presents some works developed from datamatics, Ikeda's series of "experiments that explore the vast universe of data in the infinity between 0 and 1", as well as from his dialogue with Harvard mathematician Benedict Gross. It also develops a prime number / a natural number, Ikeda's large-scale photographic work for Le Laboratoire, which explored the idea that perhaps nothing in the universe is random.

Other works include data.matrix [nº1-10], a multi screen installation featuring video sequences from datamatics [ver.2.0], Ikeda's audiovisual concert; and matrix [5ch version], a pure sound installation formed by a grid of speakers through which visitors walk.

Similar to Ikeda's spectra [paris], which also featured a grid, visitors' movements interfere and disrupt the carefully composed soundscapes.

In addition, MOT presents data.tron [3 SXGA+ version], a larger version of an earlier floor-to-ceiling screen of data which seeks to physically overwhelm visitors with a staggering array of 0s and 1s. Ikeda's established work data.film [nº1-a] will also be showing, - a mesmerising very narrow 10m long lightbox of data codes and patterns.

[Ryoji Ikeda]
Ryoji Ikeda is Japan's leading electronic composer and sound artist who has gained a reputation as one of the few international artists working convincingly across both visual and sonic media. Music, time and space are shaped by mathematical methods as Ikeda explores sound as sensation, pulling apart its physical properties to reveal its relationship with human perception. Since 1995, Ikeda has been intensely active through concerts, installations, and recordings, integrating sound, acoustics and sublime imagery.

[Previous works of Ryoji Ikeda]
An earlier installation, spectra II (currently exhibited at the Nam June Paik Centre in Seoul), and its adaptation for Terminal 5 at JFK Airport, faced viewers with a long corridor, which alternated between total darkness and intense, dazzling brightness and could only be navigated by the acoustic interaction between sound and the architecture of the spaces. Another work, db, combined the totally dark space of an anechoic chamber with a silent white, reflective room illuminated by hundreds of fluorescent tubes. A further adaptation of this concept, spectra III, was exhibited at Le Laboratoire, Paris (2008). At the start of 2009, an enhanced version of data.tron was commissioned for the opening of the Deep Space venue at Ars Electronica Center, and in celebration of the City's mantle as Capital of Culture this year. Ikeda's acclaimed installations and his large-scale, public works spectra [amsterdam] and spectra [paris] (both 2008), continue to diffuse Ikeda's aesthetic of 'ultra minimalism' to the art world. Using computer and digital technologies, Ikeda's audiovisual concerts datamatics (2006 - present), C4I (2004 - 2007) and formula (2000 - 2006) suggest a unique orientation for our future multimedia environment and culture. For the past six years, Forma has produced and toured Ikeda's exhibition and performance projects worldwide."

A much more detailed insight into the conceptual angles of Ikeda.
Interesting ideas about representing data in informal ways.

Ryoji Ikeda - Detailed research - Test Pattern

Ikeda is primarily known as electronic sound artist, although his performances are always constructed around some sort of visualization of the sound elements he’s working with. His work examines the relationships found in data structures, and he uses patterns found in various types of computer data to generate both sound and image. From this, he has created a body of work that includes both performance and installation pieces. Transmediale 2010 included both with data.tron (3 SXGA+version) as an installation along with his Test Pattern performance.

Ikeda’s work extends from the idea that data itself, the actual patterns of ones and zeros, can be perceived as sound and visual elements in an artistic presentation. When asked about his influences in a 2008 Japan Times interview, Ikeda lists not musicians or visual artists, but mathematicians, and in examining raw data, he uses mathematical relationships to create form and structure. His conversations with Harvard mathematician Benedict Gross have led to the data.tron series of installations that include (3 SXGA+version) exhibited at Transmediale. In this large scale video projection that covers an entire wall of a gallery space, Ikeda creates a kind of 21st century pointillistic mural using raw data taken from complex predictive models scientist use to predict future events, to create a blizzard of numbers and geometrical shapes.

Ryoji Ikeda: data.tron at Transmediale 2010 from antjeverena on Vimeo.

n Test Pattern, raw data is converted to bar codes, the kind found on just about everything you buy in a store, and mapped to a variety of noise sources, presumably generated from the same data. The bar code patterns are projected at a high rate on two sectors of a large screen. The synchronization here is very tight, and the visual patterns represent a kind of rhythmic visualization where placement and width of the bars represent attack and duration patterns in the sound. In performance, Ikeda plays with relationships between left and right stereo channels and the patterns appearing on the screen sectors. Part of what the audience experiences is a kind of manipulation of perceptual coordination. This can be jarring for some, and indeed there is a warning before the performance that those with epileptic tendencies might want to excuse themselves.

So what does all this actually sound like? One of the points in Ikeda’s work is that data has a structure that can be assembled into recognizable patterns. These in turn, can be interpreted as rhythmic structures, so what we hear from this are clearly recognizable patterns that might sound like they’re coming from a drum machine on steroids. Nothing sounds random, and bursts of pure noise, clicks, and beeps punctuate these patterns, giving them a kind of musical form and structure. It’s hard to say whether this is the result of algorithmic processes or of painstaking orchestration through digital editing. While Ikeda is on stage for the performance, it’s not clear what he might be doing to effect the piece in realtime. While we’re used to seeing a clear correspondence between gesture and sound in a musical performance, perhaps one can think of the performer more as the captain of some sort of multimedia mothership in this type of work.

While "glitch" has become a recent buzz word for all sorts of music that incorporates noise, the work Ryoji Ikeda is doing here has a deep connection to a larger artistic vision, and in that sense, it transcends the whole idea of a popular style or genre.

Ryoji Ikeda interview - APRIL 17, 2008

The mathematics of music - an interview with Ryoji Ikeda


So forward-looking that it's hard to categorize him — Is he an artist? A musician? A conceptualist? — Ryoji Ikeda makes the music that we'll lull the robots to sleep with when they ultimately try to take over. Or that we'll use to convince ourselves that we are the robots.

For performances, Ikeda — who says the most important aspects of his works are "ideas and results" — matches his dense electronic compositions with visuals that could come from a monitor of whatever machine would produce such sounds. The scale of his works feels immense — his last performance in Japan was of "datamatics [prototype]" at the Tokyo International Forum's cavernous Hall C, in which a screen stretched across the full stage projected digital noise. James Brown it's not.

Earlier, Ikeda worked with Hiroshi Sugimoto to produce the crunching sonic backdrop at the Mori Art Museum's exhibition of the photographer's iconic prints of ocean horizons. For his latest, the multitalented artist is revising "datamatics" as a "[ver. 2.0]" in Itami on March 13 and Tokyo March 16. Standing on the edge of what music can be, and thus bleeding into the world of art, Ikeda spoke to The Japan Times about mathematicians and the future of music.

How do you see music changing?

We know that we can't concretely predict how music will be in the future, but everybody knows that music will definitely change. Of course, this is not only about music changing, this is about everything changing. It seems to be obvious that the form, style and way of representation will be endlessly transformed by technological trends, which has long been a tradition within music — from the invention of notation, or instruments such as the pianoforte, to digital downloads today. But I am more interested in thinking about what will not change — I naively believe that the essentials of music will never change.

What about "entertainment"?

As long as capitalism continues, entertainment will always be driven by the stock exchange. Aside from such dry thoughts, I like to believe that popular entertainment genres will always have a mutant or alternative form, such as art films in the movie industry — that any genre always keeps its "Art," that which raises questions and encourages deeper considerations about the genre itself.

In the melding of art and music — as in your work and the recent collaboration between Ryuichi Sakamoto and Shiro Takatani at the NTT ICC — is it possible to separate the visual and sonic parts?

My job as an artist is to compose elements. Composition is the key. So any elements, which are brushed up carefully, are the subjects to be composed. I compose sounds. I compose visuals. I compose materials. I can't put, or analyze, myself in the context of something between art and music; I am naturally doing what I am doing.

Who were your original inspirations?

Most of the mathematicians in our modern history, especially Leibnitz, Cantor, Godel, Grothendieck.

Can you compare your works to others'?

First, I believe that the works speak absolutely for themselves — this has always been a strong belief of mine. And if they are too extreme for some people, at least the works can speak much better than the artist can. To be honest, I cannot judge, or even think about, my works myself. I think this should ideally be left to the critics — or at least anybody except me.

What do you think of participating in collaborations?

It depends on the project or work. But I am somewhat skeptical about collaboration. A novel, a painting or an orchestral composition cannot be done by two people — even movies, choreography or architecture. There are some exceptions, but essentially, a work of art is for a single artist. I am saying this through my experiences, such as a decade of collaborating with Dumb Type (Teiji Furuhashi's avante-garde performance group active in the 1990s) and others. Being solo is direct and straight, which I like for the moment.

Who would you like to work with?

At the moment I am collaborating with a mathematician at Harvard whose specialty is pure math, number theory. But it is not a real collaboration, it is to share or confirm the deepest aesthetics between math and art (in what I am doing). I will keep doing so with other mathematicians.

What is your creative process like?

The process happens in a trial-and-error and a back-and-forth way. It's an adventure between the hands and the brain that is both systematic and intuitive, and cannot be generalized. For example, first I make different cookbooks for each project or work — the score or "idea" making. I then follow this plan, preparing all recipes carefully — the production process — and then every single element is judged intuitively by the chef at the very moment when he starts to cook — the live performance or installation of an exhibition. I think this is quite normal for any artist.

What are the most important recent technological advances for what you do?

Many interesting things have happened in the last decade, especially in the development of multitask platform technology for computers, which enables anyone to program their own software. This is a breakthrough for me, since programming requires us to learn very sophisticated computer languages. I myself don't do programming, but to see a new way of thinking among a generation is interesting — as if to witness a major new wave or trend like with DJ kids a decade ago. To me, a drastic shift in people's way of thinking like this is always more exciting than its trigger.

What are your expectations for the next generation of digital artists?

When young programmers grow up and become mature, I believe they get very close to a border between pure math and what they are doing. In the age of (the Greek philosopher) Plato, music was a science (and part of math), and some of the genuine programmers may well come to accept this great concept in the future, even if they are not conscious of what they are doing for art. And then, at some stage, perhaps the music industry will disappear.

Original article in Japan Times.

An interesting paper on Sound and semiotics - research and analysis to further the semantic intent of the project

A study of the semiotic role of sound in interactive media
Sound: an underestimated medium in interactive design

Jan Meinem

1.3. Sound as a language
1.3.1. Semiotics
To look at sound as a language we can make some links with semiotics.
Semiotics
1
is the study of how signs communicate meanings with linguistic signs
(words) being one a part of this. Ferdinand de Saussure, a Swiss academic, in his
work Course in General Linguistics
2
describes a study of linguistic signs. Saussure
claimed that this study could be applied to other types of signs that communicate
meanings, like images, and study them in similar ways.
Signs, according to Saussure, consist of two parts, firstly the signal or signifier
which could be the sound patterns of a word and secondly the signification or
signified, which is the actual concept of a word, it's meaning. He also states that
the link between these, signal and signification, is arbitrary in the sense that the
word could have been any other word (e.g. table could have been the word to
describe the concept of a door). In other words the sound pattern door has no
direct connection to the concept of a piece of wood used to close a walkthrough
passage in a wall. Saussure stated:
"The psychological nature of our sound patterns becomes clear when we
consider our own linguistic activity. Without moving either lips or tongue,
we can talk to ourselves or recite silently a piece of verse. We grasp the10
words of language as sound patterns." (Saussure, 1915, p 11)
This applies to sound as well. We can silently 'hum' a melody from a well-known
song or 'imagine' what broken glass would sound like.
Another important point Saussure made was that culture and society agree on
what a certain sign means Although individuals might have slightly varying
understandings of signs, there seems to be a commonly agreed meaning attached
to them.
1.3.2. Music as a language
If we would consider a piece of music to be a signal, used to communicate a
certain message, than the concept or signification of that musical signal is not as
easy to describe. The interpretation will probably vary a lot from individual to
individual, much more so than with linguistic signs within a certain language
3
For music we need to learn a new language. Music communicates in a different
way. It's content is much less specific than linguistic language and yet it is a very
powerful language.
Roland Barthes, a French critic describes in his book Mythologies that signs do11
often not just denote a certain concept, like the door being a piece of wood used as
a separation between rooms, but have other connotative meanings included with
them. For example in a television advert; a shot of a woman driving a small car in
Paris does not denote just that, but might also connote things like independence,
cheekiness and confidence. These are all associative ideas formed by society and
culture.
Music especially relies on these connotative meanings. The associative links within
each individual, evoking emotional reactions linked to an individuals past
experiences with hearing a type of music in a certain context. Film music and
television have both probably become a huge provider of these connotative
meanings. So very much like with linguistics, a collectively agreed language that
seems to be much less specific in its description than words are. Nicholas Cook
describes this when he refers to music;
"Its ‘powers’ of transference are limited – it can convey sadness but cannot
distinguish sadness from depression, despair or gloom." (Cook, 1998, p )
However music (or perhaps sound in general) has less 'language' barriers and is a
more international language than linguistic language. But perhaps the best
examples when sound is used to communicate meanings, becomes apparent
when it is combined with other mediums like visuals or text.

When sound is combined with visuals the audience is practically not aware of the
presence of the music (provided that it is stopped and started at appropriate
moments). They simply forget that it is there and get immersed in the total
experience. Sound and visuals have also the ability to transfer their specific
'qualities' onto one another.

"By working with the image the sound seeks to explain the events,
emotions and meaning, to transfer its clarity of meaning to the other. This
meaning is not contained ‘within’ the music, in the same way as sad14
music does not ‘contain’ sadness within it. It transfers qualities of sadness
into an image and onto the spectator." - Cook

Music is the unseen character, in any media form it does become
something that the listener may not really be thinking about, but yet affects
their perception of what is actually happening on screen, whether that is a
computer screen, television screen or a film screen.

To improve sound design in media, one needs to be aware of what
sound can do and start viewing it as a medium that has huge potential to
communicate messages to the end user. It participates, in a 'hidden' way, in
constructing meanings in interactive works through; juxtaposing sound images
against other media, the use of non-diegetic sound to comment on visual events
and the powerful immersing qualities of environmental sounds. These are tools that
are rarely used to their maximum potential.

A more comprehensive evaluation will be completed in due course as i develop the concept further..

Chris Cunningham - Manchester Opera House live A/V set - review

Taking place at the Opera House, this special show saw Cunningham combine his already well-known videos with new ones as well as some heavy remixes and his own music.
LoneLady (WARP) was supposed to open but cancelled, instead, Fuck Buttons, in town for a gig at the Academy, played a DJ set.
They gave us some lovely glitchy 8-bit dreamy computer music which, albeit a bit quiet, was good. It sounded like a pretty doom where pixellated boys were getting blitzed under bit crushers while girls blew kisses. Annoyingly, the auditorium lights weren’t dimmed until about three quarters of the way through their set which marred the atmosphere.
BEAK> Very warm and fuzzy flowing synths provided the drone which were sort of held together by a strict bass. Barrow and Fuller provided some haunted yelps which contributed to the dissonance and sense of foreboding. The drums were way too quiet though which was unfortunate and nobody seemed to be paying attention at all.
Most of the audience were only interested in Cunningham which, when his set began, seemed justified.
The SOUND! Words like heavy, mega and epic don’t really do it justice. There were SLABS of bass which hit you like a truck and scary sounds like sickles cutting through brains. Visually, it was instantly arresting and just, well beautiful in a fucked up way.
There were three massive screens on stage, the centre one often projecting the ‘main’ image, the other two flanking it showed other, related, cuts. Sometimes all three images were the same, but mostly not.
There was also an enormous lurid green laser which swept across the Opera House breaking open to project images of the world and clouds. Occasionally, it just zapped randomly.


The opening segment of the show featured a naked couple, in darkness, in water, just floating…sort of spooning…like foetuses entwined. The lighting was like a rich oil painting, all ochre and burnt sienna. The woman’s hair formed mermaid tendrils and the couple’s bodies were perfect. A close up of the man’s penis caused a few sniggers and god knows what was shouted as he pulled back his foreskin. But it was all floaty and dreamy, twinkly and sort of, tender (the general vibe, not the penis).
As the music slammed however, the couple’s embrace turned into a FULL-ON choreographed fist-fight. They POUNDED each other with a brutality which I seem incapable of describing without uninhibited use of CAPS-LOCK. They went for each other, properly, in a way that was somehow exciting and shocking yet also erotic….no, not in a ‘ooh, this is turning me on way’ but in a deeper, more fundamental way. As if it depicted love and how, when you love someone you tear strips off each other and batter each other, but underneath it there is something animal. Something tender.
Almost as soon as I had this thought, I heard the unmistakable pulse and throb of that Moroder synth and it can’t be can it? Yes it is! A weirded out bad man version of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love fused with big searing juddery bass and speedy beats.
Guitars begin to rip up the audio, a girl who looks a bit like Fee from The Whip on serious amounts of class As wearing a slapperish dress starts to shake her head off, lift her skirt up and show us, what’s that? A load of squids?
The whole thing was a delight, aurally and visually stunning and breath-taking. Everyone was captivated from start to finish and the 75 minute show felt like about 10. It also featured reworks of Cunningham’s famous ‘Windowlicker’ (Aphex Twin) video and Rubber Johnny.
A remix of Gil Scott Heron’s ‘New York is Killing Me’ came at the end of the show which was powerful and poignant.

Hyundai Accent 3D projection mapping - New antiVj

Time Management

Briefing Date
25/3/11

To construct a piece of minimalist music, accurately and faithfully recreating visually (VFX) the construction of the piece of music, using colour theory, semiotics and semantics, symbolism, mythology, phenomenology, and synesthesia, subjectivity and suggestion.

-25th march – 5th april – Complete Proforma (Choose idea(s), highlight potential research opportunities, identify a reading list, look at potential costs and equipment and resources required…)

- Begin research

- 6th April - Proforma deadline
- 6th April – 20th – Create audio
- 10th April – ongoing - Review books being read, films being watched and ideas being held, Semiotics, and sound semiology, Contemporary practitioners (both Audio and Visual), Trends/modern fashion, Minimalism vs reduction.
- 22nd April – 2nd May –Develop Moods and visual ideas, “Finalize”/ progress an idea, Concept art and art direction, consolidation of research into an accurate and concise concept for theory (1000 word analysis and evaluative response)
- 2nd May – Powerpoint

Research and Develop – You are required to develop a substantial research and development portfolio that documents your research and development to the point of the project been ready to go into production. At the end of this research and development phase you will deliver a presentation as to how you realise your project.

Interim Crit
3/5/11

- 3rd May – 4th May – Reflect of feedback from Crit, sort a post referencing this.
- 5th May – Begin Creating – Quartz work, Illustrator and Photoshop, modulation/effects on live footage
- 12th may – complete Illustrator and Photoshop art-work (readied for after effects)
- 12th May – 26th May - Begin after effects process (animation) / arrangement, layering and texturing
- 12th May – 26th May – 1000 word development and analysis write up to aid and abet continuity within the concept and the justifications for an changes made


Final Crit
27/5/11
- 28th May – 2nd June - Tweaks, touch ups
- 29t May - 1000 word Critical analysis specific to the theory and conceptual ideas within the piece
- 1st June – Finish , General evaluation of product cycle and resolved project.

Deadline
3/6/11 3-30-4pm

- Deliverables….
Research and Development folder:
Mood-boards
Detailed explanation of conceptual desires – analysis
A comprehensive body of research including all relevant theories and associated context and content and how this is directly relates to the project.
Research on contemporary practitioners/ Context….. Listed above
Developed conceptual ideas / realized concept art / Storyboards / Animatics
At least 3 1000 word evaluative and critical analysis of process and progress, concepts, realizations and justifications / Continuity within concept
Examples of experimentation of technique using a variety of software….. Listed above

A 3 minute audio/visual VFX sequence fully syncopated.
EVALUATION – 1000 words

Negotiated Study – OUDF203 Statement of Intent - Before Feedback

Project Title
AN EXPRESSION OF ABSTRACT CONSTRUCTION: Minimalist sound

The Brief

To construct a piece of minimalist music, accurately and faithfully recreating visually (VFX) the construction of the piece of music, using colour theory, semiotics and semantics, symbolism, mythology, phenomenology, and synesthesia, subjectivity and suggestion.

Resources Required

Studio set – Software in order of use: Ableton (Music creation) Illustrator , After Effects , Quartz, Modul8, Final Cut,
Minimal budgets as all done on in house software and studio facilities.
High-speed camera for experimentation in technique. (use of fabric and wind machine) – (Moderat)

Self Identified Reading List

Stam, R (1992) New Vocabularies in Film Semiotics: Structuralism, Poststructuralism and Beyond,
Danesi M – Of cigarettes, high heels and other interesting thigns – an intro to semiotics.
Christian Metz (general commentary on semiotics) – Semiotic intent and symbolism
Christiansen M After effects – Visual effects and Compositing – Studio Techniques
Youngjin – Illustrator Cs Accelerated.
Baudrillard J – Simulacra and Simulation
Wise, Belton – Film Sound - Theory and practice
Michael Faulkner/D-Fuse - VJ: Audio-Visual Art and VJ Culture
Richard E Cytowic and David M Eagleman - Wednesday is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia
Computer Arts
Wired
ImagineFX, Future Publishing
Creative Review
Sight and Sound
(Influence: A Skanner Darkly, Inland Empire, Dune, Blade Runner, Space relations,)

Additional Research Opportunities

Sonar Festival
Chris Cunningham in Manchester – Review
Ryoji Ikeida – Formula – DVD – Review / Analyze
Moderat LIVE SHOW / DVD – Review / Analyze
Anti Vj light experiments, installations

Considerations

The ambiguity and subjectivity of the outcome / product dictates that its point of display will be arbitrary to its content.
Ie – It could be displayed in a gallery as a short (film), an installation, festival environments, theatres, t v, Club and VJ environments.

Deliverables.

Research and Development folder:
Mood-boards
Detailed explanation of conceptual desires – analysis
A comprehensive body of research including all relevant theories and associated context and content and how this is directly relates to the project.
Research on contemporary practitioners/ Context….. Listed above
Developed conceptual ideas / realized concept art / Storyboards / Animatics
At least 3 1000 word evaluative and critical analysis of process and progress, concepts, realizations and justifications / Continuity within concept
Examples of experimentation of technique using a variety of software….. Listed above

A 3 minute audio/visual VFX sequence fully syncopated.
EVALUATION – 1000 words

Quayola - Partitura & Strata

London based Quayola uses software based systems, as well more traditional photographic and video compositing methods to create geometric and architectural visual music films and performances. His most recent work utilises Delauney Triangulation techniques and Voronio sub-divisioning to overlay and augment classical imagery. This, in his own words, ‘enables the real and the artificial to coexist harmoniously’. Crystalline topologies and coloured facets are derived from the computational analysis of classical works such as Velazquez’s Las Meninans. In Strata the topographies imply geological terrains, as the triangulation folds into 3 dimension space, and degenerates into wire-frame landscapes.

Quayola’s visual music projects include crisp syncopated graphic forms which appear equally suited to minimal tech-house (as in PTA) as they are modern solo piano compositions (revealed in a preview of Partitura). In both cases success is achieved by the use of precise audio-visual synergies, constructivist idioms and a sense of an unfolding abstract narrative.

Quayola’s work is realised with the input of specialists such as sound designers, programmers and photographers, details of which are annotated for each project.

Contemperory - Progressive electronic festivals and other interesting links i have found

FESTIVALS AND COMPANIES/ORGANISATIONS

www.transmediale.de
www.cimatics.com
www.elektramontreal.ca
www.mutek.ca
www.pixelache.ac
www.dissonanze.it
www.optronica.org
www.sonar.es
www.lovebytes.org.uk
www.avfest.co.uk
www.todaysart.nl
www.strp.nl

PEOPLE

www.uva.co.uk
www.skoltzkolgen.com
www.dfuse.com
www.ryoichikurokawa.com
lia.sil.at
www.iole.org
www.semiconductorfilms.com
www.flight404.com
www.universaleverything.com

Quayola interview - Babe Baker -

http://motionographer.com/features/quayola-interview/

VJ culture is something I really know nothing about. I only know it exists from dancing all night long at raves and nightclubs back in the day when my body could handle that sort of thing. This type of work doesn’t really fit into to the commercial world we know, so it’s a challenge to look at it from that perspective and ponder all the why’s and what if’s. All I do know is that the A/V world has been evolving along with everything else, and with today’s software and hardware the possibilities are pretty much as endless as creativity allows.

After recently discovering a very talented visual artist from Roma (Italy) known as Quayola, I decided to ask him a few questions to help gain a better understanding of his work and the A/V world in general.

Tell us a little bit about your background, like where you are from and what it is you do?

My name is Davide Quagliola aka Quayola, I am Italian (from Roma) and I live and work in London (and sometimes around Europe). I guess I could say that I am a Multimedia Artist / Graphic Designer When someone asks me, I usually tend to answer different things depending to whom I am talking to. This because I do a variety of things that are likely to be perceived as separate fields. For me they are not.

As a Artist I do Videos, Installations, A/V Performances and Prints. These works are mainly screened, performed or exhibited in festivals and events, or in galleries. I would say this is what I do the most.

As a Graphic Designer I deal with Video, Motion Graphics / Compositing, Web and Print. I bring forward this kind of stuff as a freelance working for a couple of agencies, production companies and some other clients between UK and Italy.

As a Director (just starting) I do music videos.

In general, I like to work with people from different backgrounds, especially with musicians, architects and programmers.

Your work is different from most A/V work I’ve seen, probably owing to your sense of design. Were you rocking design before you got into programming, or was it the other way around?

I am definitely more a designer than a programmer, but I am fascinated and inspired by the aesthetics of coding and digital art in general. I try to bring together these two languages to create some sort of hybrid work in between.

I’d like to talk a little about a project you did for D-Fuse called Architectural Density, since it feels closer to the motion graphics we see today created with After Effects. Explain the process and what you used to create these intricate sound driven compositions.

This is work is all done using AE (for the animation) and Shake (for the grading) As I said before, I am very intrigued by the aesthetics of generative art, and I try to create videos that reflect this, either if they are created just with AE or with a combination of generative and keyframe-animated stuff. This piece has been commissioned by D-Fuse and supported by the Art Council of England as part of the cross-cultural art project Undercurrent. I've been given a huge database of audio-visual material (panoramic photos, videos and field recordings) from which I had to create a video for a 2-screen installation. I've then commissioned a musician myself, Ultre, to deal with the audio part of the database and create the actual sound design for the video.

For me, an interesting thing about this project is the way I've collaborated with the sound designer and the fact that both the video and the sound were created in a very similar way (selecting data from the given archive and reinterpreting them). As I am based in London and Ultre in Sheffield, we've mostly worked over the Internet; a password-protected directory was created on my server where I started uploading lots of bits and pieces of animation. These were downloaded from Ultre as references for him to build a soundtrack. I wanted the music to reflect those animations but also to be something on its own. The final audio track was then used for the final edit of the animations. This video is Uncompressed HD 1080p.

From the artist’s statement: This video is a visual interpretation of China's irresistible process of growth through urban development. Series of photographs, computer-generated graphics and sounds are amalgamated together in a 3D virtual environment. Here a process of metamorphosis transforms the existing architectural matter into a fleeting two-dimensional skin, revealing its precariousness. The fragmented reality achieved in the video is a metaphor for the collision of two opposing worlds: one related to contemporary urban development and the other representing China's traditions and spirituality.

Its obvious that sound is a driving force behind this type of work. The musicians you collaborate with seem to all have a similar style. It’s also interesting to see how you visually break down these compositions into carefully composed technical bits of motion graphics and video, and how you integrate nature. Would you say this has been a major influence on your approach and style?

I started playing as a DJ at the same time that I started playing with graphics. Electronic music has always had a big impact on my visual imagery and sometimes it can be the main source of inspiration for a project. With my ongoing A/V work, “Path to Abstraction"? I explore the relationships I see between sound and image, taking inspiration by the true representation of sound itself: the waveform. I combine together two different ways of interpreting the music: the analytical way of computers with the intuitive and personal way of human beings.

I've been collaborating with different musicians whose music I believe could fit with my vision of the project. I've been given the tracks at a certain beat-per-minute (which is 126), and with all the separate audio layers; I've then divided them into loops and into specific sounds. I've associated a certain animation with a certain sound, and then repeated those in relation to the structure of the music. It is literally “how I see the music.” The fact that I like integrating organic kinds of sounds into abstract electronic music gave me the idea of using organic elements in the videos. I've built a little green-screen setup in my warehouse and I've created a little database of live footage elements to be associated with certain kind of sounds. All the videos are uncompressed HD 1080p (the live show is SD PAL).

At the moment I am working with some musicians on a different level, basically the other way around. I've created a library of silent video loops that they are synced to imagery beats on a 4/4 grid at 126 bpm. This database is on a password-protected directory on my server. A musician can request a password and download the whole library. He can then develop a track by adding sounds to the video loops and combine them as he wish. (If you're a musician and you think you could interested in collaborating with me, just drop me an email.)

At the following link it is possible to see all the work in progress about this project together with a sample of other A/V show: www.quayola.com/126

You also have some beautiful graphic stills on your site. Are these prints created using the same process? And do you sell any of them?

Producing still images is another part of my work. The images on my site are all large, hi-res prints that have been or will be exhibited (and eventually sold I hope. actually, if you wanna buy one just drop me an email). I've been using mainly Photoshop and Illustrator to create these work.

At the moment I am working on two new still projects. The first will be a series of large-scale prints that are made with the still-frames from my “Path to Abstractionâvideos. These consist of a series of printed patterns that are made with all the frames of the relevant video, a sort of massive fingerprint for each video. To do this, I am working out some Photoshop actions.

The other project is in collaboration with an architect friend of mine called Tommaso Franzolini. It consists of a series of abstract images that are designed on a grid structure (like most of contemporary graphic design). The thing is that these grids are not standard orthogonal ones but intricate patterns generated by algorithms using a software called “Math Cad. (I've recently been using this process for a commercial job where I had to design a series of 10 DVD sleeves). These two projects will be online on my site sometime during summer.

What type of A/V magic sorcery can we expect to see from you in the near future?

There are a few interesting video projects in the pipeline at the moment:

1 “Roma? a video about Roman renaissance architecture and its dissolution. Part of the Bloom competition, supported by Onedotzero and MTV

2 “Roma-Installation? a site-specific architectural installation about Roman renaissance architecture and its dissolution. In collaboration with Mira Calix (Warp Records), curated by Ilaria Gianni. Some info here: www.quayola.com/roma

3 “Natures, a video project based on capturing and reinterpreting motion-tracking data from the movement of plants. In collaboration with Mira Calix (Warp Records). Some info and animation tests here: www.quayola.com/natures

4 “VIDOS DVD? a music promo for Michael Fakesch (Funkstorung, K7 Records)

5 An A/V DVD that will be a collaboration between D-Fuse (UK), Quayola (UK), Actop (Spain) and Powergraphixx (Japan).

Name some other activities you enjoy that don't require clicking a mouse or pushing a button.

Fortunately, I am not a nerd who only lives with his computer (even if I spend very long time in front of it) I like DJing, snowboarding, scuba diving, eating and drinking, cooking, traveling, partying, fucking, etc

Where do you see the A/V world in the next few years? Are there any new hardware / software technologies to get excited about?

I am already struggling to find out what is possible with the technology that we already have. I have to say that for me more than computers (that are already quite powerful), what interests me much are all the new innovations in displays: e-paper, organic LED and lots of other stuff that can be implemented at an architectural level. I believe what is going to be an interesting ground for visual art in near future will be its relationships with architecture and in general with physical space.

Another thing that is going to happen in the next years, I think, will be a much stronger interaction between scientific fields and artistic disciplines… Something that is already happening a lot and that I think is going to be stronger and stronger.

Quayola - research

Quayola is a visual artist based in London. His work simultaneously focuses on multiple forms exploring the space between video, audio, photography, installation, live performance and print. Quayola creates worlds where real substance, such as natural or architectural matter, constantly mutates into ephemeral objects, enabling the real and the artificial to coexist harmoniously. Integrating computer-generated material with recorded sources, he explores the ambiguity of realism in the digital realm.
Working in both the artistic and the commercial field, Quayola intelligently experiment with mediums traditionally perceived as separate. Currently active as Visual Artist, Graphic Designer and Director, he constantly collaborates with a diverse range of musicians, animators, computer programmers and architects. Quayola creates hybrid works blurring the boundaries between art, design and filmmaking.

Projects

PTA is a live audio-visual performance focusing on precise synchronisations between sound and image. It is a result of multiple collaborations with various musicians worldwide.
Inspired by waveforms, PTA takes form as a central spine where ever-evolving graphical compositions grow from and within.

Sound by:
Autobam, Audion, My My, Peter Spiess, Oliver Hacke, RunStopRestore, JPLS, Hearthrob

PTA 09 from Quayola on Vimeo.

CityScan

Live Audiovisual Performance
1ch video | 2ch sound
Duration: 30:00

Co-Produced with Chiara Horn
Sound Installation: Simone Strifele
Sound Live: Sinapsya

Cityscan 4.11 from Quayola on Vimeo.

Quayola live - Sonar Festival

Quayola no Sónar from alg-a on Vimeo.

Research AntiVj

www.antivj.com

Members
Simon Geilfus
Yannick Jacquet
Joanie Lemercier
Olivier Ratsi
Romain Tardy
Nicolas Boritch

Hometown

Bristol / Paris / Bruxelles

About

ANTIVJ is a visual label.



Biography

AntiVJ is a visual label initiated by European-based artists whose work is focused on the use of projected light and its influence on our perception.
Clearly stepping away from standard setups & techniques, AntiVJ presents live performances and installations where projections on volume, visual mapping, tracking and augmented reality, stereoscopy and holographic illusions are challenging the audience's senses.

Architectural projections
Light / Sound installations
A/V shows
Scenography / Stage design

Specialties
(video mapping, projections on volume, stereoscopy, augmented reality, tracking.)

AntiVJ in Breda - TV Report from legoman (AntiVJ) on Vimeo.

AntiVJ - SONGDO



AntiVJ - ENGHIEN



AntiVJ presents: Light Sculpture v3

AntiVJ presents: Light Sculpture v3 from AntiVJ / Joanie on Vimeo.

Nico Boritch / AntiVJ's Experience

resident
Pervasive Media Studio
Performing Arts industry
2008 – Present (3 years)

Live painting - Shackleton

"After loads of travels and events abroad, I had a chance to get some rest for a couple of weeks, and stay a bit around Bristol.. I also realized that I haven’t played ‘at home’ for a while, so I was really pleased when I’ve been asked to do some visuals for a Dubstep night at the Croft, which is the place where I did my very first VJ set when I moved to UK, back in 2004.
The organisers were more after a “stage design” rather than a simple screen setup, so it was the perfect occasion to get further in the “live painting” experiments that I did in June.
If you know my work, you’ve probably noticed that I’m obsessed by minimalism, straight lines and geometry, but in the past few months I felt a bit stuck in cubes and grids, (especially after a big project in Shanghai last October, where I stayed in a room with 2500 cubes for 3 weeks) and I wanted to explore new patterns and shapes, so I started drawing more, and playing around with 3D softwares.

I’m fascinated by the work of Martin Böttger (tsaworks), and the way he deconstructs simple 3D objects into organic and very dynamic shapes, and he also works with different mediums (animation, but also paper cuts, sculptures and installations). I’m sure many of you already know his Tractor video (recently featured in the onedotzero tours), but I also discovered recently his kluster_raum installation and his other works, and I just realized that I’ve been deeply influenced by him on this project.

Here’s a very short video of the preparations (I did many tests and sketches in order to find an interesting shape) and of the actual event: I painted during the afternoon and finished the painting during the night, and then I did an hour of live visuals during Shackleton set."

AntiVJ presents: Live Painting: Shackleton from AntiVJ / Joanie on Vimeo.

Ryoji Ikeda - Formula - Research + review

www.ryojiikeda.com

Excerpt from Formula



Japan's leading electronic composer Ryoji Ikeda focuses on the minutiae of ultrasonics, frequencies and the essential characteristics of sound itself. His work exploits sound's physical property, its causality with human perception and mathematical dianoia as music, time and space. Using computer and digital technology to the utmost limit, Ikeda has been developing particular "microscopic" methods for sound engineering and composition. Since 1995 he has been intensely active in sound art through concerts, installations and recordings: the albums +/- (1996), 0 degrees (1998) and Matrix (2000) have been hailed by critics as the most radical and innovative examples of contemporary electronic music. With Carsten Nicolai, he works the collaborative project 'cyclo.', which examines error structures and repetitive loops in software and computer programmed music, with audiovisual modules for real time sound visualization. The versatile range of his research is also demonstrated by the collaborations with choreographer William Forsythe/Frankfurt Ballett, contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, architect Toyo Ito and artist collective Dumb Type, among others. Ryoji Ikeda received the Golden Nica prize at Prix Ars Electronica 2001 in the Digital Music category.

Formula, a constantly evolving work updated with each presentation, is a perfect synchronization between Ikeda's sound frequencies and the movements on the screen. It places the viewer in a binary geometry of space, and exploits the darkness to amplify the perceptions, with outstanding success. Ikeda aims for the complete integration of the various elements, composing music, images, lighting and orchestrating the relationships between them through a highly precise score.

Beautiful Minimal Construction and aesthetic.. Continuity and authenticity of conceptual ideas and design..

This is the first complete monograph about the seminal work of Ryoji Ikeda. With superb attention to detail and layout, the publication documents the artist's latest projects and includes brand-new artwork especially produced for the book. At the same time, formula covers Ikeda's landmark concerts and installations; and his collaborations with, amongst others, celebrated artist/musician Carsten Nicolai, acclaimed performance group Dumb Type and famous architect Toyo Ito. All of the dvd content is only available here, with a 35 minute full video documentation of formula [prototype] concert filmed in Tokyo and 8 sound pieces from installation works. Eagerly awaited, the publication comes in a numbered edition of 3,000. A special limited edition of 100, available exclusively from Forma, includes a new print signed and numbered by the artist. Not only the most complete Ryoji Ikeda catalogue, formula is an intimately-scaled minimalist artwork in itself, and an object of desire. How the book is held may cause the numbers and text, picked out in clear varnish on white page, to shimmer. Every aspect of look and feel has been considered by the artist's critical eye. His superlative production values are ever-present in the quality of the images and the finish. Only through repeated investigation does the publication begin to reveal its richness. Readers will be able to pore over the photographs, ponder the schematics and technical drawings, and enjoy the spacious listings of performances, exhibitions and releases. The artist's first-rate assembly of data, diagrams and video stills create moments of graphic intensity that make the white spaces of the pages surprisingly dynamic. The book is pure pleasure to hold. formula [book + dvd] reflects precise design and the Ryoji Ikeda's flawless selection of surfaces and materials. An exceptional publication, it provides a 'heightened sensory experience' in a similar way to his concerts, installations and sound works.

Ryoji Ikeda - Sonar festival 2010 - Primary research





An assault on the senses during the Grec-Sonar night
During the opening night of Sonar 2010, and in a joint production with the Grec Festival, Ryoji Ikeda presents two works at the Teatre Grec: “spectra [barcelona]” (a huge lighting instalation that could be seen from all over the city) and “test pattern [live set]" (an astounding audiovisual show that syncronises images with sound). One of the unquestionable maestros of contemporary audiovisual minimalism, over the years Ikeda has been redefining his own concept of time, space and sonic material. To do so, he uses a multi-faceted work (recordings, installations, audiovisual performances) which constantly puts the viewer's senses to the test.


Ryoji Ikeda Projects 2000 - Now

test pattern datamatics V≠L time and space spectra matrix db A C⁴I formula other projects exhibitions concerts recordings publications

(Light shows, installations, VFX, theatre, club, vj, gallery, exhibitions..)

Pfadfinderei - Research

http://www.pfadfinderei.com

Pfadfinderei [ fɑ:d'fɪndɜ:raɪ ] is an internationally renowned design collective. From the development of motion design productions to the conceptualization of events, Pfadfinderei offers a broad spectrum of solutions that crosses borders between required function and contemporary design, all through the lens of advanced visual art & multimedia.

Finding and visualizing paths was the approach that led to the name Pfadfinderei (i.e. pathfinders / boyscouts). Starting off in 1999 as a Berlin-based vector orientated design bureau, Pfadfinderei soon expanded to what might be characterized as a cluster of advanced media alchemists given their aggressive passion for Live music visualization. Back in the day, they VJ'd in clubs in Berlin and around the region... nowadays they are planning, creating, and performing full-scale visual installations, in and beyond the club scene, expanding far and wide onto the world's cultural stage.

From 1999, the Pfadfinderei team went forward with seven expert members, all with diverse backgrounds, ranging from typography and art direction, to strategic visual planning and design production. That group is still moving forth strong, and no doubt will spice-up your interests with a unique, cutting-edge style. Pfadfinderei creations germinate from these individual characters who are united by a symbiotic approach to aesthetics, an attention to the beautiful detail of everyday life.

Instead of showing off their fast-paced studio facilities here in Berlin-Mitte, please feel free to discover the world-class work and growing list of beloved clients by browsing through this site.

Moderat + Pfadfinderei - Rusty nails - 2009



Film and VFX based, High speed camera with fabric creates a highly effective, illusive result that transforms and complements the audio, brilliant lighting, simple but expansive camera techniques, great audio that the visuals faithfully recreate in an abstract manner....

Moderat + Pfadfinderei - A New Error - 2009



Great lateral approach to video, highly creative. Abstract objects depicting sounds and audio.

I take alot from the more recent Pfadfinderei. The earlier material made use of basic animation techniques and although they have a charm of their own, they are very naive. This newer material indicates a maturity and progressive thought behind the ideas portrayed.

Example of older Pfadfinderei visuals.

Modeselektor & Pfadfinderei - Tits of my origin