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2010
KVSwalk premiere at ORCiM festival 2010
10/12/10 20:35
KVSwalk was premiered during the ORCiM Festival 2010, featuring Mieko Kanno on violin, Catherine Laws on piano, Stefan Österjö on guitar, Chris Chaffe on networked Celleto (all the way from California!), Henry Vega on networked Computer (sitting in my private studio in Den Haag, NL), and myself. Live visuals were realized by Michael Schwab, with additional programming assistance by David Piro. Quite a team!
Here is a link to a video excerpt.
In the coming weeks I expect to complete a cleaner audio version of the piece
Here is a link to a video excerpt.
In the coming weeks I expect to complete a cleaner audio version of the piece
KVSwalk: An Experiment on Embodiment
11/09/10 00:20
Here I will be posting the process of creating, rehearsing, performing and refining KVSwalk, for the ORCiM ensemble. The piece will be premiered during the ORCiM festival 2010, on September 16, at the Orpheus Institute in Gent. Preliminary study versions (Solos) have been performed and are scheduled to be performed during the summer 2010.
Coming from the possibility of interpreting the notion of embodiment at different levels (the physical relationship of the performer with his instrument, the assimilation and transformation of non musical ideas into sonic and visual manifestations (sonification and visualization as embodiment), KVSwalk aims to research the possibilities and limitations of physicality and embodied musicality in computer music performance.
The musical structure is centered on the metaphoric imaginary, as well as sonic derivatives of the Karman Vortex Street phenomena. For its ensemble version, a set of 'high-order parameters' were defined for each performer, favoring timbre variation and texture density control over pitch and articulation variety.
Starting from the notion of 'embodied know-how" where, " inherently synesthetic as well as multi-modal nature of the human being, by patiently integrating sensorimotor, intellectual and embodied capacities towards expert artistic skill in a specific domain, emerges" (1) and the more general understanding of 'embodiment' as a "tangible or visible form of an idea, quality, or feeling" (2), the project attempted to shed some light on the following questions:
- How can we interpret the multiple meanings of the concept of 'embodiment' in electronic music?
- How can we use it as ways of shaping a piece that informs multiple meanings?
Rather than present final solutions, the (partial) outcomes of this piece serve as reinforcer of the open nature of artistic experimentation. Questions were asked as means to start processes with no clear goals.
Only the aesthetic nature of the final product allows me as composer to determine which moments in these multithreaded process required refining and definition, but this refining clarify the nature of the paths to follow, and never the final
destination(s).
References
(1) K. Coessens: Musical Performance and ‘Kairos’: Exploring the Time and Space of Artistic Resonance, pp. 272 IRASM 40 (2009) 2: 269-281
(2) Oxford Dictionary Online:http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0262360#m_en_gb0262360
(entry as of September 2, 2010).
Coming from the possibility of interpreting the notion of embodiment at different levels (the physical relationship of the performer with his instrument, the assimilation and transformation of non musical ideas into sonic and visual manifestations (sonification and visualization as embodiment), KVSwalk aims to research the possibilities and limitations of physicality and embodied musicality in computer music performance.
The musical structure is centered on the metaphoric imaginary, as well as sonic derivatives of the Karman Vortex Street phenomena. For its ensemble version, a set of 'high-order parameters' were defined for each performer, favoring timbre variation and texture density control over pitch and articulation variety.
Starting from the notion of 'embodied know-how" where, " inherently synesthetic as well as multi-modal nature of the human being, by patiently integrating sensorimotor, intellectual and embodied capacities towards expert artistic skill in a specific domain, emerges" (1) and the more general understanding of 'embodiment' as a "tangible or visible form of an idea, quality, or feeling" (2), the project attempted to shed some light on the following questions:
- How can we interpret the multiple meanings of the concept of 'embodiment' in electronic music?
- How can we use it as ways of shaping a piece that informs multiple meanings?
Rather than present final solutions, the (partial) outcomes of this piece serve as reinforcer of the open nature of artistic experimentation. Questions were asked as means to start processes with no clear goals.
Only the aesthetic nature of the final product allows me as composer to determine which moments in these multithreaded process required refining and definition, but this refining clarify the nature of the paths to follow, and never the final
destination(s).
References
(1) K. Coessens: Musical Performance and ‘Kairos’: Exploring the Time and Space of Artistic Resonance, pp. 272 IRASM 40 (2009) 2: 269-281
(2) Oxford Dictionary Online:http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0262360#m_en_gb0262360
(entry as of September 2, 2010).
Structure and Process
11/09/10 00:18
A map of the piece: Multiple meanings for multiple layers
Each layer of the piece will respond to a different approach/experiment/exploration of a particular notion of embodiment.
- Instrumental layer:
Focus of the physical gestures required to produce sound in a particular instrument and experiments with finding points of connection from the physicality required to produce sound among several instruments into the 'spectral-morphologic' ('timbre') similarity of the resulting sounds.
- (networked) Instrumental layer:
Deals with the same embodiment interpretation, but it sheds light on the (potential) change of perception when the visual and auditive elements are disengaged. How much of the semantic value of Body- Action / Sound Manifestation is a cultural construction rather than a necessary aspect of music performance?
- Computer Signal processing Layer:
Focus on the bridging of two different 'embodiments': the manifestation (in sound) of a concept (the Karman vortex street phenomena) and the relationship of the performer's body towards an imaginary instrument. (the computer performer).
Video layer:
Embodiment as translation from a form/concept into another… ('visualization' as embodiment)
(networked) Computer Synthesis Layer:
An experiment on transliteration ("Sonification" version of the "visualization" process)
Architecture of the piece
The piece was constructed as it was conceived: in layers.
The first stage was centered on a series of experiments with the instrumentalists, aimed to derive musical material that was originally conceived as 'sonic manifestation' of physical gestures rather than sound/musical structures on their own.
Watch HERE a very early experiments (thanks to Sayoko Mundy (violin).
After a first period of experimentation, selection of the material was made using the following criteria:
1) (Physical) gesture similarity <---> (sonic) gesture difference
2) (sonic) gesture similarity <---> (physical) gesture difference
This experimentation/selection process was carried with the invaluable collaboration of Mieko Kanno (violin) Catherine Laws (piano) and Stefan Österjö (guitar), on a series of meetings over a period of four months.
The resultant material was regrouped following a path for each instrument where every gesture will be as sonically different from its predecessor, while the physicality involved will be as (metaphorically) connected as possible with the other ongoing (physical) gestures at any given moment during the piece.
Some samples:
GUITAR
PIANO
VIOLIN
With these, a first (instrumental only) structure for the piece was completed, assigning to every 'meta' (Physical+Sonic) gesture a symbol and a guideline description for its performance.
Gesture groups:
I >>>
Violin: brushing
Piano: strings brushing
Guitar: Mute attacks to high tremolo (4 cycles)
Celleto: brushing
II >>>
Violin: fuzzy pizz
Piano: High G over low G pedal
Guitar: gliss
Celleto: fuzzy pizz
III >>>
Violin: sustained bow weight
Piano: random walk
Guitar: excitation to slowdown octaves
Celleto: sustained bow weight
IV >>>
Violin: ricochet, foil
Piano: scattered notes w/foil
Guitar: pitchless trem to harmonics
Celleto: ricochet, foil
V >>>
Violin: moving harmonics
Piano: soft clusters around G
Guitar: tap tremolo > low phrases w/foil
Celleto: moving harmonics
Computer symbols:
Manual-triggered synth>>>
Manual-triggered 'grains'>>>
An intermediate layer is presented here in the form of the first networked element of the piece: Chris Chaffe was faced with the same challenges than the other instrumentalists, but his contribution differs from the other elements of the ensemble in the absence of his physical body onstage. Dealing with only the sonic result of the physical/sound gesture creation experiment aims to raise new challenges/questions when setting up a collective performance situation, and aims to explore the limits and possibilities of 'disembodied' chamber music interaction.
The next stage in the composition process was to create collection of timbre/articulation 'gestures' for the computer processing part relative to the instrumental collection that, while preserving a high degree of dependence to the interpretative nuances of the instrumentalists, could allow to a dedicated performer three key controls over its behavior:
- Initialization/Interruption of overall gestures (When)
- Dynamic control over the speed and direction of predefined spatialization trajectories
(which way and how long before it gets there)
- Dynamic control over the deviation in pitch of the Processed sound in relationship to the incoming instrumental gesture, producing the illusion of distal depth (How close/far).
This second layer was tested as a solo computer version of the piece, using a very rudimentary synthesis setup as its 'input' instrument: a no-input mixer, capable of generating three distinct sets of controlled feedback, a resonator bank on a fixed-frequency setting and a noise generator. KVSwalk_SOLO was premiered during the Raflost 2010 festival in Reykjavik, Iceland and further performed in Florence (IT) and Narbonne (FR).
A second experiment of structure the sound processing layer, focused on refine the sound spatialisation/trajectory control was created using the Reactable system at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona and presented during the SMC 2010 conference on July 23, 2010.
The next two layers of the piece are the co-creative product of collaboration with visual artist Michael Schwab and composer/computer performer Henry Vega.
Michael Schwab (with the programming assistance of David Pirró) created a visual interpretation of analysis data generated at the sound processing layer of the piece. Combining the concept of the Karman vortex street and the sound parameter information, His layer manifests in the visual domain the marriage of conceptual and inceptual information available, and contributes to blur the distinction between the two.
The work of the second layer, generated and controlled through a dedicated computer network by Henry Vega is to transliterate back into sound the above described process:
Listen: VegaTronics_excrpt
Finally, the computer performer on 'stage' will have the final responsibility to dynamically adapt the balance and highlight the structure of the piece by means of what can be consider 'subtle conducting’: preserving control over amplification, spatial distribution and cueing of global sections.
Listen to a partial outcome of the piece:
KVSwalk Section I Guitar-Piano-SoundProcessing
Each layer of the piece will respond to a different approach/experiment/exploration of a particular notion of embodiment.
- Instrumental layer:
Focus of the physical gestures required to produce sound in a particular instrument and experiments with finding points of connection from the physicality required to produce sound among several instruments into the 'spectral-morphologic' ('timbre') similarity of the resulting sounds.
- (networked) Instrumental layer:
Deals with the same embodiment interpretation, but it sheds light on the (potential) change of perception when the visual and auditive elements are disengaged. How much of the semantic value of Body- Action / Sound Manifestation is a cultural construction rather than a necessary aspect of music performance?
- Computer Signal processing Layer:
Focus on the bridging of two different 'embodiments': the manifestation (in sound) of a concept (the Karman vortex street phenomena) and the relationship of the performer's body towards an imaginary instrument. (the computer performer).
Video layer:
Embodiment as translation from a form/concept into another… ('visualization' as embodiment)
(networked) Computer Synthesis Layer:
An experiment on transliteration ("Sonification" version of the "visualization" process)
Architecture of the piece
The piece was constructed as it was conceived: in layers.
The first stage was centered on a series of experiments with the instrumentalists, aimed to derive musical material that was originally conceived as 'sonic manifestation' of physical gestures rather than sound/musical structures on their own.
Watch HERE a very early experiments (thanks to Sayoko Mundy (violin).
After a first period of experimentation, selection of the material was made using the following criteria:
1) (Physical) gesture similarity <---> (sonic) gesture difference
2) (sonic) gesture similarity <---> (physical) gesture difference
This experimentation/selection process was carried with the invaluable collaboration of Mieko Kanno (violin) Catherine Laws (piano) and Stefan Österjö (guitar), on a series of meetings over a period of four months.
The resultant material was regrouped following a path for each instrument where every gesture will be as sonically different from its predecessor, while the physicality involved will be as (metaphorically) connected as possible with the other ongoing (physical) gestures at any given moment during the piece.
Some samples:
GUITAR
PIANO
VIOLIN
With these, a first (instrumental only) structure for the piece was completed, assigning to every 'meta' (Physical+Sonic) gesture a symbol and a guideline description for its performance.
Gesture groups:
I >>>
Violin: brushing
Piano: strings brushing
Guitar: Mute attacks to high tremolo (4 cycles)
Celleto: brushing
II >>>
Violin: fuzzy pizz
Piano: High G over low G pedal
Guitar: gliss
Celleto: fuzzy pizz
III >>>
Violin: sustained bow weight
Piano: random walk
Guitar: excitation to slowdown octaves
Celleto: sustained bow weight
IV >>>
Violin: ricochet, foil
Piano: scattered notes w/foil
Guitar: pitchless trem to harmonics
Celleto: ricochet, foil
V >>>
Violin: moving harmonics
Piano: soft clusters around G
Guitar: tap tremolo > low phrases w/foil
Celleto: moving harmonics
Computer symbols:
Manual-triggered synth>>>
Manual-triggered 'grains'>>>
An intermediate layer is presented here in the form of the first networked element of the piece: Chris Chaffe was faced with the same challenges than the other instrumentalists, but his contribution differs from the other elements of the ensemble in the absence of his physical body onstage. Dealing with only the sonic result of the physical/sound gesture creation experiment aims to raise new challenges/questions when setting up a collective performance situation, and aims to explore the limits and possibilities of 'disembodied' chamber music interaction.
The next stage in the composition process was to create collection of timbre/articulation 'gestures' for the computer processing part relative to the instrumental collection that, while preserving a high degree of dependence to the interpretative nuances of the instrumentalists, could allow to a dedicated performer three key controls over its behavior:
- Initialization/Interruption of overall gestures (When)
- Dynamic control over the speed and direction of predefined spatialization trajectories
(which way and how long before it gets there)
- Dynamic control over the deviation in pitch of the Processed sound in relationship to the incoming instrumental gesture, producing the illusion of distal depth (How close/far).
This second layer was tested as a solo computer version of the piece, using a very rudimentary synthesis setup as its 'input' instrument: a no-input mixer, capable of generating three distinct sets of controlled feedback, a resonator bank on a fixed-frequency setting and a noise generator. KVSwalk_SOLO was premiered during the Raflost 2010 festival in Reykjavik, Iceland and further performed in Florence (IT) and Narbonne (FR).
A second experiment of structure the sound processing layer, focused on refine the sound spatialisation/trajectory control was created using the Reactable system at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona and presented during the SMC 2010 conference on July 23, 2010.
The next two layers of the piece are the co-creative product of collaboration with visual artist Michael Schwab and composer/computer performer Henry Vega.
Michael Schwab (with the programming assistance of David Pirró) created a visual interpretation of analysis data generated at the sound processing layer of the piece. Combining the concept of the Karman vortex street and the sound parameter information, His layer manifests in the visual domain the marriage of conceptual and inceptual information available, and contributes to blur the distinction between the two.
The work of the second layer, generated and controlled through a dedicated computer network by Henry Vega is to transliterate back into sound the above described process:
Listen: VegaTronics_excrpt
Finally, the computer performer on 'stage' will have the final responsibility to dynamically adapt the balance and highlight the structure of the piece by means of what can be consider 'subtle conducting’: preserving control over amplification, spatial distribution and cueing of global sections.
Listen to a partial outcome of the piece:
KVSwalk Section I Guitar-Piano-SoundProcessing
KVSwalk @ SMC 2010
04/06/10 16:05
Here is the proposal for the 2010 edition of the SMC Conference. The proposal was accepted and a new version of KVSwalk_SOLO, using the Reactable as controller and generator was performed on July 23, 2010.
KVSwalk_SOLO
for solo computer performer and multichannel audio system.
1. KVSwalk_SOLO aims to research the possibilities and limitations of physicality and embodied musicality in computer music performance. The musical structure is centered around the metaphoric imaginary, as well as sonic derivatives of the Karman Vortex Street phenomena. For its ensemble version, a set of 'high-order parameters' were defined for each performer, favoring timbre variation and texture density control over pitch and articulation variety.
2. For the solo computer version of KVSwalk, the prime requirement is a physical controller that is capable of capturing at least 4 continuous-control signals, coupled to 4 synthesis engines and 4 discrete audio outputs. Ideally, the time and voice structure calls for 5 high resolution physical controllers (ultrasound, pressure, thermic), 5 synthesis engines, routed to 5 filtering engines, circular motion spatial distribution system and a 5.1 audio output setup.
Estimated duration of the piece: 8-10 minutes.
I believe that the Reactable system would be a prime tool to realize a version of the piece. otherwise, a gesture controlled designed by the composer and developed at the Institute of Sonology of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and the original software for the piece can be provided.
Here is a picture of the Reactable:
Click HERE for more on the Reacable
A picture of the first tests with the Reactable:
HERE is a video of the final try out
... and HERE is the performance!
KVSwalk_SOLO
for solo computer performer and multichannel audio system.
1. KVSwalk_SOLO aims to research the possibilities and limitations of physicality and embodied musicality in computer music performance. The musical structure is centered around the metaphoric imaginary, as well as sonic derivatives of the Karman Vortex Street phenomena. For its ensemble version, a set of 'high-order parameters' were defined for each performer, favoring timbre variation and texture density control over pitch and articulation variety.
2. For the solo computer version of KVSwalk, the prime requirement is a physical controller that is capable of capturing at least 4 continuous-control signals, coupled to 4 synthesis engines and 4 discrete audio outputs. Ideally, the time and voice structure calls for 5 high resolution physical controllers (ultrasound, pressure, thermic), 5 synthesis engines, routed to 5 filtering engines, circular motion spatial distribution system and a 5.1 audio output setup.
Estimated duration of the piece: 8-10 minutes.
I believe that the Reactable system would be a prime tool to realize a version of the piece. otherwise, a gesture controlled designed by the composer and developed at the Institute of Sonology of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and the original software for the piece can be provided.
Here is a picture of the Reactable:
Click HERE for more on the Reacable
A picture of the first tests with the Reactable:
HERE is a video of the final try out
... and HERE is the performance!
KVSwalk @ Raflost 2010
04/06/10 16:04
Here are some pictures of the premiere of KVSwalk_Solo
This is the proposal for the 2010 Raflost Festival in Iceland, where the Solo version of KVSwalk was premiered on May 22, 2010
KVSwalk_SOLO
for solo computer performer and multichannel audio system.
1. KVSwalk_SOLO aims to research the possibilities and limitations of physicality and embodied musicality in computer music performance. The musical structure is centered around the metaphoric imaginary, as well as sonic derivatives of the Karman Vortex Street phenomena. For its ensemble version, a set of 'high-order parameters' were defined for each performer, favoring timbre variation and texture density control over pitch and articulation variety.
2. For the solo computer version of KVSwalk, the prime requirement is a physical controller that is capable of capturing at least 4 continuous-control signals, coupled to 4 synthesis engines and 4 discrete audio outputs. Ideally, the time and voice structure calls for 5 high resolution physical controllers (ultrasound, pressure, thermic), 5 synthesis engines, routed to 5 filtering engines, circular motion spatial distribution system and a 5.1 audio output setup.
This is the proposal for the 2010 Raflost Festival in Iceland, where the Solo version of KVSwalk was premiered on May 22, 2010
KVSwalk_SOLO
for solo computer performer and multichannel audio system.
1. KVSwalk_SOLO aims to research the possibilities and limitations of physicality and embodied musicality in computer music performance. The musical structure is centered around the metaphoric imaginary, as well as sonic derivatives of the Karman Vortex Street phenomena. For its ensemble version, a set of 'high-order parameters' were defined for each performer, favoring timbre variation and texture density control over pitch and articulation variety.
2. For the solo computer version of KVSwalk, the prime requirement is a physical controller that is capable of capturing at least 4 continuous-control signals, coupled to 4 synthesis engines and 4 discrete audio outputs. Ideally, the time and voice structure calls for 5 high resolution physical controllers (ultrasound, pressure, thermic), 5 synthesis engines, routed to 5 filtering engines, circular motion spatial distribution system and a 5.1 audio output setup.