Fourth A2R workshop at Hangar: Óscar Martín

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Óscar Martín is an experimental programmer and musician. He bases his work on the deconstruction of field recordings, no-conventional sinthesis and the creative use of technology errors. Luthier-digital with a “pure data” environment, which he uses to develop his own no conventional tools for processing and real time algorithmic generative composition. He can be placed somewhere between Computer Music, the Aesthetics of Error, and generative Noise. He seeks the creation of virtual sound universes, imaginary soundscapes that encourage active listening and a different sensibility toward the perception of sound phenomena.

The workshop developed by Óscar Martín at Hangar is planned as an experimental theoretical and hands-on laboratory on the concepts of emergent systems, stochastic and chaotic generative music under installative formats. The participants will work based on the contents and the technological development of the installation RdES ( http://noconventions.mobi/noish/hotglue/?RdEs_eng/) and prepare a performance that will be presented to the public during the last day of the workshop.

RdEs is an installation that explores the sonic and compositional possibilities of the concepts of complexity and emerging systems, using a network of “modules-particles” that interact with each other and the environment. Each “module-particle” follows simple individual rules, but is able to generate more complex and sophisticated patterns when combined with the others.

Third A2R residency and ws at Hangar: Alex MacLean

Alex McLean is a live coder, software artist and researcher based in Sheffield UK. He is one third of the live coding group Slub, getting crowds to dance to algorithms at festivals across Europe. He promotes anthropocentric technology as co-founder of the ChordPunch record label, of event promoters Algorave, the TOPLAP live coding network and the Dorkbot electronic art meetings in Sheffield and London. Alex is a research fellow in Human/Technology Interface within the Interdisciplinary Centre for Scientific Research in Music, University of Leeds.

During his residency and workshop at Hangar he will explore alternative strategies for creating live sound and music.

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During the workshop “Weaving&Speaking Live Generative Music” the participants will make connections between generative code and our perception of music, using metaphors of speech, knitting and shape, and playing with code as material. They will take a fresh look at generative systems, not through formal understanding but just by trying things out.

Through the sessions, the participants will work up through the layers of generative code. They will take a side look at symbols, inventing alphabets and drawing sound. They will string symbols together into words, exploring their musical properties, and how they can be interpreted by computers. They will weave words into the patterns of language, as live generation and transformation of musical patterns. They will learn how generative code is like musical notation, and how one can come up with live coding environments that are more like graphical scores.

Systems like Python, Supercollider, Haskell, OpenFrameworks, Processing, OpenCV will be visted and the participants will experiment as well with more esoteric interfaces.

A2R-Artist Workshop in Halle: Generative Art in a “traditional” musical environment

Alberto de Campo, Sascha Hanse und Tobias Purfürst from University of Arts, Berlin visited the exhibition of musical instruments of Händel-Haus Halle. Discussing the possibilities to implement objects of generative art into a “traditional” environment of musical heritage. To expose the discourse to the public, the class “Generative Art/Computational Art” of University of Arts Berlin will show their exhibition “The Ways Things May Go” from 28th june till 14 july 2013 in Händel-Haus Halle.

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For more information and radio interview in german language see A2R Festival.

Second A2R residency and ws at Hangar: Theo Burt

Theo Burt is an artist working with perceptual relations and aesthetic application of sound basic technological composition, visual and light. Using automated systems He works with these materials in order to carry out experimental and intuitive processes and the result is the production of installations, live performances and fixed media pieces.

His residence in Hangar, which will take place between April 29 and May 30, 2013, is part of “Addicted2random”, the European research project focused on the connections between European musical past and contemporary trends of computer generated music.

Among his most compelling works include Bastard Structures 2, the system emerged as a result of this collaboration with Tim Wright (Germ, Tubejerk). This media provides a platform for exploration of optical and sonic effects, cognitive processes and limits of perception, where temporary structures, visual and sound interact with the geometry of the room and lead to disorienting exploration of the materiality of sound and of light.

Theo has worked primarily in galleries and spaces in the UK, but also in the international level has led projects in major European capitals and EEEUU. He also has worked previously in Barcelona for some exhibitions: Audiopantalla MACBA Colour Monochromes and Colour Projections produced for Sonar Cinema and supersymmetry.

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For the workshop 1000 Years of Control Theo will provide an introduction to sound synthesis and the creation of autonomous and interactive music systems. The workshop will examine what happens when we return to the sounds of classic subtractive and FM synthesis but subsitute the common MIDI interface (which is structured around traditional Western notions of music) for an alternative system. While there will still be control over the basic parameters of synthesis, this new approach will change the way we create and structure the music and lead us towards new aesthetic outcomes. The workshop will combine the use of the open source software Pure Data with new software created specifically for this workshop.

 

 

A2R Artist Workshop in Halle: Acoustic Mapping of the variable ‘Coincidence’

German radioartists Verena Kuni, Knut Aufermann and Ralf Wendt met in Halle from 8th thill 12th may 2013 to discuss how computergenerated, coincidental sounds as produced by Pure Data based A2R-tool, can be transformed to concert and radio performances. The meeting took place in preparation of the artistic performances of A2R that will take place from 26th june till 14th july 2013 during the A2R-Festival in Halle/Saale.

Verena Kuni is profesor for Visual Culture at Goethe University Frankfurt. She is active as radio artist for Radio X and runs different radio-art projects. For more information see: www.visuelle-kultur.info, www.under-construction.cc and www.kuniver.se.

Knut Aufermann has been working as station manager of Resonance104.4fm in London. He studied audio engineering and in gained a Master degree in Sonic Arts from Middlesex University. Knut currently is active across Europe as a radio and installation artist, musician, curator and organizer. For more information see: http://knut.klingt.org

Ralf Wendt works as programme coordinatior and radio trainer at Radio CORAX in Halle. He is also active as radio artist and performer with the groups GURICHT and The Wolf in The Winter. For more information see: http://www.guricht.com and http://www.radioworks.de.

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First A2R residency and ws at Hangar: Roc Jiménez de Cisneros

Roc Jimenez de Cisneros, Barcelona, 1975

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Sound artist specialised in algorithmic composition. In 1996 he creates the electronic experimentatal  band EVOL . From 1997 he directs together with Anna Ramos the record company ALKU .

His work explores the possibilities of algorithmic composition in the electronic music production and it is often based onthe deconstruction of iconic sounds from rave culture. His work has been shown in galleries, museums and clubs of Europe, North America and Asia and it has been edited  by international record companies like Entr’acte, Mego, Presto!?, fals.ch.

His residence at Hangar is taking place in the framework of  ‘Addicted2random’, a European project on generative music. The aim of the project is to investigate on the connections between European  musical past  and contemporary music generated by computer.

The piece that he’ll develope during the residence is an aesthetic and formal extension of acid house. This is going to be a new layer in his intention of decontextualising rave iconic sounds as he also does  together with Stephen Sharp in the project EVOL . During his residency he will also give  the workshop ‘Post-acid autònom’, an introduction to sound synthesis and generative composition.

 

A2R-Hub: Programmers Workshop in Halle/Saale

The Programmers Markus Brandt (A) and Alexander Jentz (D) of Addicted2Random-Tool met in Halle from 2nd till 6th january 2013 to discuss different solutions for the A2R-tool-script. In terms of the interaction between A2R-Hub and Pure Data (PD) programmers scripted the internal FUDI protocol for data exchange between PD and A2R-Hub. The PD symbols were mapped to OSC-addresses by the Hub. During the process programmers specified parameters of the A2R-PD variable. E.g. the A2R-PD variable must have the name of the instance seperated by “_” from the name of the parameter. Further it can be prefixed with a number to specify instances of the same abstraction inside a patch, separated by a “-” from the name of the instance: beppo_vcf, or 1-beppo_vcf.

During the workshop programmers Markus Brandt (A) and Alexander Jentz (D) met radioartist Ralf Wendt in the studio of Radio CORAX. The radio-show can be found here.

GUI programming …

.. is work in progress. Here are some impressions from our userface-programming workshop in Barcelona:

The arrow ball is intended to represent the main operation element and at the same time the logo of A2R. For example, the four arrows on above may represent the spectrum disassembled into bass, middle and height of the sound and thus a three-band equilzer (blue = bass, green = middle, red = high). with the size of the arrow, the appropriate frequency is controlled. the fourth may be responsible for the total volume. The two smaller in the opposite direction pointing to the balance of the individual sound.

The arrows also serve as a projection for various operating elements, like slide control, or switch to edit parameters or musical structures. Parameters that may be visualized by the arrow ball:

 

 

 

 

The 3d chladnik figure represents the spectrum of the sound by its significant overtones and gives the opportunity to manipulate these frequencies:

You can see the fft analysis in a frequency-time domain, the spectrum of the sound is possible to intervene. By soft selection of portions of the frequency- image, it will be a spectral filter: