LookingOutwards-04 – Page 3 – [OLD FALL 2018] 15-104 • Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice

Sean Meng – Looking Outwards 4

Ed Sheeran’s creating process of ‘Shape Of You’ Using Music Visualization

The visualization of ‘Shape Of You’

As Technology improves nowadays, music, as a mainstream media, evolves both in many ways that it is been heard. And among these evolution, music visualization is the most interesting aspect that I found out. Because it visualizes the music, which is only supposed to be heard, by using coding program and computational design. For example, in the process of composing the hit song “Shape Of You”, artist Ed Sheeran uses visualization technique to create the backdrop of music video. As a result, listeners can “see” the music through those geometric shape and lines that represent the drum beats and rhythm. The ‘visualizer’ itself is just a computer program that takes the sound tracks as input and transfer them into those shapes that move with the music. Ed Sheeran also brings this visualization technique to his live performance, where he can enlighten the vibe.

Reference:

https://flowingdata.com/2017/12/21/ed-sheerans-creative-process-explained-with-music-visualization/

Mimi Jiao – Looking Outwards 4 – Section E

LandFilles exhibition in Experimental Intermedia, NYC on 6/20/2009

LandFilles at Emily Harvey Foundation in 2013

Keiko Uenishi is an experimental sound art-i-vist, socio-environ composer, and core member of SHARE, an organization that promotes and supports new media communities. She is most known for her installations playing around sound in physical environments. I am particularly intrigued by her work-in-progress live presentation, LandFilles. In collaboration with Katherine Liberovskaya, who took part in creating the video environment and live video, this piece explores the recycling feedback system in the city and upcycling movement. The project consists of three phases: first, empty clear plastic bottles are collected from streets and visitors; second, these bottles are formed into an installation by visitors which is then accompanied by audiovisual live projections; lastly, the structure is destroyed and given away to visitors. What attracted me the most about this is that the installation is ever-changing. In each exhibition space, it is different and generated by those who visit and interact with it. Each experience by each visitor is unique, and although the core idea is the same, the live process differs across different exhibition spaces and becomes more personalized. Since materials are collected locally, it makes the experience even more close to home and relatable for the visitors. This creates an interactive and immersive piece in which visitors become part of the artwork. As someone who is really interested in interactive 3D installations, I really want to physically experience this piece. Something I would like to see more of is the integration of these recycled materials with the physical space of the gallery itself. I think it would be interesting if there was some way of designing user flow throughout the gallery space to enhance the experience, possibly using sensors to give visitors more external stimuli, such as smell and touch. Overall, this is a really interesting piece and it really uses generative sound well with the subject matter and experience.

Sarah Yae Looking Outwards 4

LINES is an interactive sound art exhibition, created by Anders Lin in 2016. The sensors detect which sound to play when one’s hands are moving between the lines, by detecting the hands’ distance from the sensors. The final form manifests the artist’s artistic abilities as he creatively incorporates the exhibition’s sound system with the concept of lines. It has a practical, as well as an artistic side.

I found this artwork very intriguing because anyone can make music, even without any musical background. It was interesting in the fact that an individual is using his entire body to make certain sound.

The link to see the whole exhibition is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP36xoPXDnM

LINES – an interactive sound art exhibition

Xindi Lyu-Looking Outwards 04

The performance of the art piece.

A sound art by Dutch artist Ronald van der mejis experimented with the mechanism of using the burning cigars as the control of the installation. The art piece-titled ‘play it one more time for me la ville fumée’- had its mechanism based on the way each of the different cigars has their own strengths due to the natural and traditional method they were made, while that leads to the different burning rate of each individual cigars. These fire rates eventually produced a very unnatural rhythm. This magnificent artwork is constructed with 4 tuners each in control of an instrument as a recorder containing the hand-rolled cigars. The pistons of the cigars and the recorders are both attached to two abstract airbags as “lungs”.

This art piece really inspired me with its astonishing way of material using and the smartness of using the cigars as a mechanism. The out-of-this-world idea of using cigars to generate a sound art installation really encouraged me to think beyond the conventions.

Daniel Teague – Looking Outwards 4 – Computer Generated Sound

Title: Foley and Computer Modified Audio in Video Games

Foley artist uses various materials to create sound effects, such as the footsteps of an alien insect.

Republic Commando Foley video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RMcuD1mGMg

Halo 3 – Anatomy of A Game – Audio video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ7KJPTZTRw

As someone who is both an avid gamer and an aspiring game creator, I absolutely love the way game designers create the often memorable and unique sounds one hears when playing a game. Whether it’s bashing an iron wok in order to create the sound of a hub cap, or using cut pineapple to make the footsteps of an alien soldier, audio designers are able to come up with ingenious ways of creating or recreating everyday sounds that we usually take for granted. In addition, they can use use computer software to modify sounds to their liking, such as when a voice actor’s audio recordings are tweaked to make them sound more like the alien creature they are portraying.

The above examples are from behind the scenes videos of two memorable games from my childhood. I hope you enjoy the creativity and hilarity of these games and their creators.

Christine Chen-Looking Outwards-04

Above is Jimmy Lakatoes, Murcof, Alexandre Burton and Julien Roy’s piece Three Pieces with Titles created in 2017
Source: https://vimeo.com/239921625

While scrolling through all the numerous works of sound and computation, my attention was captured by the piece Three Pieces with Titles created by Jimmy Lakatoes, electronic musician Murcof, Alexandre Burton and Julien Roy. The piece is consisted of three pieces of musical audio that is created and controlled through manipulation of movement of physical forms under the camera. The creators used openFrameworks for processing the visual inputs and driving videos. The visuals were then synchronized to trigger phrases and even in Csound orchestra. All of visual details, such as colors, that were recorded influenced the audio output. The creators’ artistic sensibilities were manifested in the final form through rearranging the rhythm of the audio output and editing out some minor background sounds to make the final sound output more pleasing, organized, and clean.

The creator’s use of computation to turn visual forms into audio forms changed my views on audio. Before reading about this piece, I have always thought of visual forms and audio as two distinct entities that are not really relate to each other although both are extremely important. How one can be used to generate the other is just fascinating to me and makes me start to think whether the other ones of the human’s 5 senses can be used to generate each other through computation.

Eunice Choe – Looking Outwards-04

Sonami-MagneticMemories-ex from sonami on Vimeo.

Laetitia Sonami is a sound artist who incorporates technology and media to her sound installations. Sonami’s piece, Magnetic Memories (2016) interested me because of its spontaneity. Sonami uses an instrument called the Spring Spyre and it consists of a multitude of neural networks. The algorithms involved in this installation seem to be random and full of surprises because the audio signals that are fed to the neural networks are in real time. The neural networks are not defined and trained, so any audio signal is from a sound that is played in the moment. The sounds have a wide range, from eerie to alert sounds. Sonami manifests her own artistic sensibilities by giving off a sense of depth through her music. Through magnetic forces, Sonami’s instrument produces several layers through sound that enhance the audience’s overall listening experience.

Sonami playing the Spring Spyre at Filodrammatica.

Romi Jin – Looking Outwards 04

The Infinity Machine consists of about 150 suspended, antique mirrors that has three variables — rotation, lighting, and sound, all constantly changing. Created by Janet Cardiff and George Bures, this installation is their first large scale mobile that essentially acts as a contemplation of “space, time and consciousness”.

“Infinity Machine Installation View”

These rotating (orbital) mirrors are illuminated by lights that consistently change, casting interesting shadows and a beautiful nebula form. The sounds that also accompany it are described as “mysterious” and “mesmerizing”, initially discovered on a CD made for relaxation. The sounds consist of recordings of the solar system and are played throughout the exhibition. Specifically, they reflect each of the planets (i.e. Uranus = bells, Earth = forest at night, etc). This is interesting to me because everything connects so beautifully and works so well in unison. In addition, I have never thought of sound as part of the computational fabrication realm, but this project has inspired me to research more about it.

Jenna Kim (Jeeyoon Kim)- Looking Outwards-4

using the “Grasshopper”
(software)[/caption]

This project is called the “Sonic Playground”, by Yuri Suzuki. It is an installation piece placed outside to transmit sound in unique ways. The colorful, vibrant hue and interesting form of the installation attract people to be part of this unusual experience. The installation is intended to modify the sounds surrounding our everyday lives. I admire this piece because not only this piece used combination of softwares and music, but it was meant to create more playful, fun, comfortable environment for the users; it gives a experience in which people who are passing by can have pleasant feeling in a short amount of time. This is important for me because it is one of the goals of a designer; I need to be a better, more friendly place for the users. The software used for this project was Grasshopper and Rhinoceros, which are 3D geometrical software that can treat “sound” using ray tracing techniques. These techniques allow the audience to send out sound in different locations. The creator’s artistic sensibilities are shown in the final form because Suzuki really put emphasis on the form and the vibrant color of the installation. I personally love how she really play with the form because I can see the interesting twist to it; at the same time, I can easily recognize that the form has to do with music and sound.

Link:http://www.creativeapplications.net/sound/sonic-playground-playful-acoustics-by-yuri-suzuki-design/

Jason Zhu – Looking Outwards 04

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Created by Robert Henke. Titled Fall. Published April 2016 at the L.E.V. Festival.

Fall, by Robert Henke, is a work that details an abstract view of 1950 Bavaria which disappeared underwater following the construction of a newly built Sylvenstein reservoir. The technology employs a randomizing algorithm to generate patterns. I think it’s really cool because it is not only conceptually strong, but also because it incorporate many elements of the senses. From changing colors to prickling sound, the technology is very well integrated.

From what I understand, the algorithm generates randomly from a set amount of patterns. The randomness of the installation has much more to do with how the light refracts than with how the algorithm generates. Creating these complex yet beautiful overlays seems to have been a daunting computing task.

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