LookingOutwards-04 – Page 5 – [OLD FALL 2020] 15-104 • Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice

LO 4 – Sound Art

For this week’s LO, I was inspired by Adrien Kaeser’s “Weather Thingy” (2018), which is a unique sound controller that utilizes real-time climate data to control and produce music. The device consists of a weather station with 3 climate sensors (a rain gauge, wind vane, and anemometer) that is connected to a custom-built controller. The controller has an interface that enables it to assign the parameters received to audio effects, translating the climate data into midi data for interpretation by musical instruments.

I enjoyed learning about this project because of how it functions in real-time using sensors that collect and interpret data to produce new and different sounds. I thought that the music in the video was very calming and nice to listen to. I’m curious about what sounds would be produced by different types of weather, such as a heavy rain/storm or hot, dry day.

“Weather Thingy” demo video

LO- Sound and Computation

A project or work that I find inspirational is Weather Thingy by Adrien Kaeser. This work is a device that consists of two main parts, a weather station which lays on a tripod and a controller connected to the weather station. I admire this project because it is very interesting, the weather and the type of weather that is occurring outside controls the settings of the musical instruments connected to it. Kaeser is a media and interaction design student that wanted to combine art, music, and real time live weather creating the Weather Thingy. The controller transforms the weather data into midi data which is interpretable by instruments. This device can also be used in all weather conditions, as the user can constrain the values received to the device, the MIDI channel can also be changed to modify the way the effects are assigned. This device is very cool and interesting to me, it combines music and weather and lets people hear how the weather conditions are LIVE.

Weather Thingy – Real time climate sound controller

LO 04 -Weather Thingy

Weather Thingy is a real time climate sound controller created by Adrien Kaesar at ECAL.
The creation consists of two main parts, the weather station and the custom built sounds controller.
The device is designed to control and modify the settings of musical instruments using real time climate-related events.
I was drawn to this project because the thought of connecting music and weather had never occured to tme before. I think this project is incredibly interesting as it allows the audience to experience weather as a sound.
I highly recommend watching the video for the project as the creator goes on to describe how each of the three weather measuring components contribute to the sound of the instrument.

Looking Outwards 04: Sound Art

I am captivated by Christian Marclay’s collaboration with Snapchat, a series of works entitled: Snap: Sound Stories. Marclay uses publicly available Snapchat videos as a source of found videos for different interactive sound art pieces. In one, he composes a musical piece by sampling from hundreds of millions of Snapchat videos analyzed by an algorithm which detects if the frequency of the video would be a sound recognizable to the human ear.

A video detailing Christian’s Marclay’s collaboration with Snapchat, Sound Stories

In another, Marclay creates a mobile from iPhones which respond via a pitch recognition algorithm which monitors and learns the viewer’s speaking voice. Another piece incorporates collections of videos which each represent a note on a piano; the viewer can sit at the piano and play music through Snapchat videos.

Christian Marclay, The Organ (detail), 2018

Link

Looking Outwards 04: Sound Art

The project that I chose to focus on was the Synth Play by Yuri Suzuki in collaboration with Raven, a Chinese tech company focused on developing operating systems using AI and new interactions. I chose this project because like all of Suzuki’s other works, it captured my attention by how he is able to make something as complex as music creating technology into something even a small child can use. I love the accessibility of understanding and interacting with his work since it lets everyone enjoy his installations, not just those with more knowledge in a specific area. The algorithms used to generate the work is similar to how a regular synthesizer works to create or modify music. However, by applying sensors to the inflatables, it makes the experience interactive. Suzuki’s artistic sensibilities manifest in the final outcome of this project since, like his previous works, he chose to focus on creating music and easy accessibility.

LO – Sound Art

A sound art project I found interesting is the installation “Apparatum” (2018) by panGenerator. I admire the retro-futurist look of the installation because it gives the device a grand science-fiction-esque look. I also admire the glitchy sounds that “Apparatum” generates because the timbre of the sound is very digital, but the flaws of the sound give it a more analogue feel. According to the artists, the sounds are generated by magnetic tape and optical components. The user of “Apparatum” controls these generative elements by creating a graphic score using the device’s interface. The Polish Radio Experimental Studio, a studio that experimented with electroacoustic sounds, inspired the look and timbre of the sounds produced. I think the artists creative sensibilities show through the device because it manages to create a unique object that wears its influences on its sleeve.

Video of “Apparatum” in Use

Sound Art

This “Multiverse” is a real-time A/V installation that was built in 2018 by several teams for fuse, BDC – Bonanni Del Rio Catalog. I admire this project because I was surprised how the team tried to express the evolution of infinite possible universes through the use of generative graphics and sounds that exploit the theorization of the existence of that co-exist parallel space, the multiverse. Fuse explains that this draws inspiration from the “creation of a sequence of digital paintings, generated in real-time, attempts to represent the eternal birth and death of the endless parallel universe.” It is also interesting for me how that majestic low tone sounds create a mysterious and dreamlike environment for the audience.

LO – 04

IM.PRINT by Demodern, is a very fascinating piece of artwork. Created in 2018, this audiovisual masterpiece starts with the tap of your finger. From there, you are taken into a world of your own, where you get to control the audio and visual with your own movements. When I first saw this I was visually entranced by it. It reminds me of virtual reality, which the artists tried very hard to recreate. They wanted you to truly feel immersed in what you create, and they did this with what they call an “Infinity Room”. The artpiece uses image processing when it scans your fingerprint and leap motion to give you control over the sound and colors, restoring to the original fingerprint upon stillness. Art is meant to be what you make it, if I wasn’t told this I don’t think I would’ve gotten as into it as I did. They truly demonstrate their understanding of art and how it is unique to every single person. By creating a space where artists can really express themselves, they help them tap into a world they can honestly call their own. To find out more information check out their website below (although I found that there vimeo gave a little more information, so I posted that link as well):

https://demodern.com/projects/im-print

https://vimeo.com/278485333

LO – 04 – Sound Art

Oddityviz Space Oddity

This project is a visual demonstration of David Bowie’s Space Oddity by designer Valentina D’Efilippo and researcher Miriam Quick. In the animation they created, I’m drawn by their ability of deconstructing the melody, harmony, lyrics of the original sound and re-represent those elements in a visual system.

I’m guessing that they understood and studied the music very well before they started this project and created the animation so that they were able to make the combination of the visuals and the music so satisfying for the audience.

The animation is only in black and white. Delivering the animation in such a clean style helps the audience to notice more of the harmony of the visuals and the sound. The contrast between black and white made the transformations of those visual elements, such as resizing and translating) pop out more. In this way, the audience will focus more on the correspondence between movement of visual elements and the flow of the sound.

animation for the project

Looking Outwards 04: Sound Art

Sonic Playground — Playful acoustics by Yuri Suzuki caught my attention and I found it an interesting installation. I admire how it is interactive and that each sculpture is a different color since each sculpture transmits different sounds. I admire this because those who are hard of hearing would be able to feel the vibrations since they are large sculptures. It seems very accessible and interactive (in varying ways) for all people. The installation is made through horns and pipes through which specially computed acoustics travel through. The software used to develop this project is called Grasshopper, which allows for frequency ranges and wave behavior can be simulated. Based on Yuri Suzuki’s previous works, it seems that the artist enjoys having large and open installations where anyone can interact with it. I thought it was a great way to incorporate sound without resorting to the use of bluetooth speakers or more basic forms of audio speakers.

Sonic Playground – Playful acoustics by Yuri Suzuki Design