‘FORMS – String Quartet’ by Playmodes

Alexia Forsyth

Section A

‘FORMS – String Quartet’ is an automated emulation of string musicians. Not only is the music beautiful, but the visual display is stunning and captures the essence of the song. The artists use a color code that identifies the instruments on the score and randomizes them. The generator is known as “The Steaming Bot”. The graphics are then transformed into sound. “The Steaming Bot” uses compositions from John Cage, Gyorgi Ligetti, Mestrews Quadreny, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Every part of the network ensemble plays instrumental roles such as rhythm, harmony, and texture. The artist explains, “Images become sound spectrums, making it possible to hear what you see” (Playmodes 8). Their artistic sensibility is shown through the visualization of the musical cords and their relation to the cords.

Video: https://vimeo.com/553653358?embedded=true&source=video_title&owner=7721912