Looking Outwards-04

Since starting to research different computational artists for future blog posts, I have been amazed by the flexibility and application of coding software to art. This week’s topic, Sound Art, has led me to the discovery of Renick Bell, an American musician, programmer, and teacher based in Tokyo. Bell is famous for his live coded music performances, which have become a recent phenomenon in the underground electronic music scene known as ‘Algorave’.

Bell first used SuperCollider, a programming platform for audio synthesis and algorithmic composition, to create some applications which produced generative music. He realized he didn’t need the graphical part of interface, and began to focus more on the manipulation of symbols, creating abstractions. Bell started live coding with his self-built live coding system ‘Conductive‘, following a pattern of 130 to 160 bpm. I can see Bell’s artistic sensibilities manifest into his work because he creates a utopian and complex experience through his design, contextual symbols, and storytelling.

I admire Renick Bell’s live coding algorave performance at Algorave Tokyo in 2016. I’m amazed at how fast he is able to code, and also orchestrate the code on its own in order to a literal concert (which I wouldn’t mind attending). Bell has truly created a trans-disciplinary tool for innovative collaborative live coding.