Projects 003: Test Set 1

Osanyow - Test Set 1
 
Just testing the waters...

Projects 002: Trial and Error

Lately I've been thinking about my noise project. I have some ideas of how I will structure my sets. I'm interested in exploring extreme noise and silence. I would like to add rhythms to the layers of noise. 

A few months ago I put up an ad online looking for black metal style drummers and found a few who were interested in joining my experimental project. For now I will keep it solo perhaps using a cheap drum machine (or Korg DS). The layers of noise will come from my mixer (feedback), and other found (metal) objects. I'm interested in creating specific industrial sounds such as the screech of sheet metal. Many thanks to my friend James Wright for designing the logo.

As part of my research I have been listening to the Merzbow box set (50 albums).

Crowbot Jenny

Crowbot Jenny is a shy and reclusive girl preferring to spend time surrounded by animals rather than with humans. One day she creates the Crowbot, a robot which vocalizes a variety of crow calls to control and converse with her newly formed bird army – but just what exactly will she do with her new powers?

Inspired by the book “When Species Meet” by Donna Haraway, the project sets out to explore the world of animal intelligence and animal-human interactions. Sputniko! worked with two world specialists in crow intelligence, Prof. Nathan Emery and Prof. Nicola Clayton, who provided her with samples of rook calls (the ones flocking in London parks are usually ‘rooks’, not crows) The calls were reproduced to communicate, attract, repel and engineer the behavior of rooks in Finsbury Park and Hyde Park, London.

 
 The robot makes four different crow calls - "I'm dying" "I found food" "Hello" "I'm in a fight so please come help me" in an attempt to communicate with the crows in urban wild life.

A video from Sputniko!’s initial tests conversing with crows in Finsbury Park

Projects 001: Baptized today

 
I've decided that my solo noise project will be called Osanyow.

Well I should get on with making some noise (which is the important part...)

Trimpin - Guitar Tower

 

Massive sound sculpture of electric guitars forming a tower.

Manuel Rocha Iturbide - Ping Roll

Since I'm interested in working with balls I thought this ping pong piece is something to look at and ponder about. I don't particularly like or dislike this work. The artist explains (see below) the whole process and ideas behind his piece.

 

Sound Sculpture by Manuel Rocha Iturbide
 
The sound sculpture has 3 series of speakers that play 3 tracks with the sound of processes of ping-pong balls bouncing stochasticly, alternating with periods of silence, and with pure sinusoidal frequencies. The sound of each track alternates between each other so that the speakers sound at different times. The sinusoidal frequencies diffused through the speakers were calculated in order to be sympathetic to the natural tuning of the sculpture's alluminum plate, so that they make it vibrate and resonate. The effect of the vibrating plate over the ping-pong balls is that some of them bounce in a fixed point...continue here

Robin Minard - Outside In (Blue)

I really like the ambience on this sound installation. The blue light is really effective. I've been thinking a lot about lighting and presentation, on how it can enhance the overall experience of a sound piece.

Nam June Paik - Video Flag

 

Installation: "Video Flag" by Nam June Paik  

Sound: "Statement" by Koxbox

This is brilliant! Political and humorous.

Carsten Nicolai - syn chron

 syn chron 2004

lightweight structure, steel, aluminum, laser projection, sound system, rubber

1250 x 800 x 460cm

The intention of syn chron is to create an integral sculpture of light, sound and architecture. the translucent skin of the crystal-shaped body besides its function to define the spatial structure of the object additionally serves as an interface for a synchronized play of light and sound. the object at the same time is a room for spatial experience, an acoustic resonance body, and a projection surface. the visitor is witness to an interplay of electronic sound – transmitted onto the surface of the crystal shape – and programmed laser beams that are visible both on the out- and the inside. syn chron hereby creates an synaesthetic experience: on the level of human perception space, light and sound blend into each other to form a holistic experience.

Carsten Nicolai is a sound artist that often collaborates with Ryoji Ikeda. He's released numerous electro glitchy albums under the name Alva Noto. Below you can see it in action.

The Singapore river as a psychogeographical faultline

 

Do you know the starting or ending point of Singapore River? Or the shape that the Singapore River takes? Conceptualised and produced by 26-year-old Singaporean artist, Debbie Ding, the exhibition will examine and reconsider the role of the Singapore River through a unique mix of interactive and generative map installations.

Video Credits:
Edited by Jared Keh
Camera by Keshav Sishta
Audio composed by Simon Petre

Interesting interactive installation by Debbie Ding. For more documentation and technical details go here

Dissertation 002: Fluxus Movement

 

In theory the fluxes movement should be the answer to works that are more accessible and understood. They break down the boundaries between the performer (or work) and audience (or viewer of the work). There are elements of chance and playfulness we can all relate to. I've been looking at another art movement of the 90's that has a lot in common. I will expand on this later as my ideas are not fully formulated at this stage...

Borrowed manifesto!

 

 'Art has been removed from being an integral part of our society and has been relegated to mere processes which had lead to the production of dry, academic, pedantic, superficial, mechanical, and mass produced works of art devoid of all integrity, honesty, and meaning and has stripped art of its physical, psychological, moral and spiritual impact necessary for the thriving and indeed the very survival of human culture'  

Manifesto by Umberto Crenca, Martha Dempster and Steven Emma (1982)

   

And if you replace Art with Sound Art...

Dissertation 001: Philosophy and Improvisation

In a few weeks time I will hand in my dissertation proposal. 

I've been researching and reading on and off during my summer break. It's a matter of me picking a subject within sound art discourse (that I'm passionate about) and sticking with it.
I think I've found a direction to pursue...

I'm currently reading 'Listening to Noise and Silence: Towards a Philosophy of Sound Art' by Salome Voegelin, 'Sudden Music: Improvisation, Sound, Nature' by David Rothenberg and various online journals. I've identified four more books I want to take out. More updates soon.