Machine Machine Touchscreen Instrument

Machine Machine (2013) is a 32″ touchscreen installation that functions as an electronic instrument. Granular synthesis is used to loop “grains” of sound and video at variable lengths and frequencies. These parameters are based on the y-axis of the touch point on the monitor. The x-axis determines the position of the grain within the timeline. The piece was exhibited last month at the Northrup King Building in Minneapolis during Art-a-Whirl and for Visual Storage; the MCAD MFA thesis exhibition.
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Instant Cinema: Teleportation Platform X

Instant Cinema Works in Progress

June 8 through 9, 2013 is this year’s Northern Spark Festival and I am participating with a project that I am directing called Instant Cinema: Teleportation Platform X. This is a collaborative effort with an amazing team of artists and musicians involved including the members of DKO, David T. Steinman as the Mobile Conductor, and Jon Steinhorst as our Artistic Director.

Instant Cinema - Mobile Conductor

The nine hour performance running from dusk until dawn will consist of seven or eight “circuits.” Each circuit will include a live audiovisual stream projected and amplified into the performance space for the musicians to instantly score as the events unfold. To learn move about our performance, that is free and open to the public, please visit these resources:

instant-cinema.org
2013.northernspark.org/project/instant-cinema

Visual Storage: MFA 2013 Thesis Exhibition

visual-storage

This Friday, May 17 from 6 to 9:30pm (during the opening night of Art-a-Whirl) is the opening reception for the Master of Fine Arts 2013 Thesis Exhibition at the Northrup King Building, Gallery 254, 1500 Jackson Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. I will be showing a series of prints titled Spectral Tablature with an iPad application to “listen” to the prints (more on that later), a 32″ interactive touchscreen installation titled, Machine Machine, and a kiosk with a series of filmed performances. I will also be debuting a performance piece titled, Instant Cinema, featuring DKO (music), David T. Steinman (mobile operator), and Jon Steinhorst (art direction). The performance begins at 9:00pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Two years of hard work has led up to this single night. If you have any interest in art, sound, music, or performance please consider attending. Thank you!

Duet Under Bridge

This piece was shot under a railroad bridge that I ride under during my commute. While trains are going over the bridge a nice rumbling, screechy ambience envelopes the space. On this occasion, a few weeks ago, melting icicles were dripping onto the sidewalk adding a chaotic rhythm to the soundscape. Rather than producing a drone to mimic the ambience I used noise, LFO pitch sweeps, and sample-and-hold on the Monotribe to contrast the reverberated railroad rumbling, and screeching.

NOTE: This is a binaural recording mixed with a monophonic, analog, synthesizer performance. Please use circumaural headphones to experience the binaural effect.

Duet for Synthesizer and Spin Cycle

Here’s a recent addition to my series of duets for synthesizers and environments. Once again I have used the cleaners as a setting, but this time focusing on the spin cycle and using the binaural head with a fixed camera. The accelerating oscillations of the spin cycle are really fun to mimic with the Korg Monotribe. The dual speed setting on the LFO goes a long way. Pushing the speed up into the audio range one can create cross mod or FM like textures. This piece will be shown, along with similar work, at my MFA thesis exhibition next month.

NOTE: This is a binaural recording mixed with a monophonic, analog, synthesizer performance. Please use circumaural headphones to experience the binaural effect.