ACB Live, Volume 2: Video Artist Chris LeBlanc

AudioCookbook Live, Volume 2 is happening tonight, Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 7:30 and will feature video artist Chris LeBlanc. This fundraiser for The Link is a free streaming concert with optional donations. I will be improvising music based on LeBlanc’s improvised visuals creating a vicious cycle of mind melding, psychological, feedback loops. A special thanks goes out to Charles Hainsworth for donating his time and expertise in videography and streaming. Check it out on Twitch.TV/AudioCookbook at 7:30pm.

HYDRAMORPH™ Morphing Editor for the ASM Hydrasynth

During self-isolation due to COVID-19 my teaching has moved online affording me more time toward individual projects. I had already started a building a morphing editor for the Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth, so this is where I have been directing my energy. I expected to release this software closer to mid-summer, but now it’s looking like early to mid-May. In this short video I illustrate one of the ways I use HYDRAMORPH to tease incredible sounds out of this very special instrument. I have also made discounted pre-orders available at 20% off the full release price until the release. From the Purchase page:

HYDRAMORPH™ is a generative sound design tool for the Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth polyphonic synthesizer. The application is designed to algorithmically morph parameters on the instrument in realtime. Keep playing or record the results as up to 366 (so far) parameters are manipulated! Use HYDRAMORPH to create anything from chaotic, rapidly-changing textures to slow, evolving drones. HYDRAMORPH will help you navigate the expansive sound design possibilities of the Hyrdasynth through realtime morphing of customized parameter sets. Explore endless, unique soundscapes, illustrating how diverse and powerful the Hydrasynth is. This tool will help you uncover new territory hidden within the sonic depths of your instrument.

Social Distance II with Corrector Records Live Stream

Saturday, March 28, 2020 I had the privilege of performing a solo, electronic, live-streaming set for Social Distance II with Corrector Records. I played first followed by live coder Mike Hodnick AKA Kindohm, and Carl Fisk AKA Mount Curve. The series aims to fill a void left by the lack of live concerts while raising funds to help support artists who are struggling financially.

Fortunately the bulk of my income is from teaching at a university (now entirely online), but many of my musical mates rely on performing almost daily to make ends meet. Due to lockdowns and gig cancellations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 they are making little to no income. Please help support artists in need at https://www.givemn.org/story/Epf3ag. If you are an artist in need of assistance apply for funds at https://springboardforthearts.org/additional-resources/personal-emergency-relief-fund/.

My set was improvised using the Sequential Prophet REV2 with realtime, generative sound design handled by an application I recently released titled REV2 Degrader™. I also played Rhodes electric piano and processed and looped things with the Korg KP3+, and Moog Minifooger Delay.

Drones

Drones is the next piece in the Strands series. These audiovisual compositions illustrate the interpretation of animated, generative, graphic scores written in JavaScript. Drones is made up of animated Bezier curves. Interpretation of this piece is more abstract than the others. I interpret the motion of the curves as layered, morphing drones. This piece might elicit entirely different results from one performance to the next.

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Generator

Generator is the next piece in the Strands series. These audiovisual compositions illustrate the interpretation of animated, generative, graphic scores written in Javascript. Generator is made up of connected line segments that that go from left to right, up, or down, but never in reverse. The weight and length of each segment is consistent across the width of the screen and changes once a new set of segments starts again from the left.

I interpret each set of segments as an arpeggio. The tempo of each arpeggio is decided by the segment length. Shorter segments, drawn more quickly, are paired with faster arpeggios. As the line segments wander up and down I generally interpret the Y axis as pitch, but because the direction of each segment is random the pitches are not exact representations of the paths that are displayed; neither is it the intent to exactly follow the visuals. Instead, musicians interpret the score so that human qualities contrast the computer generated visuals.

The aesthetics of the pieces in this series, both visually and sonically, are secondary to the objectives. First that the scores are composed for the purpose of being read by musician(s). Secondly, the artist(s) have space to improvise within their interpretations. Thirdly (in addition to interpretation) aleatoric elements make the pieces significantly different from one performance to the next. Finally, although the performances vary, distinct characteristics identify each piece.

The objectives of these pieces lead to music that is often atonal and/or atemporal. After about a dozen rehearsals, performances, and recordings with a trio and as a soloist it has become apparent that tonality and timing often do emerge. For example, in Generator the tempi of the arpeggios change with each animated progression from left to right. Arbitrary rests are interspersed with random lengths. This amounts to timing without time signatures. And, since the pitches are left up to the artist the notes performed may or may not be in key. In my performance I chose to use a variety of intervals and scales leading up to the chromatic scale at the conclusion.