Video: Panic by Proxy Live at the Walker

Posted on November 15, 2018 by John C.S. Keston

On August 23, 2018 I debuted a new piece in remote collaboration with Syrian artist and filmmaker Khaled Alwarea. PANIC BY PROXY is an audiovisual translation of clips from Alwarea’s award winning film Panic Attack. The piece was commissioned by MN Artists for their MN Artists Presents series at the Walker Art Center, curated by Essma Imady.

The performance featured audiovisual objects projected and amplified while being granulated using Audiovisual Grain Machine (AVGM) — software I developed that performs audiovisual granular synthesis in realtime using a touch controller. Other instruments included Rhodes, Moog Sub 37, Novation Circuit, Korg KP3+, and an Electro-Harmonix Memory Man Delay. The dissonance, distortion, and uncanny synchronization in the sound and visuals illicit feelings of disturbance and confusion as an expression of the artist’s anxiety.

This video includes most of the performance and has only been edited for length. Thanks to Esmaa Imady for inviting me to participate in the event, Khaled Alwarea for his amazing film work, and Emily Gastineau at MN Artists for organizing the event. Read more about Esmaa Imady and the other artists who participated in this event on Hyperallergic.

Panic by Proxy at the Walker Art Center

Posted on August 21, 2018 by John C.S. Keston

PANIC BY PROXY is an audiovisual composition produced in collaboration with Syrian architect and multidisciplinary artist Khaled Alwarea. The piece is a long distance response and “musical” reimagining of Alwarea’s film Panic Attack. I will be making the debut performance of the piece at the Walker Art Center this Thursday, August 23, 2018.

The performance will feature audiovisual objects provided by Alwarea projected and amplified while being granulated in real-time along with electronic accompaniment. The dissonance, distortion, and uncanny synchronization illicit feelings of disturbance and confusion as an expression of the artist’s anxiety.

This video is a 0:45 clip from the 30 minute piece that demonstrates the audiovisual granular synthesis technique used to process the video in real-time. Ginormous thank-you’s go to Esmaa Imady for inviting me to participate in the event, Khaled Alwarea for his amazing film work, and Emily Gastineau at MN Artists for organizing the event.

Read more about Esmaa Imady and the other artists participating in this event on Hyperallergic.

VIDEO: Full Sets from Studio Z Nada Showcase

Posted on June 13, 2018 by John C.S. Keston

I performed this version of Vocalise Sintetica at on Friday, June 8, 2018 at Studio Z for the Nada showcase. The recording was captured by Mike Hodnick. In addition to the improvised elements, what makes this different from previous versions of the piece is that Studio Z is close to home, so I was able to bring my favorite instrument, the Moog Sub 37 for lead lines, melodies, drones, and arps. All the sound heard in this piece was generated by the AVGM (Audiovisual Grain Machine) controlled by an iPad, a Novation Circuit with custom samples and patches, a Minifooger Delay, and the Moog Sub 37.

This was an amazing evening of performances. The sets from Michael Flora, Mike Hodnick (Kindohm), and Spednar were all excellent. Mike also shared video of his own set of “tightly coupled audio and visuals” that he premiered at the event, which is definitely worth checking out:

Read on for the the official press release:

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VIDEO: John C.S. Keston at ISSTA

Posted on April 23, 2018 by John C.S. Keston

Last September 2017 I performed at the Irish Sound in Science Technology and the Arts Conference (ISSTA.ie) in Dundalk, Ireland (video by Daryl Feehely). The performance makes use of a custom Max patch controlled by an iPad, a Novation Circuit, a KeyStep, and a Minifooger Delay pedal. It occurred to me that it might be interesting to share the roots and evolution of this piece, so here goes. Continue reading →

Jenn Kirby at ISSTA 2017

Posted on October 29, 2017 by John C.S. Keston

Attending ISSTA last month was a fantastic experience. The conference brought together an intimate group of like-minded composers, sound designers, and developers all dedicated to uncovering and exploring new sonic territories. I immensely enjoyed all that ISSTA had on offer, especially the concerts. One of the performers this year was Jenn Kirby who composes and performs electroacoustic works that apply processing through the use of unconventional, gestural, controllers like the Gametrak golf swing tether controller. In Phonetics she uses the Gametrak to control the signal processing of her vocalizations.