synapse_circuit
for percussion and electronics
About
What is the voice inside the machine? While computers perform tasks that extend the abilities of our own minds, they increasingly act as independent entities. Synapse_circuit serves not as a direct analogy between these two ideas, but rather as a symbol of human-machine interaction. The computer augments the percussionist’s performance, and improvises sounds based on his or her playing using algorithmic processes in Pure Data. The percussion performance consists of glasses, bottles, and a bowl, which the performer hits, scrapes, blows and sings into. All sounds produced by the computer are derived from the real time performance. Both human and machine performers work from a score, but listen and respond to the performance of the other. Synapses and circuits – human and computer – together find the music inside the machine. This work honors the complexity both of the human mind and its digital counterpart, taking us from wonder, to discovery, to celebration.
This work requires a pair of medium yarn mallets with wooden shafts, a pair of medium rubber mallets, five glass marbles, towels or blankets, five resonant wine bottles of different pitches, three pint glasses of different pitches, and a large glass or metal bowl. It also requires at least two microphones, a computer, and the equipment necessary to run the recorded sound into the computer (mixer, etc.). The five wine bottles and three pint glasses should each have a distinct pitch when hit from the side. The large bowl should be quite resonant, with a decay of four seconds or more. All materials should be placed on towels or blankets on the floor or a sturdy table. This will prevent any superfluous sound from the materials striking the surface upon which they rest. The wine bottles should lay on their side and a marble should be placed in each. The bottles must be angled slightly toward their neck so that the marble rests in the rounded shoulder of the bottle. This can be achieved by placing a folded towel under the butt of the bottle, angling it up slightly. The butt of the bottle should face the player. The majority of the strikes on the wine bottles will occur on the side of the bottle as close to the butt as possible. This will minimize the rattle created by the marble, except at very loud dynamics. This is the desired effect. The microphones should be placed as seen in the accompanying diagram. If available, more microphones can be used for a superior capture of the percussive sound.
Details
Duration: 8:00
November 14, 2012
License
Copyright © Adam Vidiksis 2012 (ASCAP)
