Steina, Violin Power, 1978
“In the first closed-circuit audio/video performances of Violin Power (1970 to 1978) the primary effect observed was the actual movements of the bow on the strings of the violin immediately deflecting the image position of exactly this gesture. Besides being the performer, Steina plays the violin and the video so that in intermediary ways the observer and the observed converge. The languages of the two media, music and video, are interconnected according to their abstractness where the sound creates the waveforms of the image. Furthermore, music is visually explored as a medium developing temporal and spatial features: not only does the sound spread the scan lines so that they become horizontally visible thereby exploring temporal dimensionality, but Steina also uses the Scan Processor to modulate the soundwaves until they build up spatial forms of the image. Through the Scan Processor, brighter parts of the “image” are lifted so that the horizontal lines also vertically deflect and create sculptural pattern.
While Steina, in the beginning, interfaced the sounds of her acoustic violin via microphone, since 1991 she performs with a MIDI violin to increase the variety of programs: “The Zeta Violin is a five-stringed electric violin with a MIDI output. The assignment at the moment is that stops on A and E string point to frame locations on the disk. The D and G strings control speed and direction and the C string is a master controller assigned to address segments on the disk. In another programming scheme, the C string controls which upper strings get assigned their function, as I experiment to make the performance more musical.” While this setting was originally used for performing with a laser disk player, since the late nineties other schemes and string assignments are performed on a PowerBook using the software program Image/ine, developed in 1997 by Tom Demayer at Steim, Amsterdam, in consultation with Steina.”
fondation-langlois.org/html/e/page.php?NumPage=485
octal_hatch (excerpts) by Brian O’Reilly and Curtis Roads
“octal_hatch (2003) is a series of works based on materials generated using a live video feedback system. The setup consisted two antiquated video mixers (equipped with various wipes and internal effects), assorted cameras, monitors and a laptop processing and feeding footage through itself and into the system. These source materials were then edited, layered and reprocessed using various softwares and hardware techniques.” -Brian O’Reilly
Point Line Cloud (selections) by Brian O’Reilly and Curtis Roads
“Beneath the level of the note lies the realm of sound particles. Each particle is a pinpoint of sound. Recent advances let us probe and manipulate this microacoustical world. Sound particles dissolve the rigid bricks of musical composition-the notes and their intervals-into more fluid and supple materials. The sensations of point, pulse (series of points), line (tone), and surface (texture) emerge as the density of particles increases. Sparse emissions produce rhythmic figures. By lining up the particles in rapid succession, one can induce an illusion of tone continuity or pitch. As the particles meander, they flow into liquid-like streams and rivulets. Dense agglomerations of particles form clouds of sound whose shapes evolve over time.” -Curtis Roads
“POINT LINE CLOUD is a collection of audio and video collaborations between Curtis Roads and myself, it has been a ever shifting project over the years which constantly continues to evolve. The first performance of the materials that grew into the project was in 2001 at a concert with Autechre and Russell Haswell in Los Angeles. Since then it has been performed in many diverse venus around the world.” -Brian O’Reilly
NIGHTNIGHT by DEDDY
