Cube Presentation 2023

Cube presentation 2023 #

Lecture, Installation and Performance

Thursday, 06.04.2023, IEM CUBE

This event introduced for the first time the project’s central research questions, aims and its methodology, alongside related past and current artistic works.

Contingency and Synchronization: Iteration 2b (Installation) #

Contingency and Synchronization: Iteration 2b is part of a series of artistic research works by Luc Döbereiner and David Pirrò exploring the interaction between the determinism of synchronization algorithms and the contingency of their material performance. Each iteration in this series renegotiates this relation and attempts to re-compose computation, site and listening in ways specific to the format. In this iteration, six phase and frequency synchronizing oscillators that are each played back over one loudspeaker in the room are being set up. Each oscillator reacts to the the signal picked up by one microphone, adapting and changing its behavior. Thereby, spatially distributed pairs of input and output interfere with each other in an endless process of synchronization. The oscillators are sonified using sine waves modulated with band-limited Gauss pulses. Instead of being completely contained in simulation, this model of connected oscillators is opened to the exterior, turned inside out and so connects to the specificities of the site, its acoustics and the noises made by the audience.

Speculative Sound Synthesis: Synchronization (Performance) #

Speculative Sound Synthesis: Synchronization is a live electronic performance by four interlinked players exploring ways of coupling sound synthesis systems. Rather than focusing on making the instruments produce specific results, the performers aim to make their instruments’ material qualities, assumptions, errors, and even failures sensible and experienceable. By putting their instruments and their respective developers in interaction with each other, creating a feedback loop of sorts, the quartet performance explores questions of interplay, materiality of digital and analog sound synthesis, interaction with algorithms and machine learning, employing combinations of nonlinear oscillators and analog circuits based on fundamental digital components. The instruments flow into each other and this opening enables new sonic and musical spaces, thus creating a laboratory where the performers can experiment, manipulate, observe and speculate on different aspects of the artistic practice of sound synthesis they consider crucial.

Video documentation of the Performance

Audio documentation of the performance