Monthly Archive for June, 2004

A mash-up of Deleuze, Guattari, Russolo, Manovich, Aarseth and Miles.

We must embrace both signal and noise in all its forms.

Luigi Russolo and the Futurists embraced the complete spectrum of noises and sounds and incorporated them into the art of noise, arguing that:
“[The] evolution of music is comparable to the multiplication of machines” … “Musical sound is too limited in its variety of timbres” and that “We must break out of this limited circle of sounds and conquer the infinite variety of noise-sounds.” Digital technology allows the sampling, manipulation, generation and reproduction of not only the complete spectrum of sounds and noises but also the complete range of photographic, cinematic, videographic, literary and typographic content. The digital domain brings with it a unique new spectrum of digital distortions and noises to be explored. Artefacts may be generated through the use and misuse of compression algorithms, file corruption and manipulation.

We must explore the use of inter-textual and inter-network digital communications.

As well as these readily tangible sources and distortions, the digital domain opens up new opportunities for the incorporation of digital signals and noises which may be sent from machine to machine, text to text. Russolo argues that “Every manifestation of life is accompanied by noise” and that “Noise is thus familiar to our ear and has the power of immediately recalling life itself.” Similarly, today almost every action we take is accompanied by a digital transaction. As life becomes increasingly mediated by digital technologies, the manipulation and subversion of these media allow for new forms, genres and narratives. As Russolo writes, “Although the characteristic of noise is that of reminding us brutally of life, the Art of Noises should not limit itself to an imitative reproduction. It will achieve its greatest emotional power in acoustical enjoyment itself, which the inspiration of the artist will know how to draw from the combining of noises.” While emergent genres such as mixed reality and alternate reality gaming use ‘fictional’ websites, email and SMS messages to great effect, reproducing and ‘reminding us of’ the digital signals of everyday life, it could be argued that these techniques are most effective when combined. HTTP, FTP, RTSP, email, SMS, WiFi, Bluetooth, scripting and streaming technologies may all be appropriated and incorporated.

We must take advantage of the possibilities of digital manipulation in real time

Just as the futurists constructed noise machines with controls for pitch and rhythm which may be manipulated as they are played, we must create audio-visual machines which are equally responsive. One of the most important aspects of the manipulation and generation of digital audio-visual noise is that it can occur in real time. No more click and wait. The movements of a mouse can pan a virtual camera in a 3d space. The strokes of a keyboard can trigger noises. The presence of another user viewing the same movie as you can have and effect on its outcome. Two separate Quicktime movies hosted on different servers on different sides of the world can communicate with each other on the desktop of a user. While many different media types may be manipulated in real time today, due to a number of different factors the audio/music realm has lead the way in this regard. Technologies such as MIDI allow for the real time control of a multitude of audio (and now video and computer) devices. Digital samplers, synthesisers and signal processors must, by their very nature function in real time. We must strive to create audio-visual ‘machines’ which match this level of responsiveness and expressiveness.

We must explore the new forms of authorship facilitated by digital technology

Deleuze and Guattari contend that “A book has neither object nor subject; it is made of variously formed matters, and very different dates and speeds. To attribute the book to a subject is to overlook this working of matters, and the exteriority of their relations.” When we are dealing with digital media the assemblage of ideas, sources and external links takes on a literal and physical as well as conceptual meaning. A work may be constructed wholly out of the combination or manipulation of previously existing samples or signals. Again, to link back to sound art, the work may be the construction of the instrument, its scoring / programming, its performance or any combination of the three. Lev Manovich proposes a useful list of authorship models to be explored:

“Collaboration of different individuals and / or groups (over the network or in person, in real time or not);
Interactivity as collaboration between the author and the user
Authorship as selection from a menu
Collaboration between a company and the users
Collaboration between the author and the software
Remixing
Sampling
The Open Source Model”