Live Electronics in Computer Music: 'Liveliness'; Open-Source Software; Genre; Live Internet
- U1346353 | Joao Neves
- May 15, 2017
- 8 min read
"The distinction between studio composition and 'live' performance has developed a distinctly fuzzy feel. The best laptop performers - as all improvisers - claim a psychological buzz from public decision taking, including the possibility that they might (in their own estimation) 'get it wrong'. Improvisers have often talked of the recovery from moments of insecurity as key to good interaction. At another level DJs must always 'take from' the psychology of the audience, the 'feel' of the atmosphere to vary pace and tempo within the agenda of a controlled manipulation of the energy curve at the gig."
(Emerson, 2007, p.26)
'Liveness' is implemented in computer music, throughout all the performances. These were performed through Ableton Live sessions, controlled with several MIDI controllers, in a non-linear way, the Ableton approach to music performance revealed from the beginning of this project the most free manner to perform music taking advantage of the live evolutive character of the music progression, which can be constantly adapted to factors such audience interaction either by reflecting the audience's vibe, or by manipulating the environment with the intervention of video and lights, in order to generate an immersive experience. Consequently, the use of Max for Live effects helps to conceptualise the intensity of a live performance once there is present a visible action that reflects on a music effect, as also changes of pace and tempo rely on different approaches to interactivity within the audience and a enhanced control of the energy of such performance.
In comparison with a DJ set, this approach becomes more intelligent while it can develop different progressions, imposing a sense of continuity on the overall sound, either by these changes or by experiencing the crowd 'feel', manipulating the overall performance space with the respective sound response to such vibe.
PERFORMANCE 1
EMSEMBLE
18/11/2016
While Performance 1 features 1 station, Nicky Jefferson (left) with 3 synthesisers (Nordlead G2X, Korg Minilogue & Novation Mininova), these are connected through a mixer applying effects of phasing reverb and delay, they are not synchronised within the overall setup and are performed truly live, on Joao's station (center) there is present a Korg Monotribe, which is effected through the synchronous delays and reverbs from the Ableton session, but yet performed without any synchronicity. Furthermore, both Ableton sessions Joao and Pawel Spica are synchronised within a general SMPTE timecode clock set over Wi-Fi, exploring open-source principles of MIDI and MIDI over IP; and contain a Effect Chain Rack on the master channel to allow extra performance related option. This is noticed and present in every single performance, once is an effect chain that has been adapted to my performances since 2013 and truly fulfils the versatility expected within a performance.
This ensemble was not rehearsed. For a simpler and more effective approach, the artists decided to interpret it as a Jam session; in this way, and due to the pre-programmed character of most computer music, it was decided a 3 part independent production and rehearsal, once agreed with the genre and the base key of the music to be performed, bringing an interactive aspect to the performance through a virtually seamless performance.
Image 1: Ensemble Performance - Booth Diagram
Techno was the genre agreed for this performance, due to it's minimalistic character and the importance to the overall electronic dance music. Being a minimalistic genre means that is imperative the use of space and silence within the composition enhancing then the live performance to allow an easier introduction of live elements and progressions.
The lights were pre-programmed by myself and Pawel Spica, previously, and performed by Catia Leite, the video was chosen to create a second dimension on the performative stage, enforcing a momentary movement to the whole performance and therefore generating an immersive environment.
This performance was recorded from a sole camera and no Live-Streaming principles were applied in this performance, consequently the video was made available online through youtube, personal website and social media, bringing the performance to a globalised audience.
PERFORMANCE 2
SOLO - Multi-station
27/01/2017
Performance 2 was the first solo performance of these series, Joao decided to combine his Live Project, here in the first weeks of development, with a project developed from other module game sound, bringing a strong and spaced ambience aesthetic to the overall sound with the groups of pieces of sound design previously developed, playing asynchronously within follow action loops, resembling works of Schaeffer and Brian Eno, within the concepts of musique concrète and the "Art of Noise".
Image 2: Game Sound Performance Project - Ableton Live View
This aesthetic is integrant part of a proposed major project developed from these series of performances (see Other Performances - Final Proposed Project). While it was not possible to put in practice, due to technical and financial setbacks, the idea of performing these loops within a surround system, while the album is performed by an Ableton, automated session, allowing the artist to intervene with live compositional elements from is workstation or from the input of synthesis within the overall sound. The development of this project demanded a meticulous thinking about alternative strategies to be developed and used throughout the performance series. In other words, the collection of performances shows several interpretations of these proposed schemes, performing on the spot facing problems and implementing alternative strategies and solutions as described previously.
Image 3: Proposed Final Performance - Performance Station (Not Performed)
Image 4: Proposed Final Performance - Patchbay (Not Performed)
This performance counts with the use of an Ableton Live channel to apply synchronous effects within the overall sound, featuring a Virtual Instrument from Xfer Records - SERUM, controlled via MIDI by an Arturia Minilab, in order to enhance the rhythmic and melodic character of these explored genres. These allow a further connection and emphasis on live electronics by the artist, during a performance.
Image 5 - Final Performance Session - Ableton Live View.
The lights, pre-programmed by Joao and performed by Ashkan Nazari, bring an dancing aesthetic characteristic of the genres explored within this performance, being Ambient Electronic, Progressive Psytrance and High-Tech Psytrance; as this performance was set to define the genre of the final performance, there is a progressive exploration of tempo, and a consecutive live interpretation of the response from the audience, allowing the experimental character of the piece to develop within the performed genres.
This performance was also streamed online by Pawel Spica and it doesn't feature a video, to allow the post analysis of the influence of the lights on the 2 environments (video ON / video OFF), which allowed a further session amending the light program developed for these performances.
Image 6: Solo Performance - Booth Diagram
PERFORMANCE 3
SOLO
Spatialised Modular
10/03/2017
This performance is a test to the final chosen genres Hi-Tech Psytrance & Progressive Psytrance. Further explores the alternative strategies of visual triggers and assesses principles of liveness, through the source displacement and the intervention of 'live' modular synthesis to this performative space.
The performance sets the spatialization through a 4 point sound system, and combines music through a stereo P.A., allowing the experience of different sound sources on a specific performance. Although it was noticed that this would have a better effect in a bigger space, than the one of this venue.
The Ableton session takes a dominant character in this performance featuring additional channels which are performed through 2 APC 40s, set up in series allowing the control of 16 channels and 16 effects within the full setup.
Image 6: Spatial Performance - Booth Diagram & Outputs
As it can be seen, this setup is quite complex in the sense that uses different speakers, therefore internal and external patching were required to be set and tested before the performance. In a performance management level, this increased the change time, with the chance to have to deal with possible problems from the engineering side. However, this seemed to happen without any of the expected issues, such might happen in a future performance, therefore a generative rule to use a specified technician in such technical performances.
An issue was found within the modular synthesizer in use, while the modules connect through a magnet, and the buttons are microsized, these magnets seem to lack the strength to keep the signal flow, releasing peak of noise during the performance, therefore the alternative strategy employed here was to record the live sample of the synth and include it in the mix, after analysis of the waveform to ensure the absence of these refered peaks.
The choice of video comes from Youtube, choosing a visual performance of sounds of similar tempo to ensure a virtual synchronization between sound and image. This seemed to have a strong effect on the audience, seen from the comments received afterwards. The whole performance is involved by these projections and this discipline is then developed with the creation of a video for the final performance.
The lighting fall on the specifications pre-programmed and amended for performances with video projection, in this act, performed by Jose Pedro without any previous contact with the plotting and light performance. In some points is understandable the use of the working lights which are not supposed to feature in this act, however the pretended effect is performed once the video does not get very affected by such short bursts of working lights.
The live video streaming was performed by Pawel Spica via Facebook. Other technical assistance was given by Catia Leite on the mixer and Diego Fernandez on the patching.
PERFORMANCE 4
SOLO
Final Performance
@ FUEL Fest. 11/05/2017
Once the proposed final performance couldn't be performed on the specified date, due to major technical problems, such as a broken audio interface, an opportunity to perform in FUEL Festival was taken at the last minute, completing the process of performances, and using alternative strategies putting application of gained knowledge to the maximum, to deal with the lack of equipment at time and date.
The final video was then played from an alternative input, and the lights performed by Pawel Spica, as it was expected since the early stages of this project. The video is an accelerated compilation of videos of multiple sources, put together specifically for such performance, enforcing seamlessly a visual intention and a consequent sonic response, extremely obvious at some points of this performance. The lighting here is flawless, with the strobing effect producing further enlargement of the performative space allowing extra dimensions to be felt within the whole performance.
The booth setup is here the simplest found throughout all the performances consisting in 1 Ableton Live workstation and 1 Akai APC 40 MK2 controller. To enable the project to run with 1 sole controller a new MIDI patch needed to be reconfigured on the spot, and for several times edited during the set.
Image 7: Final Performance - Booth Diagram
This simple setup ensured an embodied performance, with the moments of immersion in the computer being shorter and less than the previous performances, this bring the artist close to the audience and allows the energies to flow between characters indicating the action that the artist is going to perform, in this case adding to the performance music, as it can be seem by the mimics of some playing instruments such is the case of snares (or that FM snare-like sound characteristic of the genre aesthetics). The artist presents itself siting within this performance, due to an injury on a foot, although this doesn't seem to affect the performance, seem that is the performance that the artist embodies more the music, sharing it with the audience in a rhythmic and dancing form.
The genre is Hi-Tech Psytrance music and it is performed with original music from the artist's produced album, and lively enhanced with the application of sampling and sound design, as the sound is manipulated by the 'live' edition of samples and the use of the developed Max for Live effects racks. Is also present the habitual tempo performance with changes oscillating between the 145 and 200 BPM, these reinforce the playful character of the video, generating a sequential sonic action in accordance with the visual trigger.
Image 8: Ableton - Max For Live FX Racks
OTHER
PERFORMANCES
Due to the absence of video is not possible to evidence other performances, although the tutors Michael Bunce and Guy Harries invited the artist and other students to join a jam during a symposium of 'live electronic sound'. Here, the adaptation of the project game sound was performed again, although this time with an APC 40 MK2 enforcing a complete asynchronous trigering of the samples, adapting the overall sound with effects and abrupt changes of tempo in between 20 and 999 BPM. This reinforces the versatile character of the developed performance projects, with the opportunity to adapt to any circumstance, within an ensemble or premeditated genre performance.
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