Symposium Session 2

Kasey Pocius, Tommy Davis and Vincent Cusson – eTu{d,b}e: Exploring musical agents through improvisations with an infra-instrument

eTu{d,b}e is a research-creation project using the eTube augmented instrument to research how improvising computers may share in creative performance with a human improviser. The eTube is an infra-instrument (Bowers & Archer 2005) that fuses a plastic tube, a baritone saxophone mouthpiece, and a custom controller interface designed by Vincent Cusson to facilitate interaction between a human improviser and a musical agent. The original research question that inspired the eTube was: How can a simple controller facilitate interaction with musical agents? We use and adapt various pre-existing improvising computer programs, which impart agency to both human and non-human actors through interactive improvisation utilising machine listening, audio descriptors, and audio corpora. Inspired by the notion of the cyborg we will discuss how embodied sounds in the corpora used with the musical agents contribute to creating a virtual musician in performance. We will also address the eTube’s materiality and contemporary woodwind techniques and how these aspects have influenced the technological and artistic aspects of this project.

Nicholas Kirk-Canny – The Utilisation of the Hybrid/Augmented Guitar for Human-Computer Improvisation

This talk will discuss the implementation of the hybrid guitar for human-computer improvisation, with a focus on working with digitally pre-composed material. The hybrid guitar can change a performer’s relationship with digital compositions by making it possible to use guitar techniques to control and improvise with digital music while relying on the intelligence of the muscles and the embodied knowledge of a guitarist. Furthermore, this approach allows a performer and audience to apply a mental model of guitar practice to digital music, which can help improve the performance experience. At the same time, the addition of digital technology affords the ability to alter the relationship with the guitar, as the instrument can be used for purposes other than performing music on the note-based level. To address this topic, this talk will describe some of the approaches performers of hybrid instruments can take when engaging in human-computer improvisation. Particularly, when designing software and hardware methods, as well as compositional and improvisational strategies. Although the development of new DMIs based on traditional instruments is common, in general, they are often not used as digital controllers for composition environments, a vital difference that this talk aims to address.

Berk Yagli – Zen of Aggression: Composing the Transformational Hybrid

The talk/presentation will focus on musical hybridity and critical methods developed for the hybridization of electroacoustic and metal music. These methods are formed to build a blueprint for hybrid composers (ultimately not only specific to metal and electroacoustic but for other genres as well that combines spectromorphological focused music with harmony and rhythm-based music since this type of hybridity requires a unique set of challenges and complexities). Hybridity in music is a well-established and vibrant contemporary scholarly topic. Even though the current literature provides many useful terms and strategies regarding different types of hybrids, the methods for building hybrids are rare. The talk will specifically focus on the piece ‘Zen of Aggression’ and discuss the fruitful and problematic methods when approaching to compose a transformational hybrid (a hybrid where both genres affect each other at the deepest level in which the resulting hybrid would not sound like each of the genre-hence transformed) between electroacoustic music and metal. Different excerpts from the piece will be played when discussing the techniques and methodologies. The talk shall also briefly discuss different types of hybridity, genre and its notions, and the notion of fluidity when approaching the hybridity in music to set the context.