:||digital kitchen||:

i finally finished the score for the 'velodrum' performance. My inspirations were based in explorations of childhood bike rides, rave culture and electronic sequencers and elements of chance. Also the piano mechanique and its role as an background soundtrack for silent movies.

following along with the concept of the instrument and the performance it felt natural to build the score as a techno videoclip, the score follows the narrative of the movie.
I simulated the track events and sounds from the bike in audio software and then i created a vj set based on the amazing eyecandy traffic education movie from 1963:: one got fat. (one of the most surreal and incredible educational/institutional video pieces i've ever seen). the vj set set was built using arkaos software, trying to give a revival feeling of the end of 90's vj styles , with synced cuts and cheesy rave'ish effects.

This video will also be used as the background video projection on the performance, no sound include of course.

here it is - videodrum :: (44.7Mb)

Posted by rux at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

changes, fixes and bugs..
close to failure, close to success (or something like that..), back and forth in the construction and (re)design but i'm really happy because today i got my first sound from the velodrum!

check the this short clip! :: (6Mb)

some pics of the current state of 'it'::

changes, fixes and news::
> new interface cabling routing, instead of having the cables pushing the lower part of the trigger's arms i installed a bar above the tracks and fixed the cables to the top of the arms (again.. why didn't i thought this before?!) = incredible reduction of the effort needed.
> safety bar implemented to keep the trigger's arms to get too close to the tracks/discs
>interface cabling routed through an aluminum tube attached to the bike's frame, cables are sliding independently and softly
>tested and built extension for the 'drumsticks' using steel (5mm thick) wire which seems to give a nice flexibility.
>tested and built the piece attached to the drumsticks (the piece that will be hitting the objects (?!?!)) using a small pice of wood involved by gaffers tape - perfect for the kick drum!

still missing::
>controller levers! (i don't really want to be pulling strings on the performance...)
>glue a strip of rubber along the triggers resting support to try to reduce the impact and noise when they're pulled back.

Posted by rux at 02:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

the day of the disaster..

finally got all the modules individually assembled and tested. The fianl composition of the modules wasn't properly satisfatory. on the first fully assebled test the velodrum system reacted nicely even though the noise from the track axis rotation and its bearings was a bit unpleasant. After some tweakings and the interface/controller cabling was installed i tested the bike again and the axis system and tracks modules were close to collapse.
The connection between the modules sometimes is a bit loose and it was necessary to use some nylon wiring to pull the bike support, the transmission wheel and the track system together.
The tracks weight on the axis caused to much friction and one of the bearings (which had already lost some balls) fell appart. One of the disc's teeth didn't really survived a closer/harsher contact with the trigger/drumstick. the wiring for the interface offered a huge resistance and was definitely to hard to pull..
total disaster.

possible solutions and 'bugs' to fix ::
>test better/more bearings on each side
>proximity limiter between the trigger's arms and the discs/tracks
>better fixing of the 'teeth' in the discs/tracks

Posted by rux at 02:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

some pics on the updates:
new transmission system - direct drive (coment:simplicity!)
triggers/drumsticks for the track system in development.

Posted by rux at 01:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

has i haven't updated much on the project here's a quick tour on these last week's
progress::

- ditched the belt system and moved on to direct transmission systems
- installed the first disc/track on the axis
- reviewed the drawings for the triggering (drum stick) system
- built the 1st track trigger and switch system

on the performance side::
- difficulties in getting high resolution footage from the "Volta a Portugal em bicicleta" (the portuguese bicycle tour), solution: go low_res. Web sourced footage looses on the resolution side but the amount and variety of content can be cumbersome.
- building a collection, have some possible ideas but still haven't found the path. I think the fact that the Velodrum hasn't produced a sound yet is to blame.

where i am now (2007-11-26 00:10:56)!
- have the triggering system for 4 tracks close to completed
- gathered some sounding trash (still missing a pan lid!)
- thinking and drawing some solutions for the tracks (disc) design ( have the triggering tooth built-in or make it as add-on (more modularity and ease of configuration (but will i have time?))
- the interface for now is a wire..

and some pics::

Posted by rux at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

just a quick update and some pics from the velodrum's wip epic times::

- the rubber belt is now fixed, used some glue + a metal strip with some 'teeth' sank in both ends of the rubber strip.

- i'm almost done with the rear wheel suport (!..), i've used some metal plates found in the 'trash' corner to reinforce the bike's attachment. still need to do a couple of wood blocks to finish it.

- the track base and axis module are also almost done, missing the connection with the rear wheel support to complete the transmission system. I've done a quick testing: the rubber belt seems to handle enough stretching and surprisingly the axis is rotating smoothly without bearings.

problems..
-screws?? i thought i knew how to fix some screws but apparently i must be doing something really wrong or i'm really having bad luck with screws. The ones from the lab tend to get their 'head' completely smashed and the ones i bought get easily broken..
-this will probably not be a no-cost project as it was imagined.. i've already spent close to $60 in various parts (rubber, glue, bearings, screws...) and from what i've seen so far the parts for the controller wheel (brake levers and gear shifters) are tagged around $20 per set (of 2).. (e.g. 6 tracks = 6 levers = $60).
-i'm completely behind the schedule.

Posted by rux at 04:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

finally had some time to update on the 'thing'. velodrum has become a bit overwhelming nowadays. After designing and building the base for the tracks to be layd on I found myself literally having nightmares with the friction of its rotating axis and other transmission problems. Also the interface side has already showing its difficulties, only technical so far.
Nevertheless progress is being made.
I've already bought the rubber strip for the transmission belt system, I've cut half of its width and now fits perfectly the bicycle's wheel frame. Unfortunately the glue suggested by the shop seller isn't as efficient as it was referred and the two ends of the rubber strip get loose when stretching and pushing the belts resistance. solution 01? to do: build a flat piece of metal with some kind of teeth around the two connected rubber ends..
By building all the track base parts with wood I've ease my life a lot but i realized it as also brought some issues:
- rotating axis friction with its support. even sanding the ends of the axis and making then round didn't work that well. I realized it will need some bearings to ease and smooth its rotation..
It also crossed my mind that its metal balls noise might be a nice add to the sound captured as (hopefully) it will produce a constant sliding rhythm.
Thursday I managed to spend a couple of hours browsing car parts shops and mechanic shops and got 4 broken bearings but still functional (sort of..). I've also searched in some bike shops for used parts (which seems to be impossible in manhattan) and bought two cheap and smaller bearings for $1.5 each.
The broken bearings from the taxis seem to big and to hard to keep their parts together (thats what u get from trash?!), the bicycle ones have a good size and can fit the axis wood bar with some sanding and corner rounding. I bought a drill bit to cut out circles in the base supports and they fit perfectly.

-need to build some counter weight to the force of the rubber belt to keep it stretched from the bike's rear wheel to the track base. (no problems on this.. just time.)

- time.. of course it has become a problem already.. countdown!

Posted by rux at 01:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so far..

1] i've found a bike in the trash! (yupi!) - it has EVERYTHING but tires, cables, brakes and gear shifters, the frame apparently is really good and the whole bike is incredibly light (!!) - i'm quite tempted to do anotherproject and keep the bike for my personal (ab)use, naaah..

2] i've quickly designed and started building the basic support for the bike's rear wheel - as i am imagining the 'thing' it will drive the 'tracks' rotation from the rear wheel (perhaps using a rubber belt) and have its front wheel on the floor to help supporting the weight (body+bike).

3] as the interface to turn on and off the tracks i've thinking and paying some attention to bikes parked on the streets, i've already found some variety in the interfaces for brakes and gear shifters which might become handy.

keeping on the back of my mind..
how will i drive the pedaling power to the 'tracks' rotation?
the rubber surface on the wheel frame gave me the idea of transmitting the traction using a belt system.
another hypothesis is to build gear systems though i really hope i don't have to go this way as gears are known to be time consuming (and mind!!).

whole system coordination = have the tracks always rotating and only activate a a bridge between the tooth and the trigger?
use bike interfaces to turn on/off tracks = brake handles, gear shifters..

co$ts?!
i've decided that this project should spend the least amount of money, after all bicycles are a cheap transportation interface so the 'velodrum' also should be a (financially) costless project.
Another (emotionally..) important fact is that i found the bike on the trash while deciding which project I should do and that this event made me (finally) make my mind.
Everyday objects are left on the streets waiting to be picked up and repurposed. I hope I can develop the interface and most of the mechanic parts from bike leftovers on the streets and for the acoustic system I'd like to explore found objects and their sounding natures.
So most of the material used was found in the trash (bike) and the wood used for the base was wood waste from ITP's woodshop.

I've spent $10 in a few 4'' screws and bolts.

Posted by rux at 01:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

research::

sequencing+percursion,
instruments/interfaces and their change in music production/creation.
how did the interfaces changed the creation of rhythm structures and patterns?

manual input vs. automation in music

history:
manual input - tabla, drums, . . .

Jaki_Liebezeit, The Can's drummer was considered one of the first human sequencers, said to be 'half human-half machine' with his metronome playing style.

way before computers and electronics arrived to this planet there were already some automated instruments around, though most of them weren't percussion related their automation functions were also inspiring::
music boxes and mechanic pianos

machine=sequencing - MAM interface, 707, 808, softw sequencers and timeline/piano roll interfaces...

and,
(seemingly) completely off-topic..

bycicles!

what do bycicles have to do with rhythm?!
apparetly...
everything!
the more steady one keeps the pace (rhythm) the longer you can go on a bycicle!
sometimes, litle sticks or dried pieces of grass get in between the wheels and get stuck producing rhythms when hitting the spokes.
also, bycicles are an human powered device, that is used to give life to other devices, the front light of the bycicle is powered by a generator on the front wheel..

personal/affective-emotional perspective::
since very young, as soon as I learned to ride the bycicle i fell in love with it,
it gave me not only a means of transportation and ease of doing longer distances, but it also populated my imaginary with races and travels through unknown landscapes and territories. more than anything it allowed me discovery and exploration of physical and virtual spaces. another fact is that i always had a passion in dismantle things - bycicles were among my favourites!

so..
what do bycicles + drums + music boxes are going to blend into??

the velodrum (as i like to call it now) is a human powered device (a bycicle!) that will build pattern structures triggered by the usual bicycle controllers (brakes, gear shifters).
as a performance I want to play with the emotions of racing and bicycle leisure expressing myself through cranking and rhythms construction.
A (linear) video projection on the background will allow me to play with the images content and be challenged and challenge other racers and (probably) other characters that might appear on screen.

?how am i going to do this??
here are some sketches from my notebook :

notebook drawings - rhythm pattern study 01

Posted by rux at 03:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

performances::
Radioboy, Mathew Herbert's live sampling exploitation of objects and materials.

Ryuchi Sakamoto and Alva Noto's minimalist approach with Dienststelle video creating a tight scenic and sinaethetic environments ::

Tablas and other percussive instruments = When one sees the instrument manipulation there's a direct relationship with the sound produced and its expressiveness.
the instrument (interface) actions mirror the (narrative/emotional) events of the performance.

T.H. Vikku Vinayakram Gattam tabla solo

In a more visual approach to the interface creating a more dense and close audiovisual and sinaesthetic performance, Golan Levin's 'Scraplle' performance and interface totally merge into one absolut piece - the actions and results become one.

Scrapple installation at Ars Electronica Center

Scrapple performance at Monkey Town support party - club Europa

Scrapple at OFFF2006 - Barcelona

Scrapple installation Demo - 2005

motivations::
>> as i've never been a musician and never learned how to properly play and merge with a musical instrument, many times i imagined i was manipulating the whole set of sound producing objects and machinery that produced the musics/songs i was hearing and excited by. with my body gestures and my mind i tried to express the nature of sound, its rhythms though i've never played drums, solos came out of my fingers that never touched guitar strings. I'd like to create an interface where the gesture expresses the emotion and nature of sound. I'd like to explore not only the expressiveness of the produced sounds through gestures but also using objects constraints and inner nature.

\\ thinking about...

>> sinaesthetic performance and explorative attitude towards the instruments and sounds: relationships between the plastic nature of sound (what kind of sound, what it sounds like), the technical aspects of it (how it is created/produced) and the interface as a tool for visualization.

>>sound spatialization (in a physicall space) and sound events visualization (in the interface) - spatial relationships

>> exploration of percussion and sequencing in a spatial approach. creation of new sounds - synthetic - and relationships with the actions that produce them.

>> not only percussion (tablas, drums) but also sequencing of events(beats/sounds) ad relationships with traditional and modern(electronic) interfaces (refs:: drums, tabla and more membranophones,.. 303, cmm / animation music machine and timeline interfaces)

>>music animation machine (MAM) and the birth of piano roll interfacing::

MAM on Atari

Posted by rux at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is very hard for me to choose one amongst all the musical inspirations in my life. I could say i'd love to make intricate and de-constructive music as good as AphexTwin, swinging with groove of Sonny Rollins or Thelonious Monk, mind wondering and travelling as far as F.S.O.L. , Andrew Weatherall or William Orbit.
The pop component would need to be present, Bowie's Low or Hunky Dory would be a good insight as also as Raymond Scott's Cindy Electronium or Cylob or AAKurtz or Yellow Magic Orchestra or... . .
End, Luke Vibert, Cycheouts Ghost and many other make me dance with their breaks; Luke Slater, Carl Craig and many other make dane to the rythm of their beats.
Dev//Null, Terminal11, Jason Forrest, Aaron Spectre and/or Mochipet I admire (not only!) for their innovation, creative mash and ultra-sampling revolutionary techniques.
Wisp, SquarePusher, Joseph Nothing, Nathan Fake and many others with their lyricism and storytelling sonic adventures... . .... . . ..

and , yes, I can keep on shouting names of all these magicians that make my body and mind tremble, jump travel, die and reborn, but, no, I don't (and I don't think I'll ever be able) to make music like theirs.
All the music I listen to has something (or many things) that inspires me but I also feel it very much as part of that artist's work and life.

As a performer I'd love to be free and have full control. In my perspective both things are inseparable:
to be free and be able to jam and improvise, one needs to be in full control of their instrument/interface and know its full capabilities.

Continue reading "performance inspirations... . . ." »

Posted by rux at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

when we hear music::
>to kill time (in queues in the post office, waiting for someone) :: we do not only listen to but we make music too. we sometimes unconsciously start tapping on something or ourselves and as soon as we notice music is being made, rhythms flow out of our gestures into our body and the closest objects.

>in the gym / physical works :: musical rhythmic structures help and enforce rhythmic body work. beware the music selection..

>cooking/relaxing/reading :: multi-sensory stimulation doesn't mean data overflow! while doing several relaxing/enjoyable tasks using multi-sensory stimulation will potentiate the desired effects (e.g. relaxing while hearing music, reading/cooking and tasting a good wine?!).

>while travelling (by car, train, airplane...), is the transportation experience stimulated when combined with music? Is this situation prolific to musical escapism and mind wondering?
>there's something about combining a soundtrack to our pleasure moments. a tendency in creating an association between the moment and musical experience.

>music as a tool to time travel, some times music is experienced whith such passion that ca create timstamps. later in the future listening to that music can take us back in time.

why do we listen to music in the train, while shopping or in the streets? are we only entertaining ourselves or are we searching other landscapes to run away to?

music + escapism = hedonism ?!

=====

off-topic but...

playlists = long are the times that playlists filed a k-7 tape, recordings lasted 60-90 mins, a few dozens of songs carefully selected and mindfully sequenced a piece of magnetic tape. nowadays with digital formats and hd-based players, playlists become a huge collection of albums, the building proccess jumped from a music-by-music selection to data-dumpsters of whole albums, disregarding the individual musics and album construction to a whole piece. The lack of time in our lives and the digital technology also brought us the wonder of skipping allowing us to build our selections on the moment.

Posted by rux at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)