Creative Music Technology: INTERACTIVE MUSIC
Friday 24 May : Basil Jones Orchestral Hall
William Bartlett, Tiahne O’Brien, Yianni Hardy - DnB Shenanigans
DnB Shenanigans hopes to take you on a riveting journey through space, time and, more specifically, the electronic genre of drum and bass. The piece begins with a heavily-chopped splice of samples, featuring one of the best club tunes of all time (but we’ll let you figure out which one). Our next section embodies 'melodic' or 'liquid' DnB, utilising one-shots and various sampled breaks for the drums; a plethora of celestial synthesis; a saw, or 'reese' bass; and spacey, ethereal vocals, with lyrics to match. This segment takes significant influence from artists such as Tove Lo and Kenya Grace, with sounds designed to emulate being lost/floating around in space. To follow, we move into a homage to 'artcore'; a world of fantasy. Final Fantasy, that is - a pairing of the DnB grooves we all know and love, plus instrumentals reminiscent of your childhood memories spent with the PlayStation (or just ours, at least!) This section features samples from some of the greatest JRPGs of all time, some very unique synths, and the trumpet’s lesser-known older brother – the flugelhorn.
A wise man once said, “I can’t escape the Amen Break and I don’t want to anyway.” The Amen Break is coming to get us all, and it’s succeeded, being the star appearance in the final section which pays homage to the twisted subgenre of Breakcore. A sound that celebrates the art of sampling old drumbreaks paired with loud blaring subs, and other sampled bits and bobs. Be sure to tell us if it’s too loud (but we may not be able to hear you). We’ve likened the use of the static sample between some sections to the changing of television channels; highlighting the difference between each segment and creating a bit of a disruption. Our group members have all composed individual sections of tonight’s piece, which we then spliced together through transitions collaboratively. DnB Shenanigans utilises a wide range of technologies to create an interactive performance, including a MIDI guitar, a Novation Launchkey, an Ableton Push and a MIDI Fighter 3D, with live modulation through MIDI mappings. Throughout the performance, we all switch roles on each of these devices, but some particularly notable moments are: Yianni doing some particularly impressive finger-drumming; Tiahne on vocals, and Will on MIDI guitar.
Mariah Simpson and Chris Munro - Mars Attacks
In Mars Attacks we decided to go for a futuristic style dance tech fusion. Through a combination of sound scapes, four on the floor beats and a symphony of unusual and dense sounds, we take the audience to the world of a dark and mysterious place, strange, yet a little intriguing. With the use of multiple MIDI instruments, both Chris and Mariah manipulate and perform the sounds that come together to form the melodies, rhythms, and everything in between. Beat manipulations, equalisation changes and panning are used to experiment and immerse, while timbral considerations in layering and sound choices combine different tonal qualities, bringing a twist to the sections of the piece. Finger drumming by Mariah brings melodic bass lines and developed rhythmic ideas, while MIDI keys by Chris brings dense chords and walls of sound. The use and manipulation of distortion, chorus, delay, and reverb brings an edge to the sounds, steering away from the lighter sounds often heard in dance music, instead aiming for a combination of harsh and abrasive tones. We hope that you enjoy the experience that is Mars Attacks.
Sam Onishi, Auden Milne, Edward Webster - Soul Machine
Imagine a future where robots have developed to the point of gaining sentience, and are experiencing true, unfiltered emotion for the first time. Intrigue, sadness, anger and acceptance, all emotions that us humans are born with now being felt by a being that has evolved past its own creators. That was the first key idea we had in mind for our project when we got together as a group, the idea of ‘robotic emotion’. It was a feeling that we wanted to convey through powerful and intriguing melodics paired with intense digital manipulation and sound design. To achieve this feeling, we created Soul Machine, an interactive electronic piece that follows clear narrative structure based around different human emotions. Soul Machine is a fusion of experimental EDM and trance featuring elements of noise, and it contains three distinct sections that were each managed by a different group member.
Eddie was in control of composing and designing the opening and introduction to the narrative, which features a lengthy opening intended to bring suspense and intrigue to the setting. It establishes the overall tone for the piece by introducing the central chord progression while steadily increasing in energy, building towards the climax. The middle section was created by Sam, who creates a startling shift in tone and emotion with a glitchy breakdown intended to shock the audience. This, however, quickly shifts back to the original chord progression with a new hype-centric element to it, reintroducing a main melody line with the more organic sound of a piano. Transitioning seamlessly from the middle section, Auden was in charge of creating the ending of the piece, a section that focussed on the feeling of bittersweet acceptance. It includes suspended chords and a lack of percussive elements, implemented to give the piece a sense of calmness and
resolution by ‘slowing down’. This is the section where the more ‘human’ elements take over, featuring Auden performing live vocals and electric guitar with added interactive, digital elements such as bitcrushers and reverb. The piece is wrapped up with a sweeping, ambient pad and piano that fills the space with the original, emotional chord progression before it is cut off with a digital glitch.
Each of the group members focus on managing and controlling different interactive elements, with Eddie playing and controlling a launchkey MIDI controller, Auden managing effects and filters on the powerful Ableton Push and Sam controlling scenes and effects on the master fader with a nanoKontrol. Each of these elements combine to form a performance rich in emotion and depth, and mix with the spontaneous interactive elements to form a narrative that delves deep into the complex nature of human emotion.
Marcus Henville, Samuel Cuthbert, Angus Blue - Angel Boy
Our performance ‘Angel Boy’ is in an EDM style taking its cues from techno and various derivative genres. We were inspired by British techno group Underworld to do as much as possible live and to feature spoken word elements. We made stylistic choices informed by our inspirational genres by taking the focus away from a major or minor tonality. The darker emotional quality is evident in the timbre, texture and the focus is on repetitive sequences of notes rather than harmony. Drops, breakdowns and effects like filters and delays create a rollercoaster of energy throughout. This approach to structural flow is a staple of EDM.
Each using their own Novation Launchkey 49 MIDI keyboard, Angus and Marcus generate ambient pad sounds, versatile leads, and an aggressive acid bass.
● Angus creates a harmonic bed that contextualises all other elements. He switches between different pad sounds as the song progresses, also adding melodic lead elements at some points. He manipulates these sounds by controlling the reverb, delay, chorus, and filters. In doing so, he controls the density and tone to complement the song's structure.
● Marcus plays an energetic bass using an arpeggiator to outline chords and note clusters. A sustain pedal allows him to maintain these repeating arpeggios, freeing up his hands to manipulate faders and knobs that control a high-pass filter’s cutoff and resonance, as well as the envelopes release. He uses these controls to build tension through fade ins and fade outs and create interest via timbral adjustments. In both instances this is all played live without pre-recorded clips.
Sam fulfils an integral role in our group, laying down grooves that range from complex and disorienting to more simplistic four on the floor beats. He programs these beats live using Ableton’s Push. He also manipulates filter cutoff on the drums to create transitions and controls a flanger on the master
track using the Korg NanoKontrol. He also performs live spoken word with a telephone vocal effect and delay that also serve as cues to ensure a cohesive live performance.
Brandon Cairns, Laurence Dougherty, Connor Bartolozzi - untitled Picture this: intense, rapid-fire rhythms that make your heart race, mixed with glitchy, distorted sounds that keep you on the edge of your seat. It's like your favourite songs have been put through a blender and then pieced back together in the most unexpected way possible. Our song takes the audience through the gorgeous sounds of breakcore, a genre originating from the underground electronic music scene of the 1990s. Through the use of melancholic pads, sample chops and smooth bass, Brandon, Laurence and Connor will take you on a beautiful musical journey. The incorporation of MIDI keys on the Novation Launchkey by Brandon alongside Laurence and Connor utilising Ableton and Ableton Push will artfully produce a deep and distorted yet ethereal and connected wave of sound. The layering of contrasting instruments and blending of fast pace samples will reward your ears. A mysterious yet lovely combination of chords, bass and pads will bring a different atmosphere to the performance tonight. Through careful clipping and arranging of meticulously chosen samples, the sounds brought tonight will resemble some of the song by Vierre Cloud, Emray and many others.
domeva (Dominic Martin, Evangaline
Sheehan) - Untitled
Untitled represents a largely improvisatory collaboration of tastes between Dominic and Evangaline. Using low-fi hip hop icon Nujabes as a sonic touchstone, they began experimenting with the well-worn combination of live guitar and beat loops, infusing our own musical sensibilities at every turn and contrasting a wealth of novel sonic elements and technologies. Emerging gradually from an indeterminate primordial sludge, gentle guitar chords rise up from noise to set sombre tones over a droning synth. Electronic drums played in a digital cathedral space set the rhythmic core of the piece, punctuated by stuttering gongs and cymbals. Employing a MIDI enabled smartphone, an Explorer guitar with a tremolo bar and a rewinding microcassette player, along with an array of digital controllers, domeva stive to create a performance as sonically engaging as it is a joy to perform. To Create Untitled, we use a range of technical MIDI devices to create our atmosphere and allow the piece to take shape. For the first section of the piece, Guitar Chords are Live Recorded and Looped using Ableton’s Looper and TouchOSC, while a MIDI Synthesiser is playing a drone bass note in the background, and as the section progresses, it continues to get deeper as more layers of guitars get added and the random nature of the cassette player gets added. However, for the second half the piece, improvisation is explored, as the guitar then changes its tone using MIDI and TouchOSC to
move to ‘The Back’ of the performance, allowing a MIDI Synth Solo to be played over the top, allowing a broader atmosphere to be created. Although these are only a couple of examples we touched on, our Atmospheric Piece Untitled, will therefore clearly show our MIDI fluency and as such, we hope you enjoy our performance.
Peta Evans-Taylor, Keenan Swanson - The Bridge
“Interactive music is a natural extension of a long history of collaborations.” (Winkler, 1998)
Keenan and Peta bring you the bridging of two worlds. In an innovative blend of the natural and the synthetic, Peta invites listeners on a transformative auditory journey. The piece begins with a pulse set to twice the adult resting heartbeat (120 BPM), creating an immediate sense of urgency and life. Layered with sub-harmonic vocals and immersive soundscapes drawn from field recordings. This is complemented by six-voice electronic synthesis percussion (manually designed). As the piece progresses, these elements evolve, slowly deconstructing and morphing into pineal frequencies and neuro-dialtones. This shift is achieved through using manual time modulative manipulation on an external Korg Electribe ER-1. The composition continues to build, incorporating a tapestry of field and foley recordings as well as gated stuttering vocals. These grating anomalies blur the line between the digital and the organic, challenging perceptions and expectations. The sonic and spectral aesthetic is intentionally crafted to plant a seed of doubt and curiosity in the listener's mind. As you tune in – not out –and truly begin to listen, you start to question everything around you, realising that even nature can sometimes be indistinguishable from the artificial. Through the first half of this piece, Peta aims to evoke a deep introspection, prompting listeners to reconsider their understanding of reality and the natural world.
The second half of the piece, composed by keenan, inspired by the hypersaturated synthesis and stylings of modern post-ironic dariacore artists such as carbine and xaev- involves the use of a pre performed drum track played behind live keyboard playing- which is creating every sound except for the drums. it makes heavy use of very bright, somewhat overbearing synthesis; with a lot of high voiced and unfiltered square waves and distorted bass sounds, stereo modulation effects, MIDI arpeggiator effects and saturation. it also uses a lot of automation to switch between keyboard sounds as it continues. the section makes use of very modern styles of jazz songwriting reminiscent of composers such as Anomalie; with voicings making common utilisation of sevenths, ninths and elevenths as chord extensions. the final chord progression of the piece also uses lots of chromatic passing notes. this combination of dense voicings, chromaticism, combined with the section having lots of rhythmic tenacity to it adds to the
very strong danceable, yet also overbearing feeling when combined with the heavy saturation and drums.
Austin Turley, Jesse Hood, Mark Sims – Rhapsody Electronica
The band Queen’s famous song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is a celebration of the rock genre, featuring sections in rock ballad, hard rock and operatic rock styles. Similarly, our work Rhapsody Electronica is a celebration of seemingly disparate electronic music styles, conjoined into one work. Our individual influences and tastes, ranging from synth-wave, ambient, jazz fusion, drum and bass, dubstep and more are brought together in collaboration to create a genre-less composition, our focus instead on the process and appreciation of the musical styles at play. The work opens in a synth-wave inspired space, accompanied by jazzy drums sampled from Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ Nightrider. Within this space various elements of the synthesisers and drums are tweaked by Austin and Jesse in an interactive interplay upon the prevailing groove. Sparse melodic lines are shaped by Mark to provide a sense of melodic movement within the stasis of the harmony.
Shortly, the laid-back atmosphere of the synth-wave is propelled into a fullblown drum and bass-esque dance section in which the tempo feel is doubled. Pounding 808 basses, wailing synthetic choirs and breakneck drums feverishly demand attention in stark contrast to the relaxed synth-wave. The drums and chord progression randomly change, demanding the performers to interact with them with the melodic and rhythmic elements they each control. In the next section of the work, the rhythmic energy drops back into an easygoing space containing a jazz fusion inspired chord progression, combined with drums and a vocal sample reminiscent of lo-fi hip-hop. The vocal sample reads from Hugill’s The Digital Musician, a book covering the practices of musicians dealing with modern digital music technology, which we found useful in the creation of our composition. Mark’s trumpet is self-looped, whilst Jesse and Austin alter the effects on his trumpet to create a dense, swirling texture in contrast to the relaxed vocal sample. In the end, the track collapses under its own weight and scope and falls in pitch and tempo to a crawling close, imitating a record slowly stopping spinning. In totality Rhapsody Electronica is sonically sprawling and texturally diverse, thus placing the impetus upon the performers to successfully interact with each other to wrap the piece into a cohesive whole. This allows for further celebration of the interactivity that electronic music allows, a common thread between all styles covered in the piece. Please enjoy!
Simon Lane, Toby Thelander, Damian Jian Yi Teo - Our Little Journey
Our Little Journey is a soundscape that incorporates organic sounds and unique textures to create a developing story, modelled after our group’s short
adventure in the city of Brisbane, from the hustle and bustle of Queen Street to the serenity of Gardens Point. This adventure came about from our search for musical ideas, as we believed that this could help inspire us to create a unique sounding piece. During our walk in the city, we collected various sound samples from objects on the road and the murmurs of the crowd, splicing and editing them to make percussive sounds and atmospheric backgrounds. After compiling all the sounds, we decided to split the piece into two distinct sections: Frenetic and Tranquility, each section painting a particular soundscape and atmosphere that sounds larger than life.
Frenetic begins with the layering of field recordings of the bustling Queen Street Mall which start off soft and muffled, gradually becoming brighter over time. With skilful use of the Ableton Push, Simon morphs the timbral colours of these sounds, as though the city has become a living, breathing thing. As the piece progresses, Damian comes in with other sounds of city life: construction noises, road traffic, inorganic sounds which are played through a granulator, adding unique texture and timbral elements. Finally, Toby comes in, rambling frantic and chaotic phrases which are passed through an array of Ableton audio effects such as the Looper, controlling the different effects to create a grainy and chaotic sound. The chaos continues to develop and rise even more until it reaches a climax, and all the elements suddenly clear up, creating a brief moment of respite amongst all the chaos. However, the sense of uncomfortableness still remains, as Damian introduces a creepy harmonic synth that almost seems to feel trapped. Toby utilises the Looper once again to make layers of overlapping vocals that are off-sync with one another, further adding to the sense of unease. Whilst Simon, continues to add more sounds into the ever evolving soundscape. This section continues to get more chaotic until it reaches a climax and with a last burst of sound, the piece finally arrives at Tranquility. This section is brought in by Simon with a sampled drum groove establishing some sense of regularity for the first time in the piece. In response, Damian chimes in with his own repeating harmonic pattern, one that feels calm but yet moves forward. The audience gets to hear Toby’s wonderful undistorted vocals in this section, as he sings about fruits and trees, inspired by the greenery of Gardens Point.
Alexia Horvat, Ella Yeoman, Kairyo Searle - untitled
The creation of our interactive performance stemmed from initial brainstorming and conversations about the work as a whole. This resulted in the idea to present a soundscape that simulates the ambience of South Bank Parklands. We aim to captivate the audience through the use of Ableton's Session view and a plethora of MIDI controllers to create an interactive and immersive musical experience.
Work on the piece began immediately with a 10-minute field recording through the South Bank
Parklands, which served both as inspiration and the foundation for the track. Different ideas were then sketched out using samples from the field recording, which were manipulated in Ableton through looping and various effects. To create variation in texture, layers were added using sounds created in Wavetable and recordings of nature samples programmed in Drum Rack. Additionally, we decided to incorporate live guitar and saxophone as a way to create dynamic moments of improvisation and interplay between the instruments and the DAW, allowing for greater engagement with the music from both the audience and performers. Our goal is to transport the audience to the heart of South Bank Parklands, capturing its dynamic atmosphere through sound. We intend to use the interplay between the field recordings and live instrumentation to evoke the park's vibrant life and natural beauty. However, this did not come without several challenges, particularly in balancing the live and electronic elements. Integrating real-time manipulation of audio through MIDI controllers required meticulous planning and practice. With Alexia controlling the Push Kit, Kairyo playing the Launchkey, and Ella playing both guitar and the APC40, the MIDI devices available have allowed us to overcome these challenges and make creative choices in how we interact with the live performance. The Push has been mapped to trigger scenes within the song, enabling greater control over transitions between different sections. The Launchkey and APC400 control various parameters on synthesisers such as equalisation filters, LFOs, and reverb/delay sends, to name a few. These parameters have also been allocated to the saxophone and guitar audio tracks to shape the sound as it is recorded through Ableton. It was found that some effects would work better than others and any excessive use would result in an unpleasant and muddy sounding experience. These challenges have ultimately enriched the performance, adding depth and spontaneity to the work.
Tommy Morgan, Wesley Maguire - Telescope: An Electronic PostRock Exploration
Telescope invites the audience into a sonic combination of electronica and post-rock. The live guitar, electronic and sampled drums, real-time audio manipulation and synthesized orchestra will send the listener through a dazzling journey of dynamic post-rock and mesmerizing electronica. Tommy will be tweaking the performance with the MIDI controller in real-time Imitating the pop-driven electronic sounds of stereo lab fused with the guitar interplay of The Sea and Cake. As the track progresses, the different moods are seamlessly developed within each section via the collaborative manipulation done by Tommy and with the live guitar by Wes. The performance utilizes a tight-knit array of gear with Tommy taking the reins with the Novation
Launchkey and Ableton and Wes on Acoustic 12-string and Electric Guitar. Different sections are created and developed by Tommy’s use of the Launchkey, controlling a multitude of instruments, manipulating equalization, applying beat repeats, transitioning between scenes, and more. Synthesized orchestras fade in and out of the track evoking a choral Flaming Lips-esque sound and eventually, in the climax, heavy distorted guitars weave their way into the diverse sonic tapestry of Telescope.
The emotional intensity of post-rock is incorporated into this piece through the live acoustic and electric guitar performance, it is then elevated and transformed through the real-time manipulation of the guitar tone through Ableton. With a wide variety of guitar effects being altered by Ultimately, Telescope’s goal is to send the listener on a spiritual journey through acoustic and electronic interplay combining the winding structures of post-rock and EDM.