bbmp

Polytemporal.02

Polytemporal.01

graph sketch 01 (metagenomic DNA data)
2014
32ch sound

graph sketch uses DNA data analysed from a complex ecosystem as the control information for the reproduction of sound. The DNA data is formatted in long strings of nucleobases identified by G, A, T or C. Self-built software interprets the range of serial combinations of nucleobases and maps these to a range of sound control parameters (sample read position, filter frequency, spatialisation, amplitude envelope, duration, delay between events).

The work investigates the complexity and noisiness of data and signal in the biological world, and how this can be combined with personal and sonic histories in making creative decisions towards aesthetic outcomes. The work also attempts to portray a sense of aliveness and connectivity between thousands of individual, isolated events.

Graph Sketch (2min Excerpt)

Soundtrack composed for Ears have Ears, processed synthesis and recordings, recombined with excerpts of previous works.

This soundtrack was created by recontextualising and recombining snippets of sound and data patterns into new arrangements. Often my live performances involve taking fragments and motifs of my previous works (or sketches and ideas that are yet to become works) and improvising with these, utilising custom built software to generate sounds, trigger samples, and control audio processing. 

I performed and recorded a single take of laptop improvisation which forms the opening as well as several later sections; this was mixed and structured with other recordings of mine by editing in non-realtime. With this soundtrack I was focused on creating new trajectories and paths by combining works in unusual ways, forcefully meshing ideas together, jumping suddenly from one to the other, melding electronic and acoustic sources. My practice constantly returns to focus on data and computer information - how the computer can be used to generate, arrange, edit, structure, produce and think about works that take their end result as projection of sound or light.


Kynan Tan