ON SOUND/IN SOUND
Two live performances in the context of the parallel events of the international exhibition Plásmata II, in Ioannina.
The performances were comissioned by Stegi, Onassis Foundation.
26/06/2023: Participation in the series of events organized by Onassis Stegi and Movement Radio with a selection of ambient-experimental music and field recordings.
27/06/2023: Insiders.
Live-coding audio improvisation.
Insiders is a project that challenges conventional perceptions of time through live coding. Drawing inspiration from Derrida's concept of hauntology, the work explores how traces of the past and unrealized futures intermingle in the present, creating a layered experience of unease and unpredictability. It reinterprets archived audio created over the past 20 years for installations, short films, animation, and multimedia performances. The live performance deconstructs and reshapes these works, blending improvisation with rigid narration. It features excerpts from Bret Easton Ellis's The Informers, which adds a stark narrative to the sonic palette and provides a dispassionate portrayal of life.
In this fashion, the audio material and the performer’s narration which are featured in the live-coding audio improvisation of Insiders resurface, undergoing resynthesis and transfiguration, and become part of a shared sensory journey for the performer and audience. Utilising open-source software, the performance empowers real-time transformation and mixing of audio files, encouraging flashes of spontaneity through improvisation. This interplay between performer and audience weaves a dynamic soundscape that blurs the boundaries between past and present.
Live coding transforms the traditional music performance into asynchronous and unpredictable interactions between the performers' actions and their sound output. This practice creates a unique, immersive experience, where both performer and audience navigate a shared sensory journey through sound. Unlike conventional performances, live coding is not just about the present. The disconnect between editing of the code and the resulting manifestation of sound uniquely allows the performer to anticipate future moments, making it a dynamic exploration of time and sensory perception.
The project embodies the concept of an insider who possesses information that others lack. Through the reinterpretation of archived works, live narration, and spontaneous audio improvisation, it uncovers hidden dimensions and fosters intimate connections. Fundamentally, the work is grounded in transmediation, diversity, and concepts pertaining to the reappearance or enduring presence of elements from the historical or cultural past, akin to a spectral phenomenon.
Photo credits (top to bottom):
Image 1 by Kostis Emmanouilidis.
Image 2 by Bill Prokos.
Image 3 by Hak.
Image 4 by Bill Prokos.