An improvised performance project for the MSc Sound Design department at the University of Edinburgh. A small group of three of us built our own MAX/MSP instruments and performed to a video entitled ’Chromatic Hues’ by Joseph Tagg.
We divided our roles into “instruments,” which can be loosely categorized as: synthesized atmospheric, sub bass and percussive. We developed our patches to carefully separate the frequency spectrum so that each performer had their own role and space to work in.
Image of my performance instrument:
After some deliberation, we selected a four minute clip entitled “Chromatic Hues”. Because of the abstract morphing, spacialization of colors over time and the way images relate to negative space, we speculated this would grant us freedom and diversity each time the piece was performed and allow us to improvise loosely without needing to hard sync to specific events or characters. The challenge was finding points within an abstract environment to make our sounds more calculated. Through several rehearsals and repeated performance with the video, we were able to create mental markers tied to scenes and explored adding, subtracting, or modulating sounds to match specific events, colors, shapes and movement.
Group Remembers:
Timo Preece
Lewis Stonehouse
Bahar Oktay
Special thanks to Joseph Tagg for his video. Very special thanks to Dr. Martin Parker, Dr. Owen Green and the rest of the faculty for their unyielding guidance and expertise.