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Audio description: The four sound files are part of the original sound material that was later used within the systems discussed in this exposition. The first two from the UPIC system and the second two from the live-coding sessions. The UPIC files are presented here in their raw form, while the recordings from the live-coding sessions combine several layers of sounds while still being recorded live.
Click on https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/2938321/3620150#tool-3625324 to listen to the audio.
Discovering Intentions
Algorithms are usually thought of as something that has to fit an original intention, goal, or solution. However, the idea of an intention can also apply to something that takes shape during the creative process instead of before it. The (guiding) ‘intention’ is then to be discovered and worked out in parallel to the solution it involves. On a similar note, the philosopher Yuk Hui reflects on the objects of computing and the output of technology by arguing that within an artistic context, it is the production of something unknown that should be the goal of the process and the condition for anything to be intelligent within a specific machine. Not only should the unknown be the object of intelligence but also ‘the condition for the development of such intelligence’ (Hui 2021: 243). Such applications can be seen as ways of searching, refining, or understanding. The implemented systems (or algorithms) therefore exist as methods of clarification or decoding where system building becomes a productive context for generating knowledge and where algorithms function as ‘the frontier between thinking and acting’ (Rohrhuber 2008: 2).
The systems presented here are not understood as static entities or something with a fixed structure. Rather, they come about through their interfaces to existing material and data sets. What matters is the arrangement of their components and the nature of the relationships with the data they process. Such a perspective allows us to work out alterations, elimination, or rewiring of computer programs that take place alongside the development of a research approach and the making of a creative work.
Image description: An abstract diagram depicts the plotting of a journey through a space of possibility
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Local Differences
The material and data under consideration in this exposition consist of large collections of detailed sounds or coded representations with numerous subtle differences. Global or general approaches do not apply particularly well when processing such entities since the aim is often to make the singular effective beyond its local scope. Difficulties can therefore occur in the construction of operational spaces where material details intersect with abstract computational paradigms. This complexity is highlighted when these domains operate at different scales or structural levels. Similarly, tension often emerges between locally perceived sounds and the trajectories of higher-level structures. It is therefore important to facilitate the interrelation of levels to create a strong connection between material and form. Addressing such tensions highlights the necessity of employing algorithms and approaches that span various temporal scales. Creating meaningful interactions and prioritising the expressiveness of this relationship is a crucial component in integrating complex systems with algorithms dedicated to process-oriented sound.
Thinking relational and bottom-up also allows for considering musical structure as a network with different points and connections that spread without any single point of failure. The creative work then involves making new connections that are not fixed but are rather constantly linking and relating, much like material that adapts to a given context. Focusing on local details helps create an environment that moves on its own, driven by small, individual differences. The most exciting experiments are probably those that focus on individual details while establishing connections to related items. By working on a local level while also designing how processes connect, we create conditions for relational works that emphasise sonic details and an associative unfolding of events.