Conceptualized and created by artist, Justin Lui, I was asked by him to create an interactive musical experience for his project Animate Field.
Animate Field is “a field of hanging fiber-optic filaments which form a volumetric mass for participants to physically enter and move through.
As participants enter the field of glowing fibers, the fibers near them change colour. At the same time, music begins to play, and intensifies as their bodies progress towards the front of the field. The lights and sound combine into a unique multi-sensory and bodily experience.”
Role
Composer, Music Technologist, Programmer
Through the use of computer-vision and musical rules, the music reponds to movement in the physical space. As participants walk through the space, musical conditions change and alter. As more people enter the space, the volume of changes impact the musical intensity and activity.
The Technology Stack
For those interested, here are the key parts of the technology (outside of the sculpture):
- Processing: Processing is a free open source project that has solidified it’s role within the artist and student community. It’s a technology I also teach often. It’s built on Java and can be used in many different ways.
- Open Sound Control: This technology originates out of the University of California, Berkeley and is a protocol that allows you to network devices for creative purposes.
- UVI Falcon: An amazing, semi-modular, hybrid, software synthesizer out of France.