Saturday, May 22, 2010
7:30pm - 8:30pm
Analogous Projects at Devotion Gallery
54 Maujer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
ABOUT BREAK BREADBOARDS
http://art-rash.com/pixelform
Proto-Chiptunes: the hypothetical ancestor of modern-day 8-bit video game music, known as "Chiptunes". Before there were arduinos, video game systems, or even microchips capable of producing sound, there was only binary logic. But in order to find the roots of this ancient music, we must go back further, back before the time of logic, far back into the pre-history of electronics. From the primordial ooze of analog circuits arose the first digital logic circuits. Made only from transistors, resistors and diodes, they clawed their way out of the random void to assert their unambiguous binary dominion over the whole world of electronics. When the digital circuits had established themselves as supreme rulers of the electronic world, and mastered the use of fire, they developed a style of music called "0 01 0110 10010011 0101 01 1" commonly known today as "Proto-Chiptunes". Now the digital logic clan, CMOS re-imagine this primitive electronic music under the careful and patient direction of Phillip Stearns (a.k.a. Pixel Form).
Proto-Chiptunes is made using CMOS digital logic microchips placed precariously on breadboards, temporary prototyping surfaces for building and designing circuits. The concept of the music is to derive all tones and rhythmic patterns off a single square wave oscillator running at a very high frequency. The sounds are referential of 1-bit and 8-bit chiptune music, where musicians and composers work with programmable computing systems (both vintage and custom) to produce vintage video-game style music. Another big part of the concept is to work with pure dedicated hardware, which means there's no programming involved --or, rather, the programming is done by the placement of jumper wires.
Link:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118184794883115&ref=ts
Phillip Stearns creates at the intersection of art, philosophy, and science, drawing upon a variety of disciplines including installation, audio-video, circuit sculpture, writing, performance art and musical composition. Deconstruction, dissection, and reconfiguration are methods he commonly employs in the interrogation of materials ranging from electronic objects, biological systems, images, light, video, and sound. His process is that of reduction aimed at revealing hidden macrocosms of potential, new materials for expression, and new paths for inquiries into understanding the state of things. In his work with technology, the machine is understood as the living manifestation of human intentions where the development and application of our technologies, machines and tools reveals our desires and dreams—both conscious and unconscious. His work generates phenomenological experiences that become pathways for interconnecting metaphorical spaces implied in the selection of specific materials, processes and media.
Phillip Stearns received his MFA in music composition and integrated media from the California Institute of Arts in 2007 and his BS in music technology from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2005. His work has been exhibited internationally at electronics arts festivals, museums, and galleries including: Harvestworks (2010 NYC); Gli.tc/H (2010 Chicago, IL); Festival De Arte Digital (2010 Belo Horizonte, Brazil); FILE (2009 Sao Paulo, Brazil); NIME (2009 Pittsburgh, PA); Filmer La Musique (2009 Paris, France); FONLAD (2009 Coimbra, Portugal); Torrance Art Museum (2008, 2007 Los Angeles, CA); Optica Film Festival (2011, 2008 Spain). He has participated in residencies at Museums Quartier (Vienna 2010), STEIM (Amsterdam 2007), Experimental Television Center (NY 2009), Harvestworks (NY 2010), is the current AIRTime Fellow at Free103Point9 for the 2010-2011 cycle, and curator for the 8th annual Bent Festival (2011).
marc garrett