Disparate Bodies - a multi-site networked performance(2007)

Disparate Bodies: A three-way Network Performance
29th November 2007

Belfast (Sonic Arts Research Centre): 8PM UK TIME
Hamburg (Hochschule für Musik und Theatre): 9PM CET
Graz (Insitut für Elektronische Musik and Akustik): 9PM CET
[Admission Free]

Within the context of EU Culture 2007 project COMEDIA, the Sonic Arts Research Centre, the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre Hamburg and the Insitut für Elektronische Musik and Akustik (KUG Graz) present a concert which showcases four unique strategies for music performance over networks. This event presents instrumental, audio-visual and laptop work and features music by John Cage, a network piece by Pedro Rebelo and structured improvisations with a distributed piano trio and a laptop trio.
The concert will also take place in SecondLife (www.secondlife.com)


Programme

Five (John Cage)
Cage's work is performed with a distributed quintet, making use of Georg Hajdu's Quintet.net software for network performance.

Piano Trio
A pianist in each site forms a distributed trio performing a free improvisation work. The performance utilises remote avatars developed at SARC which abstract and display gestures from remote performers.

Frequencyliator Laptop Trio
Developed at SARC by Alain Renaud, the Frequencyliator acts as a hub for laptop improvisation providing cues, distributing bandwidth and facilitating negotiation between performers through a voting system.

Disparate Bodies 2.0 (Pedro Rebelo)
First performed as version 1.0 in Belfast, NY and Stanford as part of NIME 2007, this work relies on the development of performative and improvisational strategies which take advantage of network performance scenarios through graphic notation and temporal structuring. The work itself is a clash of disparate approaches which form the basis of an investigation into relationships with musical potential (between performers, performers and audiences, composition and improvisation etc…). Help shape the performance by distributing scores over space and time using the online db_editor.
The db_editor invites to public to shape the performance of Disparate Bodies by manipulating various graphic score sources. The changing position of each symbol is reflected in the order and duration of each score element during the performance. By dragging the symbols over the map you are editing two aspects of how the final performance score will be put together and displayed to audiences and performers on the three sites. The time of edit (shown on the right column) determines the relative duration and order (most recent first) of score elements.
The position relates to how prominent score element for each site (e.g. a score element positioned over Belfast suggests that only performers in Belfast will play that element). This editor will be open till the 28th November 12:00 CET, when the final score sequence will be assembled.