[PD] Pd performance at TED

[Jonathan Wilkes]

--- On Wed, 6/22/11, Mathieu Bouchard <matju at artengine.ca> wrote:

> From: Mathieu Bouchard <matju at artengine.ca>
> Subject: Re: [PD] Pd performance at TED
> To: "Onyx Ashanti" <onyxashanti at gmail.com>
> Cc: pd-list at iem.at
> Date: Wednesday, June 22, 2011, 5:08 PM
> On Wed, 22 Jun 2011, Onyx Ashanti
> wrote:
> 
> > The thing is, nobody asks a violin player what he's
> playing (as somebody mentioned a few messages ago, sorry for
> the lack of proper quoting here), I believe, because these
> traditional instruments are already within our culture,
> 
> It's not just that, it's that the number of parameters is
> limited. With computer music there is no way we can learn to
> understand what's going on in the manner that we did with
> traditional instruments, simply because it doesn't take many
> variables at a same time to become confused, and with
> computer music there are always more variables that can be
> added to confuse the audience, and those variables can be
> added and removed at any time.
> 
> Every show is a potential opportunity to confuse the
> experts about what's going on, more than it ever was.
> 
> > but with electronic music, we're all a bunch of jilted
> lovers because were are all so used to hearing amazing music
> that was created in a very unexciting manner.  what this
> project is, currently, is "ok" sounding music, done in an
> exciting manner (to me).  thats why i looked so calm on the
> TED video even though my effects wouldnt latch (assigned to
> the extremes of the accelerometer range), because i had to
> concentrate of multiple variables at once and no longer have
> the distraction of "ease"...every performance is a strain
> and it is the best feeling EVER!
> 
> The audience has no idea what you wanted it to sound like,
> so they have no way to measure your satisfaction other than
> looking at how you seem to feel like.
> 
> > when doing a DJ set or an ableton set, it is hard to
> suck because its all pre-recorded...you can even put on a
> song and go to the toilet.
> 
> In the early days of the Pd Montréal users group (or
> actually, before), there was that joke that the performer
> could very well be checking his email while his music plays
> on its own. We were talking about Pd, because one can also
> use Pd in this manner. We were talking about the lack of
> proof of the « liveness » of a performance.

I'm assuming the music was interesting.  I mean if it sucked, it's a moot 
point, isn't it? (Though still potentially a funny joke.)

Anyway, I think you're way off base.  Checking email while interesting 
music plays isn't a joke-- it is a canary in a mine.  And as artists, I 
hope we're smart enough to know the difference between trying to 
resuscitate a dead canary and getting the hell out of the mine.

-Jonathan

> 
> > I love what girl talk does. he covers his laptop in
> saran wrap to keep drinks from killing it, and he just has
> everyone around him for the duration of his set.  THAT is
> the future.
> 
> Doesn't that sound like the TopLap manifesto ?
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________________________________
> | Mathieu Bouchard ---- tél: +1.514.383.3801 ----
> Villeray, Montréal, QC
> 
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