Dust Theories

by

Kim Cascone

The Dust Theories sound installation uses modified code that was derived from the performance patch I designed in Max/MSP. The main function of this patch is to mix randomly selected soundfiles from a sample library created for Dust Theories. Each of the four tracks play looped soundfiles for a random amount of time and at a random level in the mix. All the soundfiles are pre-rendered with a variety of processing effects, which combined randomly, layer to create unusual and unexpected sound events. The piece was also modified to work in the 8-channel format, which is used in the Diapason Gallery.

- Kim Cascone [Pacifica, CA. March 2002]

Room Piece Lyon 2002, expanded for New York

a sound installation with laser lights, by

Michael J. Schumacher

ÒEvery rhythmic event in the piece is derived from six numbers: 13, 17, 23, 29, 37 and 43, which are the basis for all the mathematical operations that generate my sound environments. The fundamental concept is the alternation, in each instrument, of periods of silence with periods of sound. The timing of each period is determined by choosing one of the six numbers (representing milliseconds) and multiplying it by some numerical factor to determine...Ó

The sound is a one minute sample of percussionist Tim Barnes playing a gong. The computer manipulates the sample in real-time. The process involves storing the sample in RAM, creating 3 voices out of the one sample and, for each voice, moving a ÒpointerÓ slowly through the buffer. As the pointer progresses, a loop area is randomly determined, with the pointer as the approximate center. This loop area is constantly shifting, so that the listener hears not a loop, but repetitions with variation. At certain points in time, the pointer suddenly skips to a new part of the buffer, keeping the sound unpredictable.

The laser lights are refracted in shards of glass hanging mobile-like. Slow DC gear motors turn the glass, which are obtained from broken Mason jars. Though it often appears as if the music and light are influencing each other, this is purely coincidental.

about the artists:

Kim Cascone has a long history involving electronic music: he received his formal training in electronic music at the Berklee College of Music in the early 1970's, and in 1976 continued his studies with Dana McCurdy at the New School in New York City. In the 1980's, after moving to San Francisco and gaining experience as an audio technician, Cascone worked with David Lynch as Assistant Music Editor on both Twin Peaks and Wild at Heart.

Cascone left the film industry in 1991 to concentrate on Silent Records, a label that he founded in 1986, transforming it into the U.S.'s premier electronic music label. At the height of Silent's success, he sold the company in early 1996 to pursue a career as a sound designer and went to work for Thomas Dolby's company Headspace as a sound designer and composer. After a two year stint at Headspace he began working for Staccato Systems as the Director of Content where he oversaw the design of new sounds for games using algorithmic synthesis.

Since 1980, Kim has released more than 15 albums of electronic music and has worked/performed with Keith Rowe, Peter Rehberg, Oval, Scanner, Carsten Nicolai, Doug Aitken, and David Toop among others. Cascone has performed at the Lovebytes Festival (UK), Micro 2 Mutek (Montreal), Transmissions Festival (North Carolina), Pukkelpop (Belgium), Tate Modern (London) and recently performed Dust Theories on a European tour this summer. Recent lectures on Post-Digital Music at Tate Modern (London)*, Mediamatic (Amsterdam) Museum of Contemporary Art (Denver), Refrains Conference (Vancouver) and Observatori (Spain). Cascone was one of of the co-founders of the microsound list (http://www.microsound.org) and writes for Computer Music Journal (MIT Press) and Artbyte Magazine.

* for a look at Cascone's talk and performance at the Tate Modern: http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/programmes/webcasting/deleuze.htm

* for a recent interview with Kim Cascone in C theory: http://www.ctheory.net/text_file.asp?pick=322

* for a recent interview with Kim Cascone at the Cycling74 website: http://www.cycling74.com/community/cascone.html

for more information on Kim Cascone: www.anechoicmedia.com

Michael J. Schumacher is a composer of electronic sound installations using 2 - 16 speakers, computer-controlled random structures; of acoustic music realizing advanced formal schemes; of taped and live music (also improvised) for prepared electric guitar, synthesizer, etc. He has composed two piano sonatas, numerous shorter works for piano solo, chamber music, songs, and orchestral music. He studied music at Indiana University and the Juillard School of Music. Born in Washington, D.C., he has lived in New York City since 1983. SchumacherÕs works have been performed in the United States, Europe and Asia. He has presented sound installations at the Musee Art Contemporain Lyon, The Kitchen, Experimental Intermedia, at the Technical University in Berlin, and at La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela's Dream House, among other places. He has received grants from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, New Jersey Council on the Arts, Meet the Composer, and Harvestworks. He has performed and recorded with the cellist Charles Curtis, guitarist Donald Miller, and with Stephen Tunney on Shimmy Disc Records. In 1996 he founded, with Ursula Scherrer, Studio Five Beekman, a multi-media art gallery which has presented installations by David Behrman, David First, Alvin Lucier, Phill Niblock, Matt Rogalsky, and others.

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