Chapter IV
Documentation
Coherence Between the Works
The main binding factor between the artistic works, developed as part of my research, is the central focus on chaotic processes. Each of the instruments is based on a different approach and involves different technologies to establish their chaos and exhibit different kinds of sonic behaviors, yet they are still connected in their instabilities. This chaotic aspect is not only central to the instruments' operation but also informs the approach to musical structure and form. All of the works focus on the emergence of sonic qualities. My artistic and compositional aim is to establish situations or playgrounds that are beneficial to processes of formation.
There are a number of qualities or constraints that are common to each of the instruments.
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- The instruments are all portable in size. They are meant to be taken on the road.
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- The instruments are made up of chaotic processes.
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- The instruments are all based on the principle of nonlinear feedback.
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- The instruments all investigate the notion of complexity emerging from simplicity.
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- The instruments are closed to their environment.
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- The instruments form eco-systems, recursively connecting elements, including the performer.
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- The instruments are all stereo.
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- The instruments do not feature indeterminate processes like noise generators.
Each of the artistic works include elements of both improvisation and composition. Due to the unpredictable nature of the instruments, improvisation is always present, but this does not exclude the possibility for certain compositional strategies to be integrated. These strategies aim to guide the performers' listening habits, rather than prescribing gestures, actions, or sounds. Performative actions are always depending on the current sonic behaviors of the instrument. Through play, the performer can influence the behaviors of the instrument, but only at a macro-level: increasing or decreasing intensities; enacting subtle or drastic changes; and even playing or not playing. There is always a risk involved when influencing the sonic behaviors of the instrument. A tipping point may be hiding just around the corner, steering the performance toward unknown territories. Taking these risks is a vital element of my practice, exploring the rough edges that separate fragile stabilities from disruptive reconfigurations. When other performers are involved, there may be instructions that draw connections between the sounds of the performers: engaging them in acts of mimicry; or instructing them to create contrasts. Depending on the state of the instrument, these instructions should be read as a guideline, and adhering to them is seen as making an attempt rather than following a command.
When designing the user interface of the instruments, the emphasis goes out towards communicating the network of connections, rather than the individual functionality of particular parameters. These functionalities are often dependent on the network of connections, and moving a particular knob may lead to vastly different responses depending on the state of the chaotic process. The designs are, therefore, symbolic and sometimes even abstract or obscure. This is meant to communicate the importance of listening over knowledge of the instruments’ inner workings. Such knowledge is always approximate and insufficient to really comprehend the complexity of the sonic behaviors.
Some of the works feature a visual component in the form of projections or kinetic installations. These visuals illustrate and expand upon the themes of turbulence and chaos. There is either a direct link between the chaotic processes that drive the sounds, or there is an independent process that is itself chaotic. In both cases, the visuals provide another entry point for the audience, to engage with the performance, while maintaining an openness to interpretation. Click on the names of the instruments below for documentation on the instruments and performances:
List of Concerts & Presentations
- LIFT / EKKO / Østre / NO / 03-11-2018
LIFT is an audio-visual solo live performance commissioned by the EKKO Festival. The sound setup consists of a circuit-bent no-input mixer and further sonic manipulations in SuperCollider. The sound is also converted into patterns for blinking LEDs which are worn by the performer. The LEDs light up a large cloth of lightweight fabric that is blown above and behind the performer by several fans.
- Joy Forum / KMD / NO / 21-03-2019
The Joy Forum is a small gallery space located at the KMD in Bergen. In early 2019, the opportunity arose to exhibit an early prototype instrument alongside the photography of Eirik Melstrøm. The exhibition, "Focus ++ Fragility," included a performance during the opening.
- Prøverommet / (ATOX) / Landmark / NO / 08-04-2019
Prøverommet is a longstanding interdisciplinary try-out series organized by BIT-Teatergarasjen. For the concert, I played an improvisation with the ATOX synthesizer alongside Sunju Park, a South Korean musician playing the Gayageum(Kayagum) who was doing a residency at USF Verftet at the time.
- Sounds and Spaces / (ATOX) / Gallery KIT / NO / 11-04-2019
Sounds and Spaces consisted of a residency and performance evening, organized by Jeremy Welsh at the Gallery KIT in Trondheim. For three days, Craig Wells, Øyvind Brandtsegg, and others collaborated on an evening of audio- visual performances.
- Blue Rinse / (ATOX) / Lydgallriet / NO / 14-06-2019
Blue Rinse is a concert series for live electronic music, organized by Craig Wells and myself in collaboration with Lydgalleriet. This concert was the premiere of the Multiple Minds performance.
- GRS / (ATOX) / Knut Knaus / NO / 17-06-2019
Multiple Minds was performed as the opening concert for the spring course of the Grieg Research School in 2019. Two days later, after a boat trip during which most of the presentations of the course took place, the performance was also presented as a performance paper at the Rommetveit Campus of Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.
- Moving Furniture Festival / (ATOX) / De Ruimte / NL / 14-09-2019
Moving Furniture Records is an Amsterdam-based record company focused on drone and experimental music. For the festival that they organized, I played a unique performance with Gareth Davis and Roald van Dillewijn on the ATOX synthesizer.
- BIFF Vaskeriet / Live Coding / NO / 29-09-2019
Live coding at a silent disco event, organized as part of the showing of a new documentary Polyfonatura, by Eirik Havnes and Jon Vatnes, at the Bergen International Film Festival.
- Tapage & Espoir / Prototype / Landmark / NO / 05-11-2019
Improvised live electronics performance alongside Roald van Dillewijn (Espoir), as part of the "Playdate" concert series. For this performance I performed with a new prototype instrument which was still on a breadboard.
- Absurd Interfaces Hackathon / Prototype / Queen Mary University / UK / 09-11-2019
The Absurd Musical Interfaces Hackathon is organized by Giacomo Lepri. The event consisted of three days of practical experimentation and ended up in a showcase of the interfaces that were developed. In collaboration with Lia Mice, a series of pipe-based technologies were presented, controlling an uncontrollable chaotic sound engine.
- GRS / (ATOX) / STUDIO A / NO / 26-11-2019
For the Autumn edition of the Grieg Research School, Kjetil Møster, Thorolf Thuestad, and myself presented a combined performance paper, including two performances of Luc Ferrari’s Tautology III
- The Void* / Lebuinus church / NL / 09-12-2019
The Void* is a three-piece live electronics band that I have been playing with for over a decade. The concert in the Lebuinus Church was in celebration of our release, "Norwegian Disco" (cassette tape) on the record label, "Esc.Rec."
- The Idea of Feedback / (ATOX) / Canterbury University / UK / 25-01-2020
The Idea of Feedback in Music is a conference, organized by the Orpheus Institute (BE) and the University of Canterbury (UK). Over the course of three days there were many presentations and performances. Multiple Minds was presented as a performance paper.
- ICLI / (ATOX) / Dokhuset / NO / 10-03-2020
The International Conference on Live Interfaces was organized by the NTNU in Trondheim. Multiple Minds was presented as a performance paper.
- Algorave / Live Coding / Online / 09-05-2020
An audio-visual live coded performance for "Algorave VR," organized by TopLap Mexico. The performance could be visited through a virtual-reality portal where several streams of performances were accessible.
- Copy Paste Exhibition / (STATES)/ Studio 207 / NO / 21-06-2020
A live-streamed audiovisual performance at the COPY PASTE exhibition finissage, organized by the Piksel Festival. This was the first public performance with a prototype of the STATES pedal. Visuals were made by Antonio Roberts.
- Slettafest /(STATES) / Ytre Arna / NO / 27-06-2020
Outdoors performance with Alwynne Pritchard (voice) and the States setup
- Nymusikk Krappyl /(STATES) / Biblioteket / NO / 29-08-2020
Krappyl is a children's concert series, organized by nyMusikk Bergen. The STATES setup was presented with custom visuals representing a sonic jungle.
- Restate /(STATES) / Lydgalleriet / NO / 03-10-2020
Performance with Kjetil Møster (saxophone and electronics) and the STATES setup, at a private event at Lydgalleriet
- Feedback Week / (STATES) / Studio B / NO / 23-10-2020
Residency, recording sessions, and performance with Kjetil Møster (saxophone and electronics) and the STATES setup at a private event at Studio B, Steinrokanshuset.
- Bergen Lights / Festningen / NO / 23-01-2021
Audio-visual installation with Birk Nygaard, based on the Refract/Recurse performance setup that was developed in 2017.
- Restate /(STATES) / Bergen Arkitekt Skole (BAS) / NO / 04-02-2021
Performance and presentation of the STATES pedal setup at the Bergen Architect School. The presentation discussed the implications of chaos and instability on musical practice and opened a discussion on how these things could impact architecture.
- Kjetil final concert / (STATES) / USF Røkeriet / NO / 01-06-2021
Performance with Kjetil Møster (saxophone and electronics) and the STATES setup, at Møster’s final concert of his PhD. The performance started with Møster playing solo, after which I joined in, until the rest of Møster’s band took over.
- Piksels Frames Beats & Drones / (Physeter) / Surnadal Billag / NO / 04-09-2021
Residency and exhibition/performance at Surnadal Billag, with Trond Lossius, Jeremy Welsh, Piya Wiantang, and Øyvind Brandtsegg. First performance with a prototype of the Physeter modular synth.
- Avian Art / (Physeter) / Tempo Tempo / NO / 22-09-2021
Free improvisation concert with the band Avian Art, consisting of Peter D. Søreide on guitar, Gard F. Hvammen on keys, Sverre S. Sæbø on bass, and Amund Nordstrømon drums.
- Audioglimt / (Physeter) / Wrap / NO / 15-10-2021
Concert alongside Alwynne Pritchard on voice, creating a soundtrack for a series of abstract films.
- Kjetil Disputas / (STATES) / GSS / NO / 17-12-2021
Performance with Kjetil Møster (saxophone and electronics) and the States setup
- Sounding Philosophy / (Physeter) / GSS / NO / 24-02-2022
Premiere of Vivid Forgetfulness with Sergej Tchirkov on Accordion and a second version of the Physeter instrument.
- Støy For Ukraine / (STATES) / Østre / NO / 12-03-2022
Benefit concert with Kjetil Møster (saxophone and electronics) and the States setup.
- Algorave / Live Coding / Online / 20-03-2022
Marathon global Algorave live-stream, organized by celebrating the 10 years anniversary of Algorave, hosted by Eulerroom.
- Physeter / De Gelderlandfabriek / NL / 28-04-2022
Premier of Physeter, a solo audio-visual performance which took place during my residency at iii. The concert was organized by Harco Rutgers and took place at De Gelderlandfabriek in Culemborg, NL.
- Physeter / De Perifeer / NL / 29-04-2022
Second performance of Physeter at De Perifeer in Deventer, NL, also organized by Harco Rutgers.
- Physeter / De Ruimte / NL / 06-05-2022
Third performance of Physeter, now as part of the Ruisburo concert series in De Ruimte, Amsterdam, NL. The concert was curated by Sietse van Erve.
- Physeter / iii / NL / 07-05-2022
To close the residency at iii, a special version of the Physeter performance was presented at the Flipchart #2 event, organized by Leon Lapa Pereira. This performance featured a large sheet of lightweight fabric, similar to the LIFT performance.
- Physeter / Volt / UK / 11-05-2022
Performance of Physeter at Volt in Brighton, organized by Dan Overholt and Chris Kiefer as part of the Feedback Musicianship Network Meeting in Sussex.
- Physeter / Victoria Bar / NO / 25-05-2022
Performance of Physeter at the Victoria Bar, organized by nyMusikk Bergen.
- Physeter / (+ cello) / Høyskole Vestland / NO / 14-06-2022
Performance of Physeter at Høyskole Vestland as part of my prøvedisputas, organized by the Grieg Research School. This is the first performance where I played cello along with the electronic setup.
- Physter / (+ Cello) / Studio A / NO / 24-06-2022
A special 10-channel version of Physeter, performed as part of the Sounding Philosophy Conference, including cello.
- Slettafest / (Physeter) / Ytre Arna / NO / 26-08-2022
Improvised performance with Alwynne Pritchard (spoken word), Sergej Tchirkov (Accordion), and myself on live electronics.
- Nina Malterud / (Physeter) / KODE2 / NO / 08-09-2022
A special version of Physeter, amplified through a transducer attached to a ceramic bowl. The event was a part of the ceremony and celebration of the knighting of Nina Malterud.
