Creative technology
Automatic Orchestra is an audio installation exploring algorithmic composition and networked music
Press:
Next-Gen Orchestra Makes Wild Music With Algorithms by WIRED
This "Automatic Orchestra" Organism Plays Networked Music by Vice
This "Automatic Orchestra" Organism Plays Networked Music by The Creators Project
Automatic Orchestra – Algorithmic sound composition and networked music by creativeapplications
This Orchestra Is Performed By Machines by electronic beats
A common set of rules distributed among a network of MIDI devices opens up a melodic space orchestrated by automatic logic and the artist’s vision. The perpetual interaction among the devices and the interpretation of encoded musical messages blurs the distinctiveness between structured composition and performative improvisation.
Overall the setup consists of 12 pods. One pod consists of a microcontroller mounted on a custom PCB board which is attached to a set of speakers. All pods are wired together to form a circular network transmitting musical data. Therefore the data travels through each unit before it is passed on to its neighbor. The synthesis of the audio parameters depends on the application running on each pod. A shared framework provides a synchronized basis for the exchange of encoded musical messages but each pod will interpret and alter the data based on its individual algorithmic rule set.
Automatic Orchestra performance at Resonate 2015 conference
The project was first presented at the Resonate conference in Belgrade, Serbia. Algorithmic compositions were developed in situ at the conference in a three-day closed workshop where visitors were invited to observe the development process and engage with the artists. The workshop ended in a 10 minute-long performance. Afterwards the installation was presented in the entrance hall of the conference.
You can visualise some earlier creative technology explorations in my outdated website (+10 years old):
https://cargocollective.com/AngelisaScalera