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Out now: U.S.O. Project – Functions (binaural)

U.S.O. Project — Mon, 09 May 2011 10:18:27 +0000

Functions (binaural) by Synesthesia Recordings
[Free Download]

Between 1967 and 1969 Gottfried Michael Koenig devoted himself to compose electronic music, producing a series of works entitled Funktionen.

The instrument that inspired and made possible these compositions was the Variable Function Generator, designed by Stan Tempelaars at the Institute of Sonology, Utrecht.

Koenig used the VFG not only to produce the basic sounds (waveforms), but employed it as a modulator and control instrument in order to dynamically manipulate the elaboration processes which were carried out on materials (ring modulation, volume curves, filtering and reverberation).

The idea behind the experiment was to entirely produce the sound material and its structural implementation using only the VFG (this led to the creation of Funktion Grün, Funktion Gelb, Funktion Orange, Funktion Rot).

For a detailed analysis of Gottfried Michael Koenig’s Funktionen, please see the document on his official website:

Analytical Descriptions (1971) [Download]

The works presented in U.S.O. Project’s Functions explicitly refer to a series of works that with an extraordinary vision Koenig realized in those years.

The main challenge was both philological and aesthetical. The idea was to create an automated composition by exploiting the computing power of modern computers and by a sufficiently widespread and flexible software in order to re-program the original algorithms.

The Patches used in the prototyping of the generative software environment were assembled using a specially written program that provided in text format – using serial procedures – how the various modules should be combined with each other – i.e.:

Mel / empty / reverb
Basis / ring+mod / Empty
Pulses / empty / reverb
Basis / mod / filter-reverb
Mel / ring / filter
Pulses / ring+mod / reverb
Basis / empty / filter
Mel / ring / filter-reverb
Pulses / mod / Empty
Basis / ring+mod / Empty
Mel / ring / filter-reverb
Pulses / mod / reverb
Mel / empty / filter

Once we had identified the blocks, they were displayed in the form of flow charts – i.e.:

The various Patches were then implemented as Abstraction in Max/MSP:

In order to manage all the modules in parallel, plus the sends to the reverberation units and so forth, we constructed a matrix, that automatically reconfigures itself according to strict procedures based on serial techniques:

The implemented automata procedures have in fact “created” the composition itself.
In the end, the multichannel final master was obtained with Kyma/Pacarana’s surround Objects.

As you can deduce from a listening comparing the work of Koenig and U.S.O. Project, there are many differences, both in the aesthetic and formal domain.

It was clear to us since the beginning that we didn’t want to repeat Koenig’s compositional experiment in every detail, but to build – and then understand – something new produced using the same modus operandi that convinced him to make those works. At the same time we wanted to preserve an historical legacy with those works (something that is easily recognizable especially in the first piece). It was also interesting to us to empirically verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the procedures in terms of timbre and formal development using the serial approach.

The actual distributed version is rendered using U.S.O. Project’s custom binaural techniques for headphone listening only.

Beyond any reference to Koenig’s original works, Functions is a spontaneous self-reflection about the different states of sound matter and the exploitation of its possible configurations, shaped and imagined through a dialogical process between the machine and its operator.

Matteo Milani, Federico Placidi

[Functions Press Release - pdf]

Out now: “hiSS [Synesthesia Sampler] vol.1″

U.S.O. Project — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:33:46 +0000

The works included in ‘hiSS [Synesthesia Sampler] vol.1′ have been produced using only analogue devices and processing tools – such as no input mixers, analogue synthesizers and custom-built or hacked/reconfigured instruments.

Without the use of computers or digital devices, the 4 pieces recall an era from the 1950s-70s, when most of the electronic music makers around the world had limited resources and quite primitive equipment.

The compositional techniques are available in the following document:

[hiSS_vol-1_Press_Release.pdf]

Produced by Matteo Milani, Federico Placidi
Artwork by Kirjava [kirjava.deviantart.com]
SYN-005 | 2011 Synesthesia Recordings
Artists retain copyright to their respective works

RELEASE INFO:

Title: ‘hiSS vol.1′
Cat.No: SYN-005
File under: Experimental/Electronic
Format: Digital/Compact Cassette
Release date: 4.2011

Limited edition compact cassettes coming soon! Contact us for more info:

write [at] synesthesiarecordings [dot] com

Digital album available ($ 5, mp3 @ 320 kbps) [here]
Pick other formats (FLAC, AAC, Ogg Vorbis) on BandCamp [here]

ALBUM ARTISTS:

Volker Hennes (GER)

Title of the piece: eromenoi erastai
Duration: 12′ 16”

Volker Hennes (b. 1976) is a sound artist and composer. He studied at the Academy Of Media Arts Cologne from 2000 till 2005 – mainly at the Sound Laboratory, at which he was employed as assistant for two years. Focuses on live-electronics, acousmatic and electroacoustic music, computer music, field recordings, multichannel and interactives works, and installations. Works have been performed and presented internationally; e.g. Metamorphoses / Belgium, ICMC / Copenhagen, Concordia University/ Montreal, Música Viva / Portugal, MANTIS Festival / Manchester, Festival Internacional de Música Electroacústica Ai-Maako / Chile, A & A Elektrokonzert / Argentina, Digital Art Weeks / Zürich, SMC, Inventionen / Berlin. In 2003 he founded All Of Orlov with Robert Vater, since then performing duets and duels. Member of the audiovisual performance and improvisation group Frequenzwechsel.

[www.earesistible.de]

Chris Mercer (USA)

Title of the piece: Deification | for 2‐channel tape
Duration: 13′ 14”

Chris Mercer received a B.M. in Composition at the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1995, and a Ph.D. in Composition at the University of California, San Diego in 2003. His principal teachers were Chaya Czernowin and Chinary Ung – instrumental music; and Peter Otto and Roger Reynolds – electronic music. He has held artist residencies at Experimentalstudio SWR, Künstlerhaus Schloss Wiepersdorf, and Sound Traffic Control in San Francisco. His music has been performed by The Nonsense Company, Ensemble Ascolta, Ensemble SurPlus, SONOR Ensemble, and Schlagquartett Köln. His most recent electroacoustic music and research have focused on animal communication, especially non-human primate vocalization, with research residencies at the Duke University Lemur Center, the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, and the Brookfield Zoo.

His instrumental music involves modified conventional instruments, found objects, and instruments of the composer’s own design, in combination with amplification, live electronics, and spatialization. He has taught electronic music at UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and CalArts, and is currently coordinator of the Music Technology program at Northwestern University.

[musictechnology.northwestern.edu/Mercer]

Ian Helliwell (UK)
Title of the piece: Convergence
Duration: 14′ 02”

Since the start of the 1990s Ian Helliwell has been making films and building and modifying 9v circuitry, developing his unique series of Hellitron tone generators, which are used for live performance and for the soundtracks to over 50 of his experimental super 8 shorts. In 2007 he designed and built an analogue synth, the Hellisizer 2000, and since 2008 he has been producing The Tone Generation, his ongoing radio series which explores the early development of electronic music. In 2010 several of his abstract super 8 films have been included in a major retrospective of direct animation – Celluloid: The Cameraless Film at the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt.

[ianhelliwell.co.uk]

Jeroen Visser (CH)
Title of the piece: The Spanning
Duration: 13′ 41”

Jeroen Visser (1961) is a musician and a composer living in Zürich, Switzerland. His primary instrument is classical piano, and he is also a self-taught woodwinds player. After his study of Sonology in Utrecht, being taught by a.o. G.M. Koenig, J. Vink, and S. Tempelaars, he worked as musician and sound engineer. From 1988-1992 he worked as music technologist at the Sweelinck Electronic Studio in Amsterdam, NL.

After his relocation to Zürich in 1993, he has been composing music for groups and theatre, where he was also responsible, as musical director, for productions, and making musical or sound installations. Recent musical activities, apart from electro-acoustic compositions, include studying ethiopian music, and playing music which investigates the combination of improvisation and musique concrete.

[121234.net]

Product pages:
[synesthesiarecordings.com]
[synesthesiarecordings.bandcamp.com]

‘hiSS vol.1′ by Synesthesia Recordings

“Nachtmusik aus 01″

U.S.O. Project — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:17:57 +0000

Matteo Milani and Federico Placidi (aka U.S.O. Project – Unidentified Sound Object) are out now on Synesthesia Recordings with the new album called “Nachtmusik aus 01″ (SYN-004), available in digital download only (PayPal, iTunes coming soon).

Listen to 60-second excerpts: (.m3u)

U.S.O. Project – “Nachtmusik Aus 01″ [Synesthesia Recordings]
A Machine’s dream out of human memories.

Performed and produced by Matteo Milani, Federico Placidi.
SYN-004 © 2009 Synesthesia Recordings. All rights reserved.

TRACKLIST:

1) Part I (12.09)
2) Part II (5.28)
3) Part III (5.37)
4) Part IV (17.48)

RELEASE INFO:

Artist: U.S.O. Project – Unidentified Sound Object
Title: Nachtmusik aus 01
Cat.No: SYN-004
File under: Experimental/Electronic
Format: Digital
Release date: 7.2009

Artwork by Jorinde Voigt [www.jorindevoigt.com]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Diptychon VII
VII/1 + VII/2 (Deklination Rotation Doppelte Akustische Impulse, Standpunktwechsel / Richtungsansammlungen,
Richtungs-Loops / Deklinationsablauf)

Jorinde Voigt
Berlin 2007
Ink, graphite on paper
114,4 x 30 cm + 114,5 x 210 cm (total 114,5 x 240 cm)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

InharmoniCity (ZBF-0108): now shipping!

U.S.O. Project — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:22:51 +0000

We are very happy to announce that the dvd-video ‘InharmoniCity‘ is out. It’s a co-production by U.S.O. Project with visual artist Selfish. Limited edition hard copies (300) are available via our shop or via Zerofeedback (PayPal – $16). The press release is available here (pdf).

An excerpt from the dvd ‘InharmoniCity’:

Girl Running – U.S.O. Project + Selfish on Vimeo.

TRACKLIST:

1) Girl Running (08.48)
2) Invisible Words (12.20)
3) …from the Past…out of the Future… (40.36)

InharmoniCity is packaged in a 2-panel wallet.

Best played at high volume in the dark.

Shapes (SYN-003)

U.S.O. Project — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:02:22 +0000

graphicalSound – “Shapes” is out now

Shaping the not visible.

Performed by Matteo Milani.

Produced by Matteo Milani and Federico Placidi.

Artwork by Kirjava [kirjava.deviantart.com].

Custom PVC case by Alessandra Botto.

TRACKLIST:

State of Perfection (13.08)
First contact (08.05)
Water Emotions (07.33)
Restless (06.47)

RELEASE INFO:

Artist: graphicalSound

Title: Shapes

Cat.No: SYN-003

File under: Experimental/Electronic

Format: Limited Edition CD-R/digital

Release date: 10.2008

www.downloadplatform.com/synesthesia_recordings

InharmoniCity (SYN-002)

U.S.O. Project — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:26:45 +0000

After a huge amount of work, a new project called ‘InharmoniCity‘ is ready and is available for download via Music Zeit, our official distributor for digital releases. Limited edition hard copies are available via CDeMUSIC.
The next step will be a dvd-video release of the same album, co-produced with Zerofeedback video-label by our friend visual artist Selfish. You can find the press releases here (cd) and here (dvd).

Teaser from the forthcoming dvd release ‘InharmoniCity’:

Girl Running – U.S.O. from selfish on Vimeo.

TRACKLIST:

1) Girl Running (08.48)
2) Invisible Words (12.20)
3) …from the Past…out of the Future… (40.36)

InharmoniCity is packaged in a 2-panel wallet with artwork by LA-based artist David Trulli [www.davidtrulli.com]

Best played at high volume in the dark.

Unidentified Sound Object (SYN-001)

U.S.O. Project — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:59:28 +0000

Federico Placidi and Matteo Milani (aka U.S.O. Project) have released ‘Unidentified Sound Object’ (SYN-001), which can be enjoyed on any DVD player. To experience the surround mix on this Music Disc, you need VLC (it will play DTS CDs directly) or a receiver that can decode DTS audio.
[Listen to an excerpt]

You can order the disc from CDeMUSIC – or download via Music Zeit Download Platform (formats: mp3/flac) and Apple iTunes.