Creative Music Technology: MULTIMEDIA PROJECT 2024
Monday 21 October, 7:30pm | Basil Jones
Orchestral Hall
Second-year QCGU BMus Creative Music Technology students perform original audio-visual compositions using various sonic technologies alongside node-based visual programming language Touch Designer (TD).
1) “Quixotic” by Kayden Bertelli, Daniel Celegato, Alicia Dark
This piece is a curious exploration into the interplay of genre and texture. As your guides, we invite you on a journey. One that begins in the depths of a dark, industrial landscape, flows through an ethereal underwater realm and resurfaces somewhere in Europe at a pulsing warehouse rave. Along the way, we delve into the world of synthesis, crafting musical soundscapes that blur the boundaries between the electronic and the acoustic world. We shift between familiar, comforting melodies and dissonant, unexpected chord progressions to push the listener. This is an auditory adventure where the rules of genre are just as fluid as the landscapes being explored. Throughout this journey, each performer will play a vital role in shaping the experience. Daniel will expertly control the sonic elements from Ableton Live, crafting a dynamic auditory experience that evolves with each moment. Kayden will bring a human feel and depth to the music with an array of playing styles and effects pedals being utilised with the electric guitar. Meanwhile, Alicia will be enhancing the atmosphere by manipulating visual effects within TouchDesigner and singing live, creating a sensory experience that ties it all together. Each performer has worked hard to bring their artistry to the stage, hoping to weave together an engaging tapestry that captivates both your ears and eyes. We invite you to sit back and let your imagination take flight as we explore the unexpected. Each performer has ventured well beyond their comfort zone for this performance, aiming to offer the audience a new and captivating experience. We sincerely hope you enjoy experiencing this piece as much as we enjoyed creating it for you.
2) “End of the Show” by Harry Maynard & Charlotte Lennon
A unique animated music video in a pixel-art style. End of the Show follows the narrative of a fictional live band (called The Band) performing a song, which our main character, a fan of this band, goes to attend. The journey Char (short for Character) goes on is underscored by the lighthearted indie song The Band is performing. This earworm
was written by Charlotte and can be thought of as a fusion between Anyone but You by the Moldy Peaches and Mitski’s I Bet On Losing Dogs, with our own personal touch. It is accompanied by several art pieces created pixel by pixel by Harry in Adobe Photoshop, inspired by the retro arcade video-game aesthetic, as well as media such as the animated Scott Pilgrim Takes Off show. The eye-catching art style fused with TouchDesigner’s more typical audio reactive capabilities creates a unique visual experience unlike anything else. We will be singing live vocals over the piece to mimic the liveliness of the animation, as if we are members of The Band. We will be utilising the Novation Launchkey extensively in the performance, using it to manipulate parameters for audio effects such as pitch-control, filter frequency and resonance, and reverb while the song is playing to add another element of performativity and to further contrast different sections of the song. We will also be able to use it to transition between different scenes of the animation to help us tell the story. Particularly in the beginning of the song, Charlotte will use the Launchkey to add more live instrumental layers as Character performs a song herself by The Band. We hope to engage the audience not only with the unique and colourful visuals, or the playful and catchy music, but also through the relatable, slice-of-life storyline these elements build together. See if you can spot the 5 amogus character’s hidden throughout!
3) “They Ran” by
Jorja Scott, Alexis Myatt
This piece blends house music and retro electronic elements with a narrative expressed through vocal samples and dynamic visuals. It invites viewers to reflect on the contrast between artificial and natural, static and fluid, while immersing them in a vibrant, ever-evolving space. The track features classic 808 and 909 drum sounds combined with sampled breaks, giving it a vintage, electronic feel. It tells a vague yet unsettling story that evolves throughout the piece. Initality phrases like “what you doing” and “don’t stop moving” are stretched and manipulated to create deliberately artificial, disconcerting artifacts. As the track progresses, more ominous phrases like “they ran” and “wake up” emerge, building tension compared to natural sounding voice samples from Donny Hathaway’s live version of We’re Still Friends that adds a human touch amidst the synthetic textures. Musically, the composition alternates between a dark, static minor section and a brighter jazz-influenced major bridge, reflecting a sense of emotional conflict. The steady, driving rhythm of the house influence, contrary to the smoother, more reflective jazz sections, creates a push and pull between tension and release. The visuals complement the music with animated, reactive elements that respond to camera input, producing ghostly and abstract shapes that mirror the movements of the audience. This interactive component deepens the connection between the sound and visuals, generating a layered, immersive experience. The use of green and purple hues, inspired by themes of feeling lost and stuck intensifies the atmosphere of the performance. Through its combination of music and visuals, this piece explores themes of
disconnection, movement, and transformation, offering a multi-sensory experience that draws the audience into a world where the digital and human meet.
4) “Lucid Dreams” by Gabriel Beier & Hugh Barton
Sleep is a universal experience. We sleep to restore our bodies, to dream, to learn, and to temporarily quiet our minds. It connects us all in a profound way. In “Lucid Dreams”, we explore this shared journey through music and visual imagery, capturing the essence of a typical night’s sleep. From getting cosy in bed, closing our eyes, and drifting into unconsciousness, our performance reflects each phase of the sleep cycle. We begin with the transition from wakefulness to sleep, where thoughts float in and out as we hover between states. Light sleep follows, with its slowing heart rate and gentle rhythms. Then comes deep sleep, the most restorative phase, and finally REM sleep, where dreams unfold. Our visuals aim to reflect both personal dreamscapes and the brain's activity during different sleep stages. In the first half, Gabe will guide us through the initial stages of sleep, using soft pads and synths to create a soothing soundscape, while Hugh manipulates visuals to match the atmosphere. As we progress into REM sleep, Gabe will take over the visuals while Hugh moves the music into a more narrative form, capturing the unpredictability, intensity, and occasional chaos of dreams. The performance will evolve from serene to troubled, reflecting the randomness and stress that can arise in the dream state. Lucid Dreams encourages listeners to reflect on their own relationship with sleep and how it may diverge from others'. For some, drifting off may be a challenge, while others fall asleep with ease. Some may dread sleep as it bridges today's concerns with tomorrow's uncertainties, while others long for it—a time to relax, to feel silk sheets against their skin, nestled next to loved ones. Sleep unites us in subtle, often unrecognised ways, and it remains essential to our well-being.
5) “Name of work” by Luka Ben Ison No programme notes provided
6) “Lost In Space” by Luke Barbour, Nicholas Rossetti-Cleary Lost in Space by Luke Barbour and Nicholas Rossetti-Cleary delivers an immersive, sensory-rich experience, blending the nostalgic energy of early jungle and drum and bass with modern production techniques. The track takes the audience on a sonic and visual journey, driven by breakbeats. Inspired by the foundations of the genre, Lost in Space samples multiple iconic Amen breaks, chopping and reworking them into different rhythms, while sparse pitch changes in the sampled percussion add texture and variety, enhancing the track’s dynamic flow. At the heart of the composition lies a classic Reese bassline, a nod to the retro aesthetic of old-school DnB, grounding the track with its deep sound. This bassline, combined with rolling breakbeats, gives the track
a forward-moving energy while staying true to the roots of the genre. The lush pads and layered synth keys introduce an expansive, dynamic soundscape, blending undertones of euphoria and adventure into the overall atmosphere. The tempo of 165 BPM drives the track, providing the perfect balance of energy and progression. Minimal but melancholic melodies offer emotional depth, allowing the listener to connect with the piece on a personal level. The sound design is enveloping, with each element thoughtfully layered to create a hypnotic, atmospheric experience. Visually, the performance amplifies this immersion to another level. Audiences are transported through shifting landscapes, where massive, otherworldly mountains rise and fall in perfect sync with the track’s frequencies. The environment feels alive, reacting in real time to each sound. Stars shimmer in response to the sharp impact of each kick, and vast celestial bodies rotate and shift in the distance, creating a sense of infinite space. The fusion of sound haptics with visual cues enhances the connection between the audio and imagery, making it feel as if the sound itself is shaping the landscape. This dynamic interaction between music and visuals keeps the audience mesmerised, with the visuals constantly evolving, matching the energy and flow of the track.
No programme notes provided