from digital ECHOS to virtual ETHOS
Music technology meets philosophy

Michael Musick: Timbral Hauntings

Michael Musick: Timbral Hauntings

 

History Museum of Athens University, first floor

Timbral Hauntings is an interactive installation work that borrows ideas from soundscape analysis and the convergence of how “echoes and ethos” reshape the present and future. Timbral Hauntings‘listens’to the soundscape of the space, analyzing the timbre of each acoustic event; cataloguing the eight most commonly occurring timbral phrases throughout the life of the system.As a critical number of events are collected, the system selects the most commonly occurring timbral phrase. This phrase is used to shape the timbre of the ‘present’in the hauntings of the past.At the same time the selected phrase from the past is analyzed for near timbral matches from the present.When a match occurs, those near moments from the past are played back in an attempt to influence the future in repeating the past.As the composition progresses, new phrases from the past are selected, allowing for the constant progression in the emergent composition. Participants to the space are welcome to wander the space, simply sit and listen, or contribute to the composition, in any way they feel comfortable, including playing the instruments laid out. Timbral Hauntings is part of Michael Musick’s Sonic Spaces Project.

Michael Musick is a media artist, technologist, composer, performer and improviser.His current work focuses on the creation and research of interactive performance systems.This work is collected in the Sonic Spaces project, which is a series of dynamic interactive sonic ecosystems. Michael is currently a Music Technology Ph.D. student at MARL in New York University, working with Tae-Hong Park. He also studied Media Arts at the University of Michigan, and performance at the University of Southern California and University of Colorado. Originally from Colorado, Michael enjoys mountains, snow, and wandering among aspen and pine trees.More information: michaelmusick.com