A former post-graduate student at Edinburgh University. Yann Seznec, a Franco-American sound designer, has used the Wiimote handset to create a musical instrument like no other. Dubbed the “Loop Machine“, it enables users to load audio files such as a drum pattern or a baseline on to their computers. These “loops” then automatically sync with each other. But the really clever part of Seznec’s invention is that these samples can be manipulated by moving the Wiimote around. The end result is that the user can dance about with the Wiimote in their hand, making music and performing at the same time. You can even record a set of movements and apply that same set of movements to particular sounds. Continue reading

CALL FOR WORKS: Futuristic Music Design Challenge - A live competition at Yuri’s Night Bay Area presented by createdigitalmusic.com :: Deadline: April 7, 11:59 PM EST (No exceptions!)

Online submission: Web entries accepted from around the world for the Web showcase. Limited entries will be chosen to compete live — To compete for the prizes, those entries must be present at Yuri’s Night Bay Area, Saturday, April 12. Submit DIY music performance projects – using custom software and/or hardware – for a live performance battle at the Yuri’s Night Bay Area party on April 12, sponsored by Yuri’s Night and createdigitalmusic.com. Compete for awards including a Yamaha Tenori-On grand prize. Continue reading

I often describe people I write about here at Serial Consign as friends and peers and both of these terms definitely apply to David McCallum. David is a Toronto-based artist and musician whose subverts electronic hardware, software and networks towards playful and performative ends. He has a background in physics and music and received a Masters in Art and Technology from Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden.

I met David in 2006 at Mutek, and got to know him and his work through his excellent curation of our Vague Terrain issue on locative media. David’s creative practice is quite varied, and perusal of his recent work reveals interests in improv performance, modified timepieces and insect orchestras. Continue reading

Once the domain of the few, creating and customizing sophisticated DIY controllers is now more accessible than ever. That means, if you can’t find what you want, and you’re ambitious and knowledgeable enough, you go make your own. Josh Boughey was impressed by the Monome enough to buy one — but the Monome, a grid of on/off buttons, doesn’t provide any kind of variable control. So Josh built his own, combining a series of parallel touch strips with LED indicators. (The lights are the tricky part, requiring an obscene number of connections.) Continue reading

Hardware-Hacking & Circuit-Bending Workshop - An Interdisciplinary Sound Arts Workshop with Nicolas Collins :: Artcenter / South Florida, 924 Lincoln Road Mall, Room 203, Miami Beach :: Dates: March 28, 2008; 10 am - 6 pm - Part 1: contact mikes, coil pickups, tape heads, bending radios and toys :: March 29, 2008; 10 am - 6 pm :: Part 2: make an oscillator from scratch :: March 29, 2008; 7:30 pm - free outdoor performance on Lincoln Road Mall. Continue reading

N.I.P. - New Interfaces for Performance - N.I.P. is an interdisciplinary touring presentation, network and workshop series, developed by Teresa Dillon of the Bristol based media arts and research collective Polar Produce. As an artists lead initiative, N.I.P. currently exists as a three-year project and involves twelve artists drawn from across the UK, The Netherlands and Portugal. The current focus of the project is on gesture and movement based interfaces within live performance and interactive, mixed media installation.

N.I.P. artists at Pixelache 2008 Helsinki are: Teresa Dillon (UK), Kathy Hinde (UK), Torsten Lauschmann (UK), Ivan Franco (PT), Rudolfo Quintas (PT), André Gonçalves (PT) and Tom Verbruggen (NL). Continue reading

New Orleans-based musician and inventor Quintron, best known for the performances and recordings he creates with his wife, as the duo Quintron and Ms. Pussycat, recently visited New York City on a delivery mission to the studio of multimedia artist Laurie Anderson with his handmade Quintronics Drum Buddy analog rhythm instrument. Considering her 25-year career trajectory innovating upon digital performance tools, the acquisition signals something of a shift- or at least a nod- to hacker/DIY undercurrents. Continue reading

game mod from steph thirion on Vimeo. Continue reading

“Listening Post: You have a classical background; what drew you to creating 8-bit music? What do you find alluring about the chiptune aesthetic?

Haeyoung Kim, BubblyFish: I started with classical music first, and moved on to electronic music. I have in electronic music and computer music, so experimental music. Classical is more my background. So I picked up a GameBoy, I guess 4 or 5 years ago already, and when I started using it, I just loved the sound of it, and part of the big deal is that there’s a huge limitation that does not require much music production at all. Since there’s such a limitation, I think I can push myself to be more creative, and think differently from the way that I usually create music, with more available tools…” From Interview: Chiptune Artist Haeyoung Kim, BubblyFish by Eliot Van Buskirk, Wired. Also see Interview with Paul Slocum, Tree Wave.

HACK and INTERACT with the UK SOUND TV website! Do you want to break into interactive web design and technology? Are you also interested in urban street culture — music, fashion, film and more?

UK Sound TV is looking for trainees for their HACK AND INTERACT: UK SOUND TV programme. 4 highly motivated trainees will be chosen to work at Space Media Arts in Hackney to learn about and create interactive, cutting-edge web 2.0 broadcast sites like MySpace, YouTube and Blogger and integrating these platforms with mobile phone and ‘bluetooth’ broadcasting technologies. Trainees will gain hands-on technical skills and industry insight, working towards an Arts Awards accreditation to add to your CV, big up your university application, or give you a first glimpse into your future career. Continue reading