A chapter on Live Audiovisuals written by Nick Collins and Amy Alexander appears in the recently released book, The Cambridge Companion to Electronic Music, edited by Nick Collins and Julio d’Escrivan.

The chapter discusses histories of audiovisual performance, including its ancestry in color organs, visual music filmmaking, light shows, cognitive science, and more - as well as various approaches to current practice including VJ’ing, live cinema, and digital media art performance. This one is not available online, but the book is available from the usual sources. Continue reading

Sonic Recycler IV :: May 10, 2008 4:00 - 11.30 pm :: Watermans Art Centre, 40 High Street, Brentford, London.

Live: Blevin Blectum, David Toop, Sean O’hagan (High Llamas/Microdisney), Aleks Kolkowski (Recording Angels), Simon Bookish :: DJs: Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab / Monade), Janek Schaefer (Rummages The Oxfam Box as DJ Dedication), Iris Garrelfs :: Demos / Installations: Aleks Kolkowski - live CD recycling demo Dithernoise; Simon Storey - pedal-powered installation. Bring your old CDs to be recycled into vinyl records or for the Oxfam box. - Think: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle Continue reading

London’s audiovisual Howlin’ Wolf (it’s a sideburn thing), Toby Harris (aka *spark), has been steadily building strong live video performances since the turn of the century, exploring his real-time video skills at countless festivals, sophisticated audiovisual performances and most recently on giant touchscreen plasmas within motor shows. He also founded AVIT, the real world spin-off of vjforums.com that prompted festivals around the world, so it was a pleasure to meet him @ Sonar in Barcelona mid 2007, as well as get his reflections on audiovisual possibility. Lotta words to follow, but worth the read for the pixel-inclined…

What appeals about real-time video manipulation, about ‘live cinema’?

The world is catching up with vjs in enjoying a spot of real-time video manipulation: just watch people using PhotoBooth on any modern Mac. Continue reading

The Mapping Festival is getting actively prepared! It will take place in Geneva (CH) from April 10 - 20. The Mapping Festival has been promoting VJing and live video mixing for 4 years. As a digital creation laboratory, the festival has won an international reference status in the world of audiovisual arts.

During the 10 days of the festival, you will be able to see multimedia installations, AV performances, lectures, workshops, concerts and clubbing nights, between the Centre of Contemporary Art, the Spoutnik cinema, l’Etage, and the Zoo/Usine.

Ez3kiel (Jarring Effect – F) Live :: Shy Fx (Digital Soundboy - UK) DJ Set :: Samim feat Miguel Toro (Get Physical – CH/DE) Live :: The Bloody Beetroots (Mental Groove - IT) DJ Set Continue reading

“The energy behind the growing practice of audiovisual performance is intriguing; what is it that sparks the passions for creators and theorists working within this art form? The diversity of the concepts, techniques, and aesthetic qualities is remarkable, suggesting that this practice is not rooted in any one particular mindset, but instead, emerges from a wide range of trajectories that are converging within a contemporary form of media based performance art. However, live video mixing performances certainly address a hunger for immersive and synaesthetic sensory experiences where aural and visual elements work together to create a whole that is something beyond the sum of the parts. Continue reading

Share Festival & 02l > Outside Standing Level @ Transmediale Festival Berlin 2008 presents: The Special Player, augmented environment in algorithmic contextualized music and The Shaidon Effect DJ Set Event Session at C-Base Berlin, Rungestrasse 20 - 2. HH - 10179 Berlin.

The Special Player is an interactive performance in the context of transmediale 08 - conspire. Involving a sophisticated responsive motion tracking environment, four contemporary dancers and its visitors, The Special Player explores a massively disquieting conspirative narration. Continue reading

In 2008, the collaborative festival Vision’R AVit France will take place on April 19 & 20 at Mains D Oeuvres (St. Ouen, north of Paris).

Vision’R is the French VJ networks festival. Vision’R shows the state of VJ practices with the best of each singularity of our art, and presents what is building our art, questioning it from the inside (experimental VJing) and the outside (artistic expressions close to VJing). Fantasy wars are stronger than ever in the world. VJing, as a nomadic & polymorphous living media, can take position on this and act on. Continue reading

The Cathedral Band is returning to Seattle next week to play the Icebreaker IV Festival at On The Boards, and you are invited to participate through our global sound event, Say The Music.

Here is how: simply call a local phone number in your area; leave us a personalized sound, song, word or phrase; and DJ Tamara or I will mix your sound into the performance. You will even be able to hear it in a live webcast. Local phone numbers are available worldwide - from New York to Seattle, and Brisbane to Perth, plus London, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and Rio. Continue reading

Sonic Wargame at CTM.08 is open for participation. We are looking for musicians, DJ’s and gamers. It is also possible to apply as a team. A team should consist of a musician (or DJ) and a gamer. Any instrument or set-up with a line output is welcome. Each team should have 1 output and 1 input.

Sonic Wargame will be running for two days: On January 29 there will be 3 rounds with 4 different teams in each round - On January 30 there will be 2 rounds with the best teams of the previous day, plus a final round with the best 4 teams of all. Continue reading

VJ THEORY AND PRACTICE WORKSHOP - with Ana Carvalho :: When: January 22, 2008; 6:30 - 10:30 pm :: Harvestworks, 596 Broadway, Suite 602 (at Houston St), New York, NY :: Limit: 15 Students :: Cost: $50.

Through her work Ana Carvalho explores ideas of identity, both theoretically and in her practice: she performs under the name Magenta Interior. Ana is one of the two editors of the project VJ Theory which compiles theoretical works about VJing and realtime performance and is interested in exploring ways for people to develop Artist Theory, theory based in practice, individually and collectively. Continue reading