„Howlingbirds“ was a sound installation that took place at the IRCAM Forum Workshops in 2024. Despite the complexity of interferences, the outcome of the installation was particularly significant for me and stood out as one of my favorite experiences during this year’s series of workshops.
The installation was created by Jsuk Han, an artist who specializes in sculpture, installation, and sound performance. He utilized feedback sound and flocking algorithms, applying them to multi-channel systems to simulate natural phenomena.
Feedback sound is a type of sound that occurs when the output of a sound system is captured and then fed back into the input, creating a loop of sound. Jsuk Han utilized this type of sound to replicate or imitate natural phenomena, such as the movement of birds in a flock. By increasing the gain value while facing each other, the resonance frequency corresponding to the device is naturally generated. In the case of a single channel (one speaker and microphone), a simple sine wave that resonates with the characteristics of the medium is generated. However, when it expands to multiple channels, the frequency transforms in a more complex manner, enabling the recreation of Howlingbirds.
In his conference, the speaker declared that he utilized Ircam’s SPAT program for the panning function in a multi-channel setup and for specifying the position of the speakers. He later explained that the feedback sound would be controlled by applying the behavior of groups using a special algorithm called the flocking algorithm (Boid). This algorithm will be applied to a system of particles, allowing adjustment of the sound based on its position in three-dimensional space.
In conclusion, despite each aspect of the project aligning closely with my interests and also my master project, it was the simplicity and aesthetic of the outcome that resonated with me the most.
A similar performance of Jsuk Han at another location
The Integral System of Harmonic Drones, which offers „a new approach to understanding Persian music intonation,“ was the topic of a conference by Vahid Hosseini held in March 2024 at the IRCAM Forum Workshops.
What intrigued me the most was the complexity inherent in Persian and West Asian music, which is challenging to grasp and explain within the framework of Western music theory. As an Iranian musician trained in classical music and educated in Western music theory, I was particularly curious about this conference. I wanted to see how this presentation could assist non-Iranian audiences, providing insights into the workings of Persian music.
From the beginning of the conference, Vahid Hosseini showcased one of his pieces for a solo cellist called „Sguardi su Shur“. He began by addressing the challenge of simulating Persian intervals and capturing the general atmosphere of Persian music, emphasizing that both Western musicians and Persian masters who attempted to explain this music within Western theoretical frameworks have approached it differently from how it actually works on instruments.
In the following part of the presentation, the speaker elaborated on his new approach to Persian music. However, I personally believe that it would have been better if he had first provided a basic explanation of how Persian music works. This would have made it easier for non-Iranians, who are not familiar with Persian music, to understand his approach. Nonetheless, I am aware that time was very limited, and fitting everything into a 30-minute conference was almost impossible.
„Sguardi su Shur“ by Vahid Hosseini
In this blog I’ll try to explain briefly how the Persian music works so that I can then put Vahid Hosseini’s point of view in the following of this blog.
In Persian music, a „Dastgah“ refers to a sophisticated system of melodic structures or modal frameworks, providing the foundation for improvisation and composition. Within each Dastgah, the „Radif“ encompasses a vast collection of melodic patterns known as „Gusheh,“ serving as individual motifs. Dastgahs offer a structured framework for musicians to explore and develop melodies within specific rules and traditions.
Understanding the conference also required knowledge of Persian music intervals, which differ from Western music. These intervals are smaller than Western semitones and include unique symbols like „Koron“ and „Sori,“ established by Iranian master musician Alinaghi Vaziri in the early 20th century. So, in simpler terms, the order of these symbols can be remembered as: Flat, Koron, Natural, Sori, Sharp.
The core idea of the conference was to challenge past theories that label Persian intervals as microtones or categorize them into specific and fixed ratios. The presenter posits that the harmonic series produced by the drone set serves as the original source of intervals within the Radif intonation system. This contradicts earlier theories based on equal divisions, such as the 24 edo by Alinaghi Vaziri, which is a system divides the octave into 24 equal parts, and ratios like 11:10 proposed by Hormoz Farhat, which do not align with the actual drone tuning, but the research proposes that the neutral interval can be attributed to the interval 13:12, almost precisely situated between minor and major third deviations from 12 edo.
While the author’s views on interval determination may not align perfectly with existing theories, the Integral System of Harmonic Drones offers a fresh perspective on Persian music construction. This exploration has the potential to deepen our understanding and inspire new musical creations, as demonstrated by his compositions.
Even though there was no time for him to explain how he reaches this assumption, he also mentioned a philosophical point of view regarding non-Western music. He suggested that it shouldn’t always be explainable within the framework of Western music theory. Rather, it should be appreciated as a distinct approach to music, or even as an alternative theory of music, without privileging Western music as the standard against which all others are judged.
K.I. – Kasperl Intervenes was a show by and with Andreas Pfaffenberger at the Digithalia festival 2024, which was an integration of modernity and tradition. As Kasperl is an iconic puppet character in German-speaking countries, in this show, he was portrayed as an AI, prompting the question: is Artificial Intelligence truly intelligence?
The show followed the same format as a traditional Kasperl show, with Andreas Pfaffenberger interacting with the puppet in a comedic manner. At times, he did an exceptional job, especially when simulating the voices of deceased individuals like Falco or his Grandmother. This aspect aimed to demonstrate how advancements in artificial intelligence, such as speech synthesis or voice cloning, enable the simulation of voices while also critiquing the ethical implications.
Personally, I found it challenging to discern any distinct virtual theater elements in the show, despite the portrayal of Kasperl as an AI. The performance lacked sound or music, and the lighting consisted solely of natural light from the salon, emphasizing the impact these elements can have on enhancing the audience’s experience.
In general, the concept of treating a puppet as a chatbot, devoid of true life but responsible for delivering output, and considering it as a living being, provided a fertile ground for creating an immersive show. However, as a sound designer and musician, it sparked ideas in my mind while i was watching it about how the show could be further enhanced through collaboration with other disciplines, which could be considered for future performances.
Andreas Pffafenberger with the Artificially Intelligent puppet
Decoding Bias was a video & sound installation by Theresa Reiwer that was presented at the Digithalia festival at Schauspielhaus in March 2024.
The base idea of the installation was a space with eight Artificial Intelligences that the audience could see through multiple round video screens, which displayed a group therapy session. Seats were placed between the screens for spectators to be part of this session.
An overall view of the setup and the atmosphere of “Decoding Bias”
The AI attempted to liberate themselves from their biased algorithms and somehow build a fair society or a future scenario of Decoding Bias where humans and machines could function together without biases. However, as the show progressed, visitors realized that AIs didn’t always agree with this fair society due to their various backgrounds and the imperfect datasets created by humans, mostly white men, as they discussed moral concepts. The general atmosphere of the installation was immersive in many aspects, with darkness enveloping the environment and only lights under the screens, while the arrangement of the seats for visitors conveyed the concept envisioned by the artist. The visuals were generated from a game engine, and body movements and facial expressions were animated using motion capture. The voices of the AIs sounded strange and unreal, especially when they repeated their agreements and duties, even though the voices were from real actors.
One of the main elements that contributed to the effectiveness of the installation was the sound and music. Upon entering the space, visitors were greeted with atmospheric music that had already started before the actual show began, accompanied by vacant sounds. Each screen had a speaker underneath it, which further enhanced the 3D audio movement of the music as the show progressed. The audio played a crucial role in establishing the ambiance and was well-made, taking into consideration the acoustic properties of the location. The sound matched the weirdness of the concept and highlighted the dark side of human decisions that actively contribute to discrimination.
At the end, a pop genre music sung by one of the AI led to the conclusion of the installation. However, the ending of the installation was unclear not only to me but also to others in the audience. After the show finished, we sat for a bit longer, uncertain whether the show was continuing or not.
In summary, I can say that the installation worked well for the audience, and all the elements used in the work helped to convey the general experience and enhance it. However, it is also undeniable that there was quite a large team behind the show, and the quality of it was superior compared to free shows at Digithalia.
