Thursday 30 September 2010

New books in EMS' library

Some books I grabbed at the conference yesterday:
  • Jokitulppo, Jaana: Non occupational noise : sources, exposure and effects on hearing
  • Karlsson, Henrik (red.): Papers presented at the conference ”Stockholm, hey, listen!”, June 9-13, 1998
  • Karlsson, Henrik (red.): From awareness to action : proceedings from ”Stockholm, hey listen!” : conference on acoustic ecology, Stockholm, June 9-13, 1998 
  • Landström, Ulf & Mossberg, Frans: Man and sound environment 2010 : proceedings 
  • Selander, Jenny: Traffic noise and cardiovascular disease
  • Willim, Robert (red.): Virtualiteter : sex essäer

Monday 27 September 2010

New issue of Hz, #15, September 2010

Contents

"Towards a Soundly Ecstatic Electronica" by Joseph Nechvatal
Artist/art theoretician Joseph Nechvatal's text deals with a phantasmagorical theorization of electronic-based sound art that places sound art in the context of the abstract unlimited-field of representation made possible by electronic communications.

"Of Ultrasound, Art and Science" by Michael Dotolo
Multimedia artist/musician Michael Dotolo discusses sound art in the context of art-science relating to ultrasound. "My intent in studying the invisible sonic spectrum is to understand the importance that these frequencies bare on the complex communicative fabric of the natural and technological aspects of our lives."

"Acoustics, Not Theatre" by Adrian Knight
Composer Adrian Knight: "Sound, time and space are our way of dividing a multidimensional reality into manageable subunits. Sound in time and space constitute what we call music….[O]f these three subunits, space is the most complex, and also most dependent on social and architectural necessity and availability"

"Iannis Xenakis: Form and Transformation" by JD Pirtle
"Avant-garde composer, architect and music theorist Iannis Xenakis consistently pushed the boundaries of music, mathematics, architecture and science in his work." Artist JD Pirtle examines Xenakis' hybridised and interdisciplinary practice in which Xenakis was able to "augment, transform, invert or rotate" the many ways architecture and music are related.

"James Turrell's Mendota Stoppages and Roden Crater: When the Studio and the Art Become One" by JD Pirtle
Artist JD Pirtle reviews the relation between the space and the art in the practice of James Turrell, whose early departure from the white cube tradition manifests break-down of the division "studio, non-studio, anti-studio." Two of Turrell’s pieces, Mendota Stoppages and Roden Crater are revisited.

"Teorema Ritournelle" by Chritina McPhee
Chritina McPhee: "This text came into being as I struggled to explain to myself why the idea of a witness, or wit(h)nessing could apply to the status of an object like a drawing. Teorema Ritournelle turns on some observations and flights around Pasolini's film TEOREMA, and applies them to the transposition of drawings into presences of an inordinate kind."

Sunday 26 September 2010

Various stuff

Soundscape studies, (urban) sound design and the like seem to be rather popular in Sweden these days. I'm attending the conference Man & Sound Environment 2010 in Lund this week, a conference immediately followed by another one in Stockholm, Designing Soundscape for Sustainable Urban Development, on September, 30-October, 1.

Another recent conference held in Sweden was the 5th Audio Mostly Conference : A Conference on Interaction with Sound, September, 15-17, which took place in Piteå in Northern Sweden. Proceedings are avalible online.

For our Swedish readers
Ljudplanering is a new web portal on urban soundscapes, developed in collaboration between Movium and landscape architect Gunnar Cerwén.

There's been a recent exchange in Svenska Dagbladet on the research project "Acoustic design artifacts and methods for urban soundscapes" and its companion sound installation at Mariatorget, Stockholm:

New online journal Interference calls for papers

Interference : a journal of audio culture, are pleased to announce a call for papers for the inaugural issue "An ear alone is not a being" : embodied mediations in audio culture.

To what extent are acoustic practices embodied? How does physical embodiment shape auditory cognition? What role do processes such as biofeedback and genetic algorithms play in contemporary musical practices? What kinds of idealised listening subjects are encoded in acoustic algorithms such as codecs, head-related transfer functions or binaural recording specifications? How are psychoacoustic effects deployed for and against the body? How might we speak about listening practices that extend beyond the ear to sensorial or haptic accounts of audition?

The inaugural issue of Interference investigates the mediative role of the body in sonic practices. Embodied mediation presumes a reciprocal process: we explore how listening experiences and acoustic practices are shaped by corporeality, but we also attend to the many ways in which these processes work upon that body, through psychophysical affect and the representation and encoding of embodied subjects in acoustic performances, technologies, and cultural artefacts. Submissions may take the form of academic articles or statements of research and practice. For more information see the submission guidelines.

Proposals for this issue of Interference might address, but not exclusively, some of the following issues and points of discussion:
  • Research in Embodied Music Cognition
  • Phenomenology of Sound
  • Biofeedback: the role played by corporeality in sonic arts, musical practices, performance and design
  • Sonic Dominance: the use of acoustic properties as affective tools
  • Sonic Mediations: Exploring the mediative role of the body between cognitive response and acoustic environment. Exploring the relationship between the body and tools for acoustic composition and performance.
  • Encoding Bodies: An exploration of how the body might be represented or encoded in practices as diverse as instrument design, networked performances, psychoacoustic algorithms etc.
  • Haptic or intersensory listening practices
Interference balances its content between academic and practice based research and therefore accepts proposals for both academic papers and accounts of practice based research.

Deadline for submission of Abstracts of 250 words October 31st 2010
Deadline for Completed Papers January 15th 2011
Submissions can be made to editor@interferencejournal.com
Publication aimed for Spring 2011

For more information, and submission guidelines please se the Submission Guidelines or contact editor@interferencejournal.com

NIME 2011 - Call for participation

11th International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME 2011)
30 May - 1 June 2011, Oslo, Norway

We invite you to be part of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. The core purpose of the NIME conference is to present the latest results in design, development, performance and analysis of/for/with new interfaces/instruments for musical use. In 2011 we will put an extra emphasis on performance aspects related to NIME, something which will also be addressed in a symposium, workshops and master classes in the days leading up to the conference.

We invite for the following types of submissions (see below for details):
- Paper (oral/poster/demo)
- Performance
- Performance Plus Paper
- Installation/exhibition
- Workshop

IMPORTANT DATES
- SID exhibition proposals: 5 November 2010 (22:00 CET)
- Paper/performance/installation/workshop submission: 31 January 2011 (22:00 CET)
- Review notification: 18 March 2011
- Final paper deadline: 26 April 2011

TOPICS
- Novel controllers and interfaces for musical expression
- Novel musical instruments
- Augmented/hyper instruments
- Novel controllers for collaborative performance
- Interfaces for dance and physical expression
- Interactive game music
- Robotic music
- Interactive sound and multimedia installations
- Interactive sonification
- Sensor and actuator technologies
- Haptic and force feedback devices
- Interface protocols and data formats
- Motion, gesture and music
- Perceptual and cognitive issues
- Interactivity design and software tools
- Sonic interaction design
- NIME intersecting with game design
- Musical mapping strategies
- Performance analysis
- Performance rendering and generative algorithms
- Machine learning in performance systems
- Experiences with novel interfaces in live performance and composition
- Surveys of past work and stimulating ideas for future research
- Historical studies in twentieth-century instrument design
- Experiences with novel interfaces in education and entertainment
- Reports on student projects in the framework of NIME related courses
- Artistic, cultural, and social impact of NIME technology
- Biological and bio-inspired systems
- Mobile music technologies
- Musical human-computer interaction
- Multimodal expressive interfaces
- Practice-based research approaches/methodologies/criticism

CALL FOR PAPERS
We welcome submissions on all above mentioned (and other) topics related to development and artistic use of new interfaces for musical expression. There are three different paper submission categories:
- Full paper (up to 6 pages in proceedings, longer oral presentation,
optional demo)
- Short paper/poster (up to 4 pages in proceedings, shorter oral
presentation or poster, optional demo)
- Demonstration (up to 2 pages in proceedings)
All accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings.
Paper submission information: http://www.nime2011.org/submission/#papers

CALL FOR PERFORMANCES
We welcome submission of pieces for three different types of performance venues:
- Concert hall performance
- Club performance
- Foyer "stunt" performance
Any type of NIME performance pieces are welcome, but we would particularly like to encourage the use of motion capture techniques in performance. For this we can make available several different types of motion capture systems (Qualisys, XSens, Optitrack, Mega). Network pieces and mobile music pieces are also encouraged. Within reasonable limits, we may be able to provide musicians to perform pieces. Performance submission information: http://www.nime2011.org/submission/#performances

CALL FOR PERFORMANCE PLUS PAPER
To support more cross-disciplinary work between scientific and artistic research, we highly encourage submission of performance pieces related to papers. Here the scientific presentation may be the basis for the artistic presentation, or vice versa. Submissions within this category will have to be done for both the piece and the paper, with a clear note that paper and piece belongs together. Evaluation will be done on the combined quality of both submissions.

CALL FOR INSTALLATIONS
In connection with NIME 2011 an exhibition on sonic interaction design will be curated in collaboration with the EU COST IC0601 Action on Sonic Interaction Design (SID). For the exhibition we are looking for works using sonic interaction within arts, music and design as well as examples of sonification for research and artistic purposes. The exhibition will take place at the Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology and Medicine and run for three months over the summer 2011. We also aim to include works in public spaces to be presented at various locations in Oslo (possibly) for a shorter duration in parallel with NIME. This is a curated exhibition, and there is a possibility for funding and assistance to be provided for selected artists. Note that there is an early deadline for submissions within this category (5 November). Further enquiries concerning the SID exhibition should be addressed to the curators (exhibition@nime2011.org).

In addition to the exhibition, we also call for installations to be presented during the NIME conference only. These may be foyer location installations or room-based installations. Installation submission information: http://www.nime2011.org/submission/#installations

CALL FOR WORKSHOPS
We call for short (3 hours) or long (6 hours) workshops and tutorials. These can be targeted towards specialist techniques, platforms, hardware, software or pedagogical topics for the advancement of fellow NIME-ers and people with experience related to the topic. They can also be targeted towards visitors to the NIME community, novices/newbies, interested student participants, people from other fields, and members of the public getting to know the potential of NIME.

Tutorial proposers should clearly indicate the audience and assumed knowledge of their intended participants to help us market to the appropriate audience. Workshops and tutorials can relate to, but are not limited to, the topics of the conference. This is a good opportunity to explore a specialized interest or interdisciplinary topic in depth with greater time for discourse, debate, collaboration. Admission to workshops and tutorials will be charged separately from the main conference. Proposer(s) are responsible for publishing any workshop proceedings (if desired) and should engage in the promotion of their event amongst own networks. Workshops may be cancelled or combined if there is inadequate participation. Workshop submission information: http://www.nime2011.org/submission/#workshops

If you have any inquiries, please email us at post@nime2011.org. Please feel free to forward this message to others. On behalf of the NIME 2011 committee, Alexander Refsum Jensenius (University of Oslo)
Kjell Tore Innervik (Norwegian Academy of Music)

Saturday 11 September 2010

New books and CDs in EMS' library

New books
  • Lamers, Maurits (ed.): Proceedings of the Linux Audio Concerence 2010
  • Prieberg, Fred K.: Musica ex machina; über das Verhältnis von Musik und Technik
  • Rodgers, Tara: Pink noises : women on electronic music and sound
New CDs
  • Bennett, Gerald: Chrysopée électronique 31
  • Bertilsson, Andreas: Paramount
  • Biffarella, Gonzalo: Mestizaje (Chrysopée électronique 10)
  • Boeswillewald, Pierre: Chrysopée électronique 3
  • Boeswillewald, Pierre: Chrysopée électronique 27
  • Clozier, Christian: Chrysopée électronique 7
  • Cochini, Roger: Chrysopée électronique 6
  • Compendium international : Bourges 2004 (Chrysopée électronique 26)
  • Di Scipio, Agostino: Paysage historiques : musique electroacoustique 1998-2005 (Chrysopée électronique 25)
  • López, Francisco: Through the looking-glass
  • Messiaen, Olivier: Turangalîla-symphonie
  • The Radiophonic Workshop
  • Riley, Terry: In C
  • Les saisons (Chrysopée électronique 23)
  • Savouret, Alain: Chrysopée électronique 28
  • Serra, Luis Maria: Musica electroacustica (Chrysopée électronique 19)
  • Skog, Ylva: Terra firma
  • Vaggione, Horacio & Mead, Philip: Musiques pour piano et electroacoustique (Chrysopée électronique 5)
  • Wishart, Trevor: Fabulous Paris : a virtual oratorio

Friday 3 September 2010

Call: Seventh International Conference on Music Since 1900

The theme of the Biennial Conference is music since 1900, conceived in the broadest possible terms. Proposals for papers may be submitted on any topic relating to 20th- and 21st-century musics (of any genre), drawing on scholarly approaches from any relevant intellectual discipline.

The Music Analysis Conference welcomes papers on any aspect of theory and analysis relating to music of any genre and historical period.

Editorial representatives from Music Analysis and twentieth-century music will be keen to discuss the possibility of developing conference papers into articles for their respective journals.

In addition to open sessions, the Programme Committee warmly invites proposals for papers to be read at the sessions devoted to the following themes:
  • computing and contemporary musicology
  • curating the new
  • electroacoustic music and intermedia
  • film music
  • the future of the digital economy
  • the impact of technology on music
  • jazz
  • new historiographies
  • phenomenology
  • popular music
  • temporalities
  • timbre
Proposals in the following categories will be considered:
  • Papers (20 minutes maximum, with 10 minutes for discussion)
  • Paper sessions (three or four papers, each of 20 minutes maximum, with 10 minutes for discussion)
  • Roundtable discussions (up to 6 participants, each giving a short position paper, followed by a general discussion)
  • Recitals, lecture-recitals and lectures illustrated by sound diffusions or audio-visual screenings
Programme Committee: Dr Paul Archbold, Dr Arved Ashby, Prof. Rachel Cowgill, Prof. William Drabkin, Dr Nicholas Gebhardt, Prof. Adam Krims, Dr Alan Marsden, Prof. Deborah Mawer, Prof. Peter Nelson, Dr Nicholas Reyland, Prof. Michael Spitzer, Dr Edward Venn (Chair), Dr Charles Wilson.

Proposal Instructions/Guidelines
Abstracts and proposals should be prepared as follows:
  • For individual papers: up to 250 words
  • For paper sessions: 250-word (maximum) summary and up to 250 words for each session participant
  • For roundtable discussions: 250-word (maximum) and up to 150 words for each panel participant
  • For recitals, lecture-recitals and lectures illustrated by sound diffusions or audio-visual screenings: 250 word (maximum) summary, plus participant CVs and recordings / scores / other details of works to be included in the event
Further information for applicants:
  • Only one proposal of each type is permitted per applicant
  • Proposals should not substantially duplicate presentations being given at conferences or other events proximate in time or place to ICMSN 2011 / LancMAC
  • All proposals must be sent by email as a MS Word attachment to msnmac2011@lancaster.ac.uk
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: 3 DECEMBER 2010

Successful applicants will be informed by 17 January 2011