Mind the Gap by Lansdown
Mind the Gap was the header for this years Lansdown Interactive Media MA Show. Located at the schools new venue @SAE Institute on Kingsland Road, London, Mind the Gap was a short cycle north from London’s oh-so ‘trendy Shorditch.’
Arriving at SAE I was invited into the exhibition with a smile and given a map to navigate the show. Weirdly reminiscent of the ‘school corridor’ experience, each door from the narrow white-wash passage ways opened onto a new tech treat from Lansdown students. Here are my highlights:
Touch Case by Sebastian Heinz
Touch Case explored the ‘possible uses’ and ‘mappings’ of a multi-touch input devise for sound applications. Entering the room, Sebastian was mid-way through a presentation to the Lansdown establishment 
He described the possible applications for hand held devices (like the iphone/smart phone) and larger touch screen mixing desks. So the idea was that the applications, tools and interfaces he was developing for Touch Case, could be used in a variety of ways by different kinds of user – from sonic artists, to club DJs and you and me, the everyday Joe.
During the presentation, Sebastian showcased two applications he’s developed for Touch Case. The first (demonstrated on his exhibition page), was a gesture driven composition application that enables users to create digital soundscapes using touch. Much like DJ decks, electroplankton and more recently Tenori-On one of the great things about this program is that it democratises the music making process. Users don’t require the skills to ‘read’ music in order to play well. They just need a good ear and the physical capacity to touch the screen. Very much focussed on electronic music production – the composition ‘rules’ and sound output can be changed to create different kinds of production.Visit the artists page to view a video of this work in action.
The second application that Sebastian shared (which isn’t demonstrated in his video) was a flexible, interactive production studio driven by touch. Very much in ‘prototype,’ as well enabling the user to produce ‘music on the move,’ this application offered the possibility to personalise studio settings and set configurations of audio tools and sound modules fit for purpose. This is handy as it acknowledges that there is no need to have every mix app/audio module at your finger tips all the time. So if I want to experiment with different samples and effects I select the tools that provide quick access to my sound file archive and effect applications. And if I was DJing, I would arrange the studio in a different way. I would include the modules that enable me to mix tunes, distort sound, create white noise and ‘ramp up the bass!’ for example.
Considering both these applications in the context of a wireless enabled hand held device, the idea of ‘music on the move’ starts to get really exciting, particularly in location based and social contexts. Imagine being able to collect sounds easily via your mobile while you’re out and about. Then imagine being able to play around with these in a semi-professional audio application in your down/in between time on your mobile e.g. on a bus or in the park with your friends. Keep imagining…and think about what then might happen if the device then enabled you to send and swap audio files with others on location (e.g. with your friends in the park or strangers on the bus). Users could set up a temporary collaboration networks and experiment with music production a little further, together. Dialogue with others might include micro music networking, sample swapping and social feedback on stuff you’ve already produced. In other words, these combined technologies would facilitate real-time file sharing, creative collaboration, social feedback and play in music production on the move. The possibilities are potentially awesome. The kind that only really become clear when people start to connect and explore new possibilities together in this way – driven by use. Perhaps it’s not so far off either
A Journey by Mimi Son
A Journey was a quaint and beautifully crafted work exploring experience, place and memory.
An interactive light show set in an old victorian memory box, A Journey offers a dream like experience of the city, more specifically the artists documentation of different places, sounds and events at different times of day. The London skyline is crafted beautifully out of paper and pencil lines, and the river appears as raw material in a pull out draw at the bottom of the box. Each time you close and re-open the box, a different memory (sound and light show) plays out. Memories range from train station tannoy announcements, cafe culture, the tide of the river, children playing, street bands and traffic. Visit the artists page to view a video of this work in action.
Runaway Harp by Heena Patel and Tracy Tsang
With a cute possible use of ‘waking up toes and fingers,’ Runaway Harp put a smile on my face. Designed to appear like a member of ‘the harp’ family, each 1mm water stream offered a different sound frequency when touched. The sound was reminiscent of an echo’ey synthesized harp – much like the sounds you used to find on Casio keyboards in the 80′s. In term of the technology that underpinned the experience, sounds were triggered by breaking a series of light sensors that followed each water stream. Waterfall streams splashed and gathered at the bottom of the harp were then pumped back up to the top, ready to fall again.
Although it was clear that Runaway Harp is not going to change the world, I personally really enjoyed playing with it. The combination of sensor technologies, raw material and play! really did make me feel ‘good inside’ Visit the artists page to view a video of this work in action.
Other projects included:
- The Haunted by Nandini Barve, Vasia Mezue, Sarinla Rukpollmuang, WeiLi Hsueh - An interactive game set in a haunted house where players respond to light and sound to solve puzzles. Uses Wii style technology.
- Tube Diary by Khusal Jugermath and Laura Lessa – A rich media mobile application that documents user generated memories and events of life on the tube.
- The Story of Thai Costume by Tritika Pichitdej - An interactive mobile application that aims to teach the history of Thai costume.
- Behind Closed Doors by Jessica Wolpert - Combines eye tracking technology with domestic footage to trigger intimate footage of people and private moments.
- Hitch.gr by Alexandros Amenis - Social software that aims to help co-ordinate ‘hitchers and hikers’
Images:
Touch Case by Sebastian Heinz
A Journey by Mimi Son
Runaway Harp by Heena Patel and Tracy Tsang
clairewelsby
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