Belfast Sound Map / Sound Walk 100413

Belfast Sound Map

The Belfast Sound Map is an open resource that aims at engaging local communities in capturing everyday sound and hence characterise the soundscape of the city. We encourage not only the submission of sound recordings, but also other forms of experiencing and registering sound, such as text or image. The overall design of this platform facilitates this multiplicity of approaches, while also allowing participants to create their own projects. These are presented as separate, individual layers of recordings within the map.

The user/listener is also invited to explore the map in various ways, including an autoplay mode which creates a sequence composed of different recordings.

The map serves as a platform for a series of local workshops, in which we will share with the participants the concepts behind this work, exploring the rich relationship between sound, place and everyday life.

The Belfast Sound Map was designed by Pedro Rebelo, Rui Chaves, Matilde Meireles and Aoghus McEvoy in collaboration with Max Stein and is maintained by the Sonic Arts Research Centre, Queen's University Belfast. The Belfast Sound Map was first exhibited at the Metropolitan Art Centre (MAC) in 2012 in the context of the Sounds of the City project.

Made possible with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Place NI hosted a workshop about the project. Participants were given recording equipment and taken on a walk around the centre of Belfast to listen and collect recordings. Afterwards everyone talked about the experience and wrote some extracts which were uploaded to the map.

Nicholas Keogh

Nicholas Keogh is a man who makes many things. I've had a chance to work with him whilst he wears his film maker hat. I did some work on the soundtrack for his film, 'A Removals Job' which was commissioned for the opening of the new arts venue The Mac in Belfast.

He has recently uploaded some of his "wildlife documentaries" to share on vimeo, watch:





More of that sort of thing to come...

Scan VLC Comp 1

AV collage from the vaults:


Image files were taken from VHS scans and screen grabs.
Audio files were taken from a variety of field recordings.

Listening to a Tree's Rings

Traubeck: “A tree’s year rings are analysed for their strength, thickness and rate of growth. This data serves as basis for a generative process that outputs piano music. It is mapped to a scale which is again defined by the overall appearance of the wood (ranging from dark to light and from strong texture to light texture)

The Text above is taken from Humans Invent.

DIY Noise Synth Workshop - Saturday 22nd October

DIY Noise Synth Workshop
From the DAS website:
"
Saturday 22nd October
12 – 5pm

In this workshop participants are shown how to build a simple 9v battery-powered synthesizer similar to the ”Atari Punk Console”. It is aimed at those interested in creative audio technology, techno, and noise. Knowledge of physics and maths is not necessary. Participants must be 18+

Workshops are free and open to the public and all equipment will be provided by the Digital Arts Studios. However there are limited places available on each workshop so early booking is recommended. To confirm your place please call the Digital Arts Studios office on

02890 312900

or email

angela@digitalartsstudios.com

to book your place.
*The event will take place at Catalyst Arts Gallery: Catalyst Arts

The main difference with the 9v battery noise maker to be made at this workshop and the usual APC oscillator is the IC. The APC uses a 556, makers at this workshop will use a 40106 and some extra bits if there is enough time.

VBS TV - Curtis Roads

Here is a programme on Curtis Roads (inventor of granular synthesis).


There is a free smartphone app called "Curtis Lite" - it's fun.

Aln Vs Cln @ Never Records @ Context Gallery

Aln Vs Cln recorded a live improv session in the Context Gallery in Derry/Londonderry/Stroke City as part of the Never Records exhibition. We walked away with some lathe-cut vinyl a CD and a heap of other AV data (including some suspicious VHS from a local charity shop). Lots of DIY instrumentation was used. Frequencies were amplified. Vibrations were felt. Good times were had. Media to follow.

Photos taken from Context Gallery's Flickr

Interactive Media & Environment Master Class

Next week I'm going to a 'Interactive Media & Environment Master Class' in Dublin. The promo bumpf reads well, an almost perfect day out for me! Cut 'n' paste follows:

When: Wednesday 16th of March
Where: Hosted by Moxie Studio
Lead by: Benjamin Gaulon
Bring your own laptop (Mac, Pc or Linux)

During this Master class participants will become familiar with basic hardware and software design while at the same time gaining hands-on experience making interactive art projects, digital art performances, installations, interactive events using moving images and sound.

The workshop covers the basis of Physical Computing[1] using Arduino[2] and Pure Data[3]. Participants will be able to control sound and visuals in Pure Data using a variety of Sensors (distance sensor, light sensor, temperature sensor, potentiometer, etc..). Each participant will have use of a starter kit (Arduino, bread boards, basic tools and sensors) for the day.

This initial class can be follow by groups or individual follow-up sessions to help participants complete a personal project or expand their knowledge in specific areas.

This Master Class is open to participants of different backgrounds and no programming or electronic experience is required.

It looks pretty fabulous, doesn't it? I am looking forward to it a lot and hope that it'll inspire and inform new directions for future projects and directions to spend my energy. After talking to many FLOSS / Arduino enthusiasts it's about time I got around to learning about this.

I think it's time to read that little book that's been neglected on my shelf for a few months...

Wildlife Documentaries - Golden Thread 250211

Two 'wildlife documentaries' by Nicholas Keogh will be shown as part of the group exhibition 'Disconnected' in the Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast this Friday. I helped with recording sound and other miscellaneous tech things.

One is called, 'A Film About Blue Bottles', the other is 'A Film About Slaters'. The full run time of both together is under 10 minutes.

Open Reel Ensemble

about 'Open Reel Ensemble Project' from mmmm on Vimeo.

Open Reel Ensemble - making noise, live recording and playback as difficult and as fun as you can imagine / could want.

Bin Disco / Trans - 17+180710

Bin Disco / Trans 17+180710 from dodgy stereo on Vimeo.

Bin Disco
Trans Urban Arts Festival,
outside the Black Box cafe, Belfast
17/180710

created by
Nicholas Keogh
photos
Barry Cullen
music
Fanfare Ciocarlia

Distroboto + BBQ VoL. 2

Distroboto

Old cigarette vending machines which now sell art; three inch DCs and DVDs, buttons, cassette tapes, books, zines, comix. I found these machines at Casa Del Popolo and La Salla Rosa whilst enjoying the Suoni Pel Il Popolo festival.

Some products are dispensed without packaging (cassettes), others (discs etc) in remixed cigarette packaging, or in little parcels made of blocks of corrugated plastic (maybe cut from old election adverts) wrapped in puppy-print cellophane - the machines have boxes on top for you to leave the packaging to be recycled, or submit your own piece of art for consideration.

I bought numerous pretty little things from these machines, both for myself and as little gifts. Here is one I'm sharing with you, a mix tape fit for Summer.


BBQ VoL . 2 (2009)

Side A
King Kurtis - Memphis Soul Stew
Clarence Wheeler - Broasted or Fried
Lonnie Youngblood - Soul Food
Soul Smoochers - Black Pepper
South Central Avenue Municipal Blues Band
- Bowl of Soul
Jimmy Castor - Hamhocks Espagnol
Laura Lee - Crumbs Off The Table
Raynel Winglas - BBQ Ribs
Freddie King - Hot Tomato
Rufus Thomas - Soul Food

Side B
Pazant Bros, - Greasy Greens
Bohannon - Red Bone
Ramsey Lewis - Jungle Strut
Billy Reed & The STreet People
- Grease Piece
Brother Jack McDuff - Hot Barbecue
Count Yates and His Rhythm Crusaders
- At The Soul-In
David Diggs - Chew Baby Chew
Robert Ward & the Ohio Untouchables
- Hot Stuff

Logorama

"...a 16-minute French anumation created around the use of 3,000 well-known trademarks. "

Thanks for the link Keef.

Crescent Arts Glitch

The Crescent Arts Centre has re-opened in Belfast. Now that it has been refurbished the interior and exterior look goodas new. The opening week has had lots of free workshops and taster sessions so people eager to sample what is on offer can come and try out before signing up.

The other day I managed to get out of work a few minutes early so I had time to see some people practicing their dance routine attached to ropes, bouncing off the side of the building with some umbrellas. But something happened between me, taking, editing, and uploading the video: the results sound okay (ish) but the picture has gone pretty strange.

The main reason I wanted to be there was to participate in the Gamelan Workshop. From Tuesday to Thursday between 3 and 5 there were free, open to everyone sessions where people could learn about and play a (2/3s of the whole thing) Gamelan from Java, Indonesia.

Our facilitator was Beverley Whyte of Open Arts (and Music Director of Open Arts Choir) who was a tutor of mine years ago when I studied Community Music For Practitioners at MADD, it was fantastic to have her direct us, as she knows how to use pace in delivering instructions on how and when to play, very well.

One of the things that makes Gamelan so easy to play for beginners with no experience is that the Western scale and it's code of thin, black, horizontal lines and dots is done away with. Instead we were able to play using numbers or colours, which were clearly marked on the gongs and tines. I worked my way around and had a go on all the instruments. It's a fantastic feeling playing with all those pieces of sweetly-resonating metal.

I used my new Canon VIXIA to capture the video in HD. I then edited out a lot of noise and exported to DV PAL using Premiere and Media Encoder. I then converted the format to Theora using Miro, so that the file would be fast to upload to youtube. The result was a glitchy mess. I quite like it, it reminds me of data moshing - but there's something (I can't put my finger on it) that's different.

BASE - Ulster Hall 200210

Trans, one of Belfast's urban arts academy's, is hosting BASE: the first indoor festival of street art in Belfast on February 20th and 21st in the Ulster Hall, Belfast.

Running order for the bands :

Saturday 20 Feb
Start 14:00
Finish 23:00

Music

14:00 Ossia Music

14:30 Nakatomi Towers

15:30 Cutaways

16:30 NI Soul Troop

17:30 BEW

18:30 Pocket Billiards

19:30 Space Dimension Controller

20:30 Super Extra Bonus Party

21:30 We Have Band

Sunday

Start 14:00
Finish 18:00

14:00 Katie and the Carnival

14:30 The Swell Time

15:30 Marie-Flore

16:30 Hyperpotumus

17:15 Special Guest

Here's a list of the artists involved - get a load of these tasty graphics!

http://www.kevlargey.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kvlr

http://danleodesign.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danleodesign/

http://www.akaelph.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elph/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciaradunne_art/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30293079@N02/
http://dogboysteaparty.blogspot.com/

http://mattsewell.co.uk/

http://dreph.blogspot.com/

http://www.guymckinley.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guymckinley

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruse76/

http://mrkern.free.fr/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11526552@N08/

http://www.bo130.org/

http://www.microbo.com/

I contributed to a podcast for the Culture Northern Ireland site (thanks to Eddie Mullan) which you can download here.

Fernando Llanos

I rarely use the word fan these days, but this guy is a little special.

Warm Moving Bodies - OBG 051109

Warm Moving Bodies
Ormeau Bath Gallery
Thursday 5th November
7pm - 10pm / Free admission

---------------
Exquisite corpse is a method by which a series of words or images is collectively assembled, generating unexpected artistic collisions and chaotic harmonies. Based on a parlour game, it was first adopted by the Surrealists as a playful diversion but which quickly became an enriching creative technique.
---------------
Witness the results of three games of Exquisite Corpse adapted for sound, moving image and drawing and played out by a host of local artists. For one night original artwork created using the principles of Exquisite Corpse will be presented throughout the gallery with opportunities for visitors to interact and create throughout the evening. Organised by Ryan Darragh (Oscillations Festival) this evening promises to be full of the unexpected artistic collisions and chaotic harmonies you can expect from a game where unpredictability is the main event.

Cassetteboy Vs. Nick Griffin

Here's a recent remix by Cassetteboy.

PS: thanks to all for coming along to hear the soundtrack whilst watching AELITA.

Mikal Hameed

Mikal Hameed
His creations caught my eye whilst skipping through other blogs. I can't say I love all his work, (as there are practicality issues that bug me) but his choice of materials gets the thumbs up.

Barry Cullen - Archive Remix

The exhibition went well. people arrived. Looked at the pieces. Listened, talked, asked questions, drank wine. Modified versions will be shown on culture night.