viral symphOny
in 4 movements
with pOstmOrtem
1h 40mn
Composed 2006-2008
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movement 1 : the enthrOning
28.10 min
Joseph Nechvatal : original concept viral structures
Matthew Underwood : nano, micro, meso and macro structures
Andrew Deutsch : meso and macro structures
Stephane Sikora : C++ programming
Produced in 2006 at The Institute for Electronic Arts
Steven Mygind Pedersen : IEA project technician
CD available at http://www.cdemusic.org/
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movement 2 : murmuring tOngue Of Ovid
20.53 min
Joseph Nechvatal : original concept, viral structures, &
synthesizer
Matthew Underwood : nano, micro, meso and macro structures
Stephane Sikora : C++ viral programming
Ovid's Metamorphosis: text
Jane Smith: voice
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movement 3 : pastOral pleasures
12.08 min
Joseph Nechvatal : original concept, viral structures, and text
Matthew Underwood : nano, micro, meso and macro structures
Stephane Sikora : C++ programming
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movement 4 : viractual terminate
10.10
Joseph Nechvatal : original mix concept
Matthew Underwood : nano, micro, meso and macro structures
Andrew Deutsch meso and macro structures Stephane Sikora : C++
programming
Kevin Harkins: orchestration for percussion, didgeridoo, piano,
violin and strings
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pOstmOrtem
28:10
Joseph Nechvatal : original mix concept
Matthew Underwood : nano, micro, meso and macro structures
Andrew Deutsch meso and macro structures Stephane Sikora : C++
programming
Kevin Harkins:
orchestration for String Section (Violins, Cello and Bass), Dijeridoo, E-pad
(sort of harmonium-ish) Air Pizz (hammered calliope, sometimes including the
hammered operator), Grand Piano, Orchestral Percussion Section, English Horn,
Bassoon, Harp and Horn Section (French Horns, Trumpets, Trombone)
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Presented at Diapason
882 Third
Avenue, Brooklyn New York
Friday February 13th,
2009
http://www.diapasongallery.org/
*
Downloadable at
www.archive.org
http://www.archive.org/details/ViralSymphony
+
and
Continuo
http://continuo.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/joseph-nechvatal-viral-symphony-complete/
*
Joseph Nechvatal Interview
JOSEPH NECHVATAL
viral symphOny
LABEL: IEA 2007
Post-conceptual digital
artist and theoretician Joseph Nechvatal pushes his experimental investigations
into the blending of computational virtual spaces and the corporeal world into
the sonic register. Realtime "field recordings" of the audio
manifestations of his custom created computer viruses have been reworked and
reprocessed by Andrew Deutsch and Matthew Underwood, resulting in the sonic
landscape of the Ôviral symph0nyÕ. With resonances of Yasunao Tone, Fluxus,
Oval, and Merzbow, this 28-minute composition is supplemented by a further 50
minutes of audio, comprising the original raw data field recordings.
- Steven Mygind Pedersen
Institute for Electronic Arts
viral symphOny
Joseph Nechvatal : visual artwork
(c) Joseph Nechvatal 2007
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Click here to listen to 2
excerpts from viral
symphOny http://www.musicsubmit.com/musicsubmit/info/submissionsite.cfm?BandID=29302
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You may make an online
purchase 0f viral symphOny here:
http://www.cdemusic.org/store/cde_search.cfm?keywords=Nechvatal&CFID=1515808&CFTOKEN=24561434
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You can download my 28 min. viral symphOny mp3 at this link::
http://www.ubu.com/sound/nechvatal.html
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Review of
full viral symphOny
http://continuo.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/joseph-nechvatal-viral-symphony-complete/
February 4, 2009
A founding member of the
Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine, Joseph Nechvatal (b1951) famously curated two
noise compilations for Tellus in 1986 and 1988. He composed an opera called XS:
The Opera Opus (1984-5) with Rhys Chatham. His visual and sound works since
then has been concerned with ÔviralÕ techniques, i.e.: computer-assisted
complex structures, heavily processed material, unwanted input corrupting the
media and a general self-annihilation of the artist as composer/painter. The
computer is summoned to create the art in the same way the Golem was raised by
Rabbi Low to create the myth. Viral SymphonyÕs First Movement was published on
CD in 2006 by The Institute for Electronic Arts. The rest of the symphony is
derived from this 1st Mvt in variously processed textures. The 2nd and 3rd
Movements include the voice of Jane Smith reading from OvidÕs Metamorphosis, an
apt metaphor for a Symphony dealing with permanent mutability, in as much as
the perpetually morphing sound particles are used as the very structure of the
work. While the 1st Mvt is a cornucopia of noisy, aleatoric electronic debris
in the Ôgarbage in, garbage outÕ tradition, the remaining movements are more
ambient affairs in which compositional mystery and sonic restraint create
tension and captivates the listener. It seems the electronic sounds were
refined after the nth re-processing and when reaching the 4th Mvt itÕs become a
mere distant static. The processed vocal parts sounds like early radio
transmissions, and I personally envisioned Ezra Pound on conversation on
Italian Radio or a BBC broadcast during the 1930s, while he was working on his
2 radio operas. In the last 2 movements, the input of Kevin Harkins on Midi
sounds brings a neo-gothic touch to the music thanks to his endless cello and
piano arpeggios. PostMortem is the most poignant part of the Symphony, its
processed sounds slowly recessing in the background leaving room to sadness and
emptiness. PostMortem appears for the first time on the web thanks to the
generosity of Joseph Nechvatal. The very nature of the Viral Symphony indicates
there will be additional movements soon and the ÔCompleteÕ set is presented as
is, prior to further re-processing.
Rewiew / Joseph Nechvatal
:: viral
symphOny
in SONHORS Webzine
http://sonhors.free.fr/kronik/Joseph_Nechvatal_viral_symphony.htm
Joseph Nechvatal :: viral symphOny :: IEA :: 2007
Le bruit des virus artistiques. Artiste
Chicagoen post-conceptuel, Joseph Nechvatal est une rŽfŽrence en matire d'art numŽrique. Il conoit depuis
1986, des peintures assistŽes par robots et ordinateurs, mais c'est en 1991,
que sa pratique artistique Žvolue vŽritablement gr‰ce aux potentialitŽs artistiques qu'offrent les virus et
notamment la possibilitŽ de transformer et altŽrer ses propres crŽations. Aprs
avoir composŽ et manipulŽ ses images ˆ partir d'un programme d'algorithmes
viraux, Nechvatal envoie ses fichiers par Internet ˆ un robot afin qu'il
execute sa peinture digitale. Cet emploi des nouvelles technologies digitales
pour intervenir sur la toile est appelŽ par l'artiste lui-mme, le viractuel.
Pour mener ˆ bien ses nouvelles expŽriences, il se fait aider de Stephane
Sikora et ses programmations en C++.
Ce disque rŽcemment produit par l'Institute for Electronic
Arts de l'Alfred University ˆ New York, s'emploie ˆ retranscrire en temps rŽel
les manifestations sonores des programmes d'algorithmes viraux. viral symphOny, le premier titre de 28
minutes est une crŽation de Andrew Deutsch, artiste multimedia et professeur
ˆ lÕInstitut dÕart Žlectronique de
New York et Matthew Underwood, ˆ partir des 50 minutes de field recording du
deuxime titre "raw data
file", version brute et tŽmoignage sonore en temps rŽel du travail
de Joseph Nechvatal & Stephane Sikora.
En digne
hŽritier d'une lignŽe d'inventeurs perturbateurs, Joseph Nechvatal joue avec
l'agression sonore.
Un disque extrme, parfois trs proche de la guŽrilla
Žlectronique. A Žcouter absolument!
01. viral symphOny - 0'28''
02. raw data file - 0'50''
.::.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.::..:
http://sonhors.free.fr
SoNHoRS / MARSAC
RENNES FRANCE
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Review of
viral symphOny
JOSEPH NECHVATAL
LABEL: IEA
by Dean Crandell
804noise
I've played 'viral symphOny' several times, and all I've got to
say is "WOW, HUH?,Uh Oh, Geeze, YIPES, Duh oh!" Of my 1,000 CDs, this
one stands alone. I don't have any category that could include it.
At first I thought it might blow up my stereo, and turned it
down, thereby missing some of the, shall I say "subtle" moments. Then
I checked out the system to see if it had been infected with the
"virus". It seems not too worse for wear.
Upon replays, I was able to overlook the moments that reminded
me of getting a root canal, and appreciate the interludes of what a computer
might feel is what we refer to as melody. Other moments reminded me of being
blind drunk. That made me feel kinda sorry for the poor computer. I asked
myself if the virus made it sick. Hum, what's the cure? Anti-virus???
Some of the "musical moments" reminded me of Jimi's
"Axis Bold As Love" title "EXP", and other parts reminded
me of Pink Floyd's "Umma Guma" title "Grooving in a caveÉÓ so
all in all, I guess the computer is on the right track.
-Dean Crandell
http://804noise.blogspot.com/2007/06/review-of-viral-symphony.html
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viral symphOny was voted #2 in
the top ten of free103.9 radio
--------------------------------------
Playlist
free103point9 Online Radio
May 2007 Top 10
2. Joseph Nechvatal, viral symphOny (iea)
With Matthew Underwood, Andrew Deutsch, and Stephane Sikora.
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JOSEPH NECHVATAL
viral
symphOny
Label: IEA
Reviewed by Jos Smolders
@ www.earlabs.org and http://vitalweekly.net
Somewhere
somehow the name Joseph Nechvatal rang a bell. Did I see his name on a cassette
compilation in the eighties or some such like? Ever since viral symphOny dropped on my desk, I have been
thinking about this. Through the wonders of internet I learned that Nechvatal
works with ubiquitous electronic visual information, computers and
computer-robotics'. His visual art has been on display in museums all around
the world and he is a professor in art and technology. A smaller portion of his
work is dedicated to music, and more in particular computer technology. (É) He,
together with Andrew Deutsch and Matthew Underwood, perform this 'symphony',
which, if understood correctly, is entirely based on a computer generated
composition by Nechvatal and Stephane Sikora, based on C++ programming. This
original file, spanning fifty minutes, is also to be found on this CD along
with the twenty-eight minute version played by Deutsch and Underwood. I am not
sure what the latter two exactly do here, but it seems to me that they feed the
original sound through their own pieces of software, exploring the 'nano,
micro, mezo & macro structures', but it sounds however more like an
interesting laptop jam than anything else. Occasionally noise based, with hissy
and crackly sounds, occasionally a little bit more soft, but never microsound,
ambient glitch or such like. They break the sound down into the smallest
particles or let them simply explode into the biggest cloud of noise. (É)
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