viral symphOny

in 4 movements

with pOstmOrtem

 

1h 40mn

 

Composed 2006-2008

Dedicated to Marie-Claude Nechvatal

 

CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 100

 

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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/

 

 

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Downloadable at

www.archive.org

http://www.archive.org/details/ViralSymphony

 

 

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and Continuo

http://continuo.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/joseph-nechvatal-viral-symphony-complete/

 

 

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Joseph Nechvatal Interview

http://www.vimeo.com/3908524

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

ByContinuo

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''

 

 

 

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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/

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

 

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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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RETURN