NOVARS Research Centre Blog

Brona Martin will lead tomorrow's Listening Session Group at NOVARS

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:17:00 +0000

Brona Martin performing at the Islington Mill last year
during the Sonic Metaontology Festival at MANTIS

23 February 2012 @ 8 pm Studio ONE. PhD student Brona Martin has organised and liaised the second Shared Listening / Discussion Meeting of the year.
SDLs and 100% run and organised by Postgraduate students at NOVARS and it is open to our Music Students taking EA courses at 3rd year or PG level.
Listening sessions take place at NOVARS's Studio 1, with 31 Genelec speakers surround system and Custom made DACs diffusion interface, MANTIS software system and Kartadinata's Gluion System
Visit to a Sam Bar afterwards for further discussion is part of the agenda!

Undergraduate Students at NOVARS start learning game-audio using Blender

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:06:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce the start of a new course on game-audio entitled Sound for Digital Entertainment (S4DE)

S4DE focuses on the creative application and understanding of multimedia content with an emphasis on sound and music. It covers the creation of audio employing game-engine, animation and web technology, including the use of dynamic mindmaps for managing and integrating digital resources in creative environments, digital communication and media.

AIMS

To enable students to develop an understanding of how sound in multimedia environments can be used creatively for audiomedia and computer-based content production, teaching and learning, communication and broadcasting.

To facilitate critical understanding of non-linear thinking for organising and presentation of Information in the form of dynamic mindmaps

To enable students to develop the necessary skills required to build audiomedia environments for structuring, presenting, and sharing digital information and to organise and generate audio contents using new media tools.

Screenshots are part of the given environment to sonify with 3D audio, as one of the tasks. It contains three levels of complexity; an open sandpit to add collision, near etc sensors to trigger sound actuators, a floor with different materials in circles to add footsteps and a small fort with hidden dynamic objects.

23 Feb 2012 @12noon: BEASTools workshop by David Berezan - for NOVARS Composers, Studio ONE

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:52:00 +0000

NOVARS unofficial Logo

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:03:00 +0000

MANTIS 2012 - Spring Festival March 3 -4 (Manchester UK)

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:48:00 +0000

MANTIS presents concerts curated by guest composers Jonty Harrison and Diana Salazar, as well as new electroacoustic works by composers based at the University of Manchester, featuring the MANTIS multiple loudspeaker sound diffusion system.

John Thaw Studio Theatre (Martin Harris Centre), University of Manchester

Concert 1: March 3 18.00 Works by

Kingston-based composers

Concert 2: March 3 19.30 8-ch works

by Jonty Harrison

Concert 3: March 4 14.00 Works by

Manchester-based composers

Tickets:

1 concert: £7.50/5.00/4.00

2 concerts: £12.00/8.00/6.40

3 concerts: £18.00/12.00/9.60

The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama

The University of Manchester

Bridgeford Street, Manchester, M13 9PL.

Telephone:0161 275 8951

Email for enquiries: boxoffice@manchester.ac.uk

Box Office Hours: 14:00 -

16:00 Monday to Friday.

_______________________________________________

Contemporary Music from Ireland, Volume 10 includes Donal Sarsfield's Gallivanting

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:29:00 +0000

Congrats to Donal for a new CD research including his piece Gallivanting!

If you want to listen to an excerpt, please click below:

http://cmc.ie/shop/cd_detail.cfm?itemID=3069

Df #2 : Feb 16th 2012: Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester.Doors open 7. £7 (students £5).

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:23:00 +0000

Former and current PhD students at NOVARS organise and run:

Df #2 : Feb 16th 2012

Distractfold will present a new programme at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester. Doors open 7. £7 (students £5).

Programme to include:

Far-off, for string trio, 2012 – Santiago Díez-Fischer (Argentina/France). DfE Commission – world premiere.
Postcard, for violin and clarinet, 2008 – Felipe Lara (Brazil/US). UK premiere.
Clinamen clinamen clinamen, for clarinet and string quartet, 2009 – Mauricio Pauly (Costa Rica/UK).
The Sun Warms The Memory, stereo acousmatic work, 2011 – Sam Salem (UK). UK premiere.
An, for alto flute, clarinet, violin, viola and cello, 1989 – Stefano Gervasoni (Italy).

featuring:
Felix Niël, flute
Rocío Bolaños, clarinet
Linda Jankowska & Naomi Burrell, violins
Emma Richards, viola
Alice Purton, cello
Constantin Popp, sound diffusion

Production by Gosia Cnota, Linda Jankowska, Mauricio Pauly and Sam Salem. Technical setup Donal Sarsfeld and Constantin Popp.

NOVARS RSS Live Feed via Blender 3D

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:28:00 +0000

CITIES@MANCHESTER VIDEO: NOVARS+NoTours AUGMENTED AURALITY TOURS

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:12:00 +0000

NOVARS first ever Immersive Audiogame Showcase: June 29, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:13:00 +0000

Matinée with James Percival: Beyond Doctor Who: (re) discoveries from Delia Derbyshire's tape archive

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:45:00 +0000

Panel Discussion ‘Is Composition Research?’: Hawkins, Malone, Pauly

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:23:00 +0000

Psappha to premiere Andrew Garbett's new work on Friday 27th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:25:00 +0000

Pictured above Composer
Andrew Garbett
PhD at NOVARS

Friday 27th January 2012

Psappha

The University of Manchester’s Contemporary
Ensemble in Residence

- Sean Friar - Scale 9

(English première)

- Gordon McPherson - Stunt Doubles

(English première)
- Andrew Garbett - New work

(world premiere)
- Steve Reich - Double Sextet

(English ensemble première)

Psappha Unconducted

The much anticipated Steve Reich UK ensemble première would make this concert unmissable even without the rest: a younger composer from the U.S., Sean Friar, takes off from minimalism in his own way, Gordon McPherson offers spectacular impressions of three great film stunt artists, and new talent is on show from student composers.

Venue: The Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall

Time: 19.30

Admission Price: £10 / £5 / £4

Andrew Garbett

Andrew is a highly versatile composer whose experience ranges from composing solo, chamber, choral, orchestral and electroacoustic music for the concert hall, to writing music for dance, film, and youth ensembles. Andrew studied with Adam Gorb, Paul Patterson and Anthony Gilbert at the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, UK). He is currently studying PhD at the NOVARS research centre under the supervision of Dr Ricardo Climent and Dr David Berezan

Research Interests

His music ranges from highly experimental avant-garde works through to very accessible music in a wide range of genres.

Contact
Email: Andrew Garbett
Web: http://www.andrewgarbett.com/

Darragh Morgan records 'Koorean Air' in Studio ONE @ NOVARS

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:01:00 +0000

Pictured above Darrah Morgan

Darragh Morgan spent a day in Manchester to record Ricardo Climent's piece for violin and electronics entitled

The recording took place at NOVARS Research Centre, University of Manchester.

Irish violinist Darragh Morgan has a hugely diverse career. Concerto highlights include working closely with Arvo Part, performing his Tabula Rasa in the closing concert of the RTE Living Music Festival, followed by over 20 performances with London Musici/Rambert Dance Company. Numerous solo appearances with the Ulster Orchestra include the world premiere of Sir John Tavener's Hymn of Dawn which he also performed with the Istanbul Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded Donnacha Dennehy's Elastic Harmonic with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and premiered Andrew Poppy's Darwin's Sin Draw with the Crash Ensemble. Darragh gave the South African premiere of Samuel Barber's violin concerto with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and other concerto appearances include Koln Kammer Orchester and Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.

Enrique Tomas: NoTOURS returns to NOVARS with software improvements

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:51:00 +0000

NoTOURS Enrique Tomas on the left @ NOVARS studio 1

NOVARS collaborator, composer and telecommunication engineer Enrique Tomas of NoTOURS (Linz/Madrid), presented to NOVARS team some of the new software updates made for the Notours application (Android), used during last MANTIS Festival and with support by cities@manchester.

Back in June 2011, a storm of ideas after the MANTIS Sonic Metaontology project, culminated in a number of compositional suggestions to Enrique, to make the software more versatile for the type of research on exploring cities through sound at NOVARS. Five months after, and as a result of this and other workshops, he presented some powerful changes and fixes, including an offline sonic simulator with openmaps and processing

Ricardo

MANTIS and Special Guest Julio d’Escriván- 1st Dec 2011 @ 13.10, Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, Manchester

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:26:00 +0000

Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall

Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concerts

MANTIS and Special Guest Julio d’Escriván

Thursday 1st December 2011, 13.10

Julio d’Escriván: live code/editing and electronics

Ben Cottrell: Saxophone

Eleanor Gaynard: Violin

PROGRAMME

Ensayo sobre la Torpeza (2007) live acousmatic code compiling [ca. 9']

This piece and the other ‘ensayo’ in this programme belong to my series of ‘live code essays’ or works of live 'tweaking' sound art, which can be described as 'editing-performances'. I am interested in the boundaries (and possible misinterpretations by the audience!) between computer language and natural language projected on screen, but also in the creative flow of code editing as a performance. Although these pieces are not traditional live coding (as much code is prepared beforehand), edits and new lines of code are compiled and performed live in front of the audience and projected on screen. Photography and text chunks are also presented algorithmically and related to the essays. The relative messiness of the screen shared with the audience reflects the coexistence of the many media formats and the way computer composers think musically. From a conceptual perspective, the ensayos attempt a media art take on the essays of French renaissance essayist Michel de Montaigne (1533-92). In his essays Montaigne contemplates a topic and freely moves between quotation of the classics, his everyday experiences and his own philosophical musings. His writing is fresh and varied and likely to leave the reader with more questions than answers. In this he is a role model for me. I have tried to use sounds that elicit instant visual associations and play with their meaning, juxtaposing, mixing and transforming. But I am also interested in the hyper linking spirit of Montaigne's referencing and the potential for plundered media to help enrich the poetic message.

Garabesque Machine (2010) tenor sax and live electronics [ca 6']

Sax: Ben Cottrell

Although written for clarinetist Gareth Stuart, this work is not restricted to any wind instrument in particular. It explores musical patterning and the extension of the sonorities of the sax by live electronic manipulations. The piece is in an episodic form alternating lyrical melodies with rhythmic passages and wondering at how varied a sound-world can be derived from a single instrument.

The Blank Page (2011) live coding starting from a blank page [ca 7']

The title of this coding improvisation references a work that introduced me to nested n-tuplets and music programmed on the synclavier sampling instrument by the now legendary composer Frank Zappa.

eBop (2010) tenor sax and live electronics [ca. 7’]

Sax: Ben Cottrell

This work was commissioned by Spanish saxophonist Iñigo Ibaibarriaga. It is entirely composed using variations and rhythmic transformations of basic melodic cells through live coding. Using the SuperCollider computer music programming language, I set about jamming with riff ideas for the tenor sax. One variation leading to another and making use of controlled randomness in the detail of the score, I nevertheless stood back and reassembled the music from the results of my code. While I was writing (typing!) it, I could not help thinking of Lejaren Hiller and Leonard Isaacson’s Illiac Suite of 1957. In their piece an ‘etude’ approach is employed to apply contrapuntal and rhythmic variation techniques to the generated pitch material. The result was then transcribed for string quartet. Their approach was well planned and although the tones were generated randomly, the composition strategies were employed quite rigidly, one could say scientifically. ‘On the fly programming’ as afforded by languages like SuperCollider, allow the composer to test and playfully interact with their computer music work as they create it. This was not possible in 1957, yet the spirit of allowing the machine to work out the details of a composition according to rules remains a common fascination across time.

Ensayo sobre la bicicleta (2010) live acousmatic code compiling [ca. 9’]

(see the notes above)

Insect Medium (2011) Violin and Soundtrack [ca. 3’]

Violin: Eleanor Gaynard

Insect Medium was written for virtuoso Japanese violinist Mifune Tsuji who gave its first performance in October 2011. In this performance the piece included a drummer (which is optional for the performance of the piece). This music takes the ‘tape and soloist’ genre of electroacoustic music and slightly recasts it into a piece which is really intended for a remixing DJ and a live performer.

Biography

Julio d’Escriván (b.1960) is a composer and creative technologist who has worked extensively in music for commercials, TV and film. d’Escriván’s recent work includes the Cambridge Introduction book to Music Technology to be published in October 2011 by Cambridge University Press. He is coeditor of the Cambridge Companion to Electronic Music and co-author of the Chapter on Composing with SuperCollider for The SuperCollider Book published recently by MIT Press. D’Escriván has won several prizes both for his concert and film music. He has been twice winner of the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition, France, in 1987 and 1989. His electroacoustic music has been performed and broadcast internationally. At present, d’Escriván is Reader in Creative Music Technology at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Ben Cottrell is a composer and saxophonist currently based in Manchester. He is best known as the musical director of the Beats & Pieces Big Band, which he founded in 2008 as a vehicle for his own compositions and arrangements. Since then, the band has established a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging jazz groups, a reputation that is also rapidly spreading into Europe. In March 2011, Beats & Pieces were named as the winners of the European Young Artists’ Jazz Award, one of the continent’s major jazz prizes for emerging musicians, held as part of the Burghausen International Jazz Festival in Germany.

Eleanor Gaynard Ellie Gaynard is a 2nd year music student at The University of Manchester, where she studies violin under Julia Hanson. Ellie is involved with various MUMS ensembles and has a keen interest in new music, having performed with the University’s contemporary music ensemble, Vaganza. Since a young age Ellie has been involved with folk music and regularly plays for sessions, festivals and ceilidhs. Pursued alongside her classical training, this has provided her with an alternative musical perspective which has recently been extended by her study and performance of traditional Eastern European Klezmer. Ellie hopes to pursue further classical performance study after graduating next year.

MANTIS (Manchester Theatre in Sound) presents concerts of music and sound, featuring compositions and performances enhanced by the use of new technology and digital media. MANTIS combines a broad array of sonic events at the MANTIS Festival and MANTIS-in-Motion, which range from the live diffusion of acousmatic works on a 48-loudspeaker sound system (using the unique MANTIS System), to Live Instrumental and Electronics events involving large ensemble groups on stage.

The Lunchtime Concert Series is supported by the Ida Carroll Trust.

Although Lunchtime Concerts and Recitals are free, you are invited to make a voluntary donation towards their running costs.

Photography and/or recording of this performance are strictly prohibited.

Please remember to turn off your mobile phones.

S.LOW documentary FILM @ Espacio Enter, Canary Islands (17-20 Nov 2011)

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:55:00 +0000

To read more ESPACIO ENTER click here
To read more the S.LOW project, click here

S.LOW ist ein interdisziplinäres Projekt, das 34 internationale Künstler aus den Bereichen der Bildenden Kunst, der Komposition mit elektronischen Medien, der Musikologie, der Performance, des Ingenieurwesens, der Physik und des Films in Berlin zusammenbringt. Es zielt darauf ab, in der Zusammenarbeit Synergien zu artikulieren, indem sich die Teilnehmer im Kontext der Hauptstadt Berlin mit dem Konzept von ‘slow’ und ‘low’ auseinandersetzen.

S.LOW will den Austausch von Wissen und Methodiken fördern, indem die Teilnehmer unabhängig der Disziplin gemeinsame Fragestellungen formulieren. Wichtige Punkte sind dabei: der kreative Einsatz von alternativen (slow und low) Technologien gegenüber der neusten, führenden technischen Entwicklung; die Suche nach einem neuen Rhythmus im kreativen Schaffensprozess, besonders bei interdisziplinären oder gemeinschaftlichen Projekten; die Kunstproduktion, die den intellektuellen Rahmen entweder sehr hoch ansetzt oder diesbezüglich keinen bestimmten Anspruch erhebt, und ihre Relevanz für die Teilnehmer, unabhängig ob mit akademischem oder nichtakademischem Hintergrund, und generell die heutige gegenseitige Beeinflussung von Kunst und Umwelt.

S.LOW beinhaltet musikalische Darbietungen, Ausstellungen, Soundinstallationen, Screenings, Workshops und Diskussionsrunden. Aus der Kollaboration der Teilnehmer und ihrer ortsbezogenen Interaktion im Berliner Raum sollen sich langfristig sowohl die Entwicklung neuer Werke, als auch neue Verbindungen unter den Teilnehmern ergeben. Des Weiteren sollen die Ideen, auf denen das Projekt beruht, fortgeführt und umgesetzt werden.

Projektdauer: 15. Juli bis 20. August 2010

 Weitere Informationen: http://s.low-low.org

Bisher hat das S.LOW Projekt zwei Veranstaltungsorte in Berlin gewinnen können: '91mQ' im Stadtteil Friedrichshain und 'NK' in Neukölln. Zwei andere Veranstaltungsorte haben prinzipiell ihre Zustimmung zur Teilnahme gegeben, zwei weitere werden zusätzlich angemietet (Einzelheiten sind dem Programm zu entnehmen).

Das Projekt wird größtenteils von Cross-Disciplinary Frog Ltd. koordiniert, einer gemeinnützigen GmbH mit Sitz in Manchester, UK. Cross-Disciplinary Frog Ltd. beruft sich auf zwei Jahrzehnte Erfahrung und den Einsatz auf den Gebieten der Darstellenden Kunst, der kreativen Tonkunst, der Wissenschaft und digitaler Technologie.

Zielsetzungen:

die Möglichkeit für gegenseitige Anstöße durch Ideenaustausch und gemeinsame kooperative Projekte
ein interdisziplinäres, internationales Zusammenkommen von Kreativen zur Entwicklung neuer Schnittstellen der künstlerischen Medien
die Durchführung unterschiedlicher Projekte: 22 neue Werke, 4 Diskussionsrunden, 5 Workshops, 10 praktische Projekte
eine ortsbezogene Einbindung der Stadt Berlin im theoretischen Konzept
das Zusammenbringen von Teilnehmern unterschiedlichster Fachrichtungen mit den Künstlern
die Möglichkeit der Zusammenarbeit für junge Künstler mit Kunstschaffenden mit bereits mehr Erfahrung

Das Prinzip:

Die Teilnehmer des Projekts S.LOW wurden von den Direktoren aufgrund bestimmter, folgend benannter Kriterien ausgewählt: eine intensive und reflexive Werkbetrachtung; ein internationales Tätigkeitsfeld; unterschiedliche Disziplinen und Arbeitsbereiche, die interessante Ergebnisse bei der Zusammenarbeit versprechen. Ein weiteres Kriterium für die Kompatibilität der Teilnehmer ist eine bereits erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit mit den Direktoren bei diversen vorhergehenden Projekten.

Das S.LOW TEAM

NOVARS Activities: Phonography field-recording trip on bicycles (and the ST350 Ambisonics)

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:41:00 +0000

Space Group meeting at NOVARS (PGs)

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:40:00 +0000

Rodrigo Constanzo (NOVARS): Free circuit-bending workshop (in Manchester, UK)

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:44:00 +0000

Rodrigo Constanzo

NOVARS Postgraduate student Rodrigo Constanzo is running a Free circuit-bending workshop (in Manchester) later this month. If you want to sign-up or drop in, check it out:

Title: Circuit Bending Workshop

Location: MadLab

Description: If you’ve ever wanted to get into circuit-bending or DIY electronics in general, this circuit-bending workshop, presented by The Noise Upstairs, will give you an introduction into the art of bending. Over the course of two sessions you will learn some basic electronics and soldering, and end up with your very own circuit-bent toy!

*You must provide the toy and components yourself.

Start Time: 13:00

Date: 2011-11-26

End Time: 16:00

http://www.thenoiseupstairs.com/2011/11/circuit-bending-part-2/

http://www.rodrigoconstanzo.com

http://www.madlab.org.uk

MANTIS Festival Rigging timelapse- Fall 2011: 4 hours in less than 2 minutes!

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:51:00 +0000

MANTIS Festival Rigging - Fall 2011 from NOVARS Research Centre on Vimeo.

Time-lapse photography from the MANTIS Sound Diffusion System rigging on the 27-28 Oct 2011 (Cosmo Rodewald Hall) by UG and PG students at Novars Research Centre

Matinee by Rodrigo Constanzo (NOVARS Master student) finally posted

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:49:00 +0000

NOVARS MATINEE: Rodrigo Constanzo - 24 Mar 2011 from NOVARS Research Centre on Vimeo.

New Postgraduate at NOVARS complete course on the ST350 Ambisonics and Surround Sound decoder plugin

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:47:00 +0000

Training by Ignacio Pecino

NOVARS composers at Chris Watson's event in Lancaster's LICA

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:27:00 +0000

Chris Watson

Chris Watson performance at LICA - Wednesday 9 November, 7 pm, LICA building

From 54 degrees North on the shores of Morecambe Bay to 78 degrees South beneath the surface of the frozen sea off the coast of Ross Island, Antarctica. Chris Watson is one of the world's leading recorders of wildlife and natural phenomena. He traces a sonic connection through the rhythm and music recorded in the largest and most sound rich habitat on our planet.

Chris Watson records for and makes programmes for BBC Radio 4 for the Natural History Unit, based in Bristol, England. He has also recorded for BBC TV, and was one of the main sound recordists used by David Attenborough for his award-winning series of programmes which included The Life of Birds, The Blue Planet, Life In The Undergrowth, The Life of Mammals and Life in Cold Blood. Chris Watson has recently contributed sound recordings to the new BBC TV series by David Attenborough, The Frozen Planet.

Chris won a BAFTA for Best Factual Recording for The Life of Birds in 1998.

http://www.chriswatson.net/

----

Event organised by

Dr Felipe Otondo

Lecturer in Music

Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts (LICA)

Lancaster University (B138, County Main)

NOVARS composers discussed sound for games with sound designer from Sony!

noreply@blogger.com (NOVARS) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:18:00 +0000