We know what the white girls say, and what flute players say, and even what black guys say to pregnant girls. But what don’t you know who said what to whom? Has anyone said this shit?

A live search engine for all the shit people say. Over 700 videos at last count.
A collaboration with Lindsey Weber and Tanner Ringerud at BuzzFeed.

Speed Project: 8 hours

ScratchML, like GML, is an XML-based format for storing information about the position of the record and crossfader during a scratch performance.

This is a “beta” release of the .SML file format, with sample data for 1 turntable and 1 crossfader. The format is designed to accomodate multiple turntables and crossfaders and a wide variety of data capture techniques, but we’ve only field-tested it against the basic 1 deck + 1 mixer scratch setup, which is what we were working with this weekend.

The two most important fields are:

• <turntable> — stores data about the playback position on the record as a consistently sampled stream of floats, with <samplerate> samples per second.
• <fader> — stores data for crossfader movements, ranging from 0 (full-left) to 1 (full-right). This data is stored only when the fader actually moves, and is stored as <p> (position) and <t> (time) tuplets.

Sample data produced by LM4K, mostly baby scratches and flares: XML / JSON

Spec + commentary:
ScratchML r6 beta spec:

The ScratchML.com database can also automatically convert from XML to JSON for use in javascript visualizations. Change the .xml file extension to .json, and optionally pass a JSONp ?callback= parameter, like this.

During Art Hack Day we converted SML to OSC and broadcast it over the wifi for realtime visualizations — more info to come about that.

I am very pleased to finally publish this new project I’ve been working on the last couple months (def. not a Speed Project ;) It was premiered last week at my solo show opening ‘Reply All’ at [DAM] Berlin.  If you are in town drop by, check out the show and make your own mask! FOR FREE!!

‘Reply All’
Solo show: Aram Bartholl, January 28 – 10th March 10  2012
[DAM] Berlin, Neue Jakobstr. 6/7, 10179 Berlin

Materials:

• polysterol 1-1,5 mm, 23 x 33 cm
• plaster
• hose, hose connectors
• clamps
• vacuum hand pump, (camping supply)
• toaster
• wooden board, rods
• stop watch
• original, prototype or master mask to make copies from

Tutorial:

1. positive plaster cast from mask
2. additional plaster modeling (chin and forehead) optional
3. negative plaster cast from model to obtain master mold
4. include hose, hose connector and holes for decompression in the cast
5. toaster parts rearranged to heating board, mounted on stand
6. heat 1mm polysterol approx. 2 min in 6cm distance
7. and keep pumping !!

all pics on flickr!

Vacuum forming is a quite old technique and is used a lot in mass industry especially packaging and such. The lid of your coffee cup is vacuum form i.e. Students in product design are used to vacuum form their prototypes, it’s a very common technique in that field. You also find all kinds of tutorials on the web how to build your own DIY vacuum former (Instructables). The one I am proposing is less flexible in what you can produce but are able to produce the same piece in a rather fast cycle (2:30 min) The setup above was inspired by this video.
I think we live in a super interesting era. This is just the start of a paradigm shift from mass industry production to self DIY fabrication. And it s going to get very interesting with all the patents and copyright issues for physical objects very soon. Like Cory Doctorow puts it: “… to fight what we thought was the final boss at the end of the game, but it turns out it’s just been the mini-boss at the end of the level, and the stakes are only going to get higher.” I am super curious to see someone print a pair of Nike sneakers on the new makerbot replicator or just imagine Apple would sue everyone because your DIY tablet looks like an iPad. It might happen soon. – Aram Bartholl 2012

Build your own vacuum forming gear today. Copy, experiment and remix! Start coping physical things! And keep pumping!! ;)

Transparent Guy Fawkes

“You don’t know the power of the dark side! We are Legion. The force is with you. Expect us. Join the dark side !”

Darth Fawkes

a.k.a. Tim Pritlove … ;)

“How To Vacuum Form”
by Aram Bartholl 2012

SML (Scratch Markup Language) is a new file format for recording and replaying turntablism. We’ve developed open-source tools for accurately capturing the record and crossfader movements of a scratch DJ, allowing us to analyze, transcribe, and recreate scratch performances.

We want to do for turntablism what Graffiti Markup Language has done for tagging — especially teaching giant robot arms how to scratch.

At Art Hack Day we collaborated with other artists and programmers to develop the first prototypes of ScratchML. We used timecode vinyl to capture record movements ($10) and a hacked VCA fader + Arduino to record the crossfader ($30).

Scratch data was saved to disk as .sml and broadcast as OSC, which allowed other Art Hack Day participants to build visualizations based on what the DJ was scratching during the exhibition. The apps ranged from spinning-vinyl animations and TTM transcriptions to insane exploding 3D pizzas and a side-scrolling videogame shooter controlled by scratches.

Our goal is to make capturing, replaying, and sharing a scratch performance accurate and easy. SML files can be freely uploaded and downloaded from the ScratchML.com database. We’re particularly looking forward to improving the experience of learning how to scratch — e.g. by building apps that show you just how accurate your autobahn scratches actually are.

Throughout the week here on FAT we’ll be publishing ScratchML projects created during Art Hack Day, data specs, source code, hardware modification details and more.

Want to get involved? Join the ScratchML mailing list, follow us on GitHub, or email me with any questions. More info to come at scratchML.com

More photos here

My goals as KATSU are to motivate vandals and accumulate FT’s.

I have turned graffiti into a game for myself where the objective is to gain “FT’s” or “FameTokens tm.” in the most effective ways possible. Any and all FT’s are good for business so placing my name in people’s lives, and in unique ways is the main objective.

Because I’m new to F.A.T. I figured I should show off some of the things I’ve made. I’m very excited to meet the crew and get grinding on some sick ideas.

Powers video – homage to eames powers of 10 film.  shortlisted for guggenheim show

Mochaccino – “world’s largest graffiti exhibition”?  sounds perfect to me.

Picasso – barely made it out of this one.

Obama’s crib – had my friend waiting on a suzuki gsxr to get me the fuck out of there

Fire Safety – kids need new toys

Fire Hazard – my new toy

Kinect Russian Roulette is a speed project by Theo Watson, which allows you to play Russian Roulette with just your hand and a Kinect.

The project was made in 3 hours at the Art Hack Day at 319 Scholes and is made with openFrameworks 007 and ofxKinect.

This project is tongue and cheek and is not endorsed by anyone or any brand. Just a ridiculous idea which needed to be made :)

Code ( very messy ) will be posted to github.

Links:
Theo Watson: theowatson.com
Art Hack Day: http://319scholes.org/art-hack-day
openFrameworks: openframeworks.cc

Kyle McDonald and I will be developing a new project at the upcoming Art Hack Day in Brooklyn, which culminates in a public art exhibition at 319 Scholes on Saturday, 1/28 at 7pm.

Internet, you are invited to attend. There will be art, technology, free beer (as in beer) and free source code (as in speech). and $3 beers. The source code remains free.

Over the next few days Kyle and I will be working on the first prototypes of Scratch Markup Language, an open-source system for capturing, describing and digitizing turntablism.

Want to get involved? Sign up for the ScratchML mailing list, follow @scratchML on GitHub or join #fatlab IRC and ping @jamiew

The USB ports on my computer are treated with respect. However sometimes I am in a hurry and do not have the time to properly “eject”. I feel very bad for my computer because I know it’s not voicing how it actually feels every time I insert or “eject”.

Every time you insert or “eject” any USB device your computer makes a sexual moan. The noise could be a woman’s moan, a dog bark who knows, a scream, no matter what it is shit would be ill.

People should have more expressive experiences with their comps (companions-computer).

I aint a programmer.  is this a difficult task?  am i a sicko?

I’m convinced that nobody in the US would accept having a president named Mittens, so I am releasing a tool to highlight his real ( and rather cute ) name.

Screen shot of the installed extension:

A huffington post article made that bit more silly:

An example google search (before & after installing Mittens):

Install Mittens:
What are you waiting for? Get Mittens Now!

Click to install Mittens Chrome Extension

Download and Install Mittens Safari Extension ( then double click to install )

Click to install Mittens Firefox Extension ( 1.0.1 – New! )

Note: Firefox version was automatically made with this tool and isn’t working on google search results. Working on getting it working 100%. Update: Thanks to Greg Leuch – we have a much better 1.0.1 Firefox version, with google search result integration.

You can grab the code or contribute to the project on github:
https://github.com/ofTheo/mittens/

Credits:
Made by Theo Watson.
Thanks to Greg Leuch for Shaved Biever which the Chrome version is based off of.
Icon is from the header from this cat heavy Mittens Romney site.

One of my favorite pages from my upcoming book! :) In the shelves in the next couple weeks! Thx to everyone involved in this book!!

ARAM BARTHOLL
The Speed Book

Perceptive and entertaining investigations of digital culture.

Edited by Domenicio Quaranta
Design by Manuel Bürger
Publisher: Gestalten

With essays by:

Josephine Bosma,
Jonah Brucker-Cohen,
Jon Cates,
Lindsay Howard,
Alessandro Ludovico,
Evan Roth,
Bruce Sterling,
Brad Troemel