Phil Edelstein, Nov 2025
Table of Contents
Introduction to the work in progress – First Edition
Current Drift (a combine) Edition evolved from series of sketches for a gallery of performable acoustic automata.
This was combined with a set of studies loosely under materials for new works and possibly Proxima (see below and link) as a label for a musical adaptive systems influenced by the location, engagement and orientation of the listeners and or performers. The result is a set of instruments and modules that are configured for performance and or interactive installation.
Of Sound as a Plastic Sculptural Medium
A lemma is that sound is a plastic sculptural medium that has a location and shape at a time in space. The composer’s role is to provide the possibility for the realization of the sound to be discovered by performers and listeners.
Of Sound and Vision
The work arises from formulation of sonic sculputural instruments that are live in various stages between human activity and automations.
Of recent interest is an algorithm that uses the quantized position of points in 3d space mapped to microtonal scales applied in various ways to an non-homogenous extended loudspeaker array. The point cloud is also used to generate graphic shapes to help visualize the work. These may be projected or displayed on a LCD monitor or not.
Some of the edition might use as well adaptions of readily available DMX controlled deflection lasers.
Of Complexity
The work is grounded in the mathematics of chaotic systems and the fascination of functional iterative algorithms that exhibit characteristics:
- minute change can result in difficult to predict non-linear excursions
- recurring structures at different scale and magnification
- richness of shape, dimension and behaviour
- stillness, laminar and chaotic complexity arising from singular iterative algorithems (e.g. classical attractors: Clifford, Lorenz, Mandelbrote, …)
Of Modules, Materials
The original sketches for the work include:
- Sonic figures and elements
- Transduced objects that have both an acoustic and visual presence in space
- Synthetic and Virtual Objects
- Kinetic objects
- Light
- Computer graphics
- Fabric
Materials of late:fishing poles, PVC, Acrylic globes, wood, metal, mica, plastic; of motors and magnets.
Of particular interest is implementation from a proof of concept from the mid 1980’s using closed loop control of pneumatic cylinders as kinetic haptic, tactile activators.
Of Acceleration, Position, Location, Velocity, Torque, Wobble and Wiggles, tickles and edges. of puppets and marionettes to be used a determinants in musical spatial systems.
I seek also to be able extend and orchestrate instruments and techniques from John Driscoll’s ultrasonic work Speaking in Tongues.
On Protocols and Languages
One aspect of the work is an accumulation and application of what are known technically as protocols for connecting hardware and software components. Each version if the edition will contain various application of these foundational constructs. For example:
- DMX – typically used for theatre lighting control
- IP, TCP, UDP – the foundational protocols of the internet
- Wifi – a means of wireless transmission of IP
- Midi – the protocol used to connect digital electronic musical devices
- OSC – a means of transmitting keys and values between software components developed for computer music at CCRMA at Standford
Software for Current Drift will include patching languages such as MAX and PD (and it’s variants: Purr-Data, Pd-l2ork); Javascript (JS), Python and specilaize languages such as FAUST.
Of particular note is various types of computers to contain and connect the elements and hardware and software modules. The different editions will use computer devices such a mac minis, Windows and Apple laptops, Raspberry Pi and Arduino processor. A recent generation of ESP32 based low cost devices offers new means of expression.
A Theatre Electronic
In which the fate of the characters is shaped and influenced by software.
Software as set. Software as script.
Performance and Installation
The collection of sketches to date are configurable and adaptable to performance and installation.
The role of the performer is to activate the nature of the instruments within the compositional framework.
In an installation setting, the observer is given the opportunity to become participant whose manipulations and become a figure then observed.
Proxima
One of the outcomes from the collection of sketches that took a conceptual shape was a preliminary score for a work titled “Proxima” that uses the location, orientation and proximity of listeners to a collecton of sculptural objects in a gallery (physical or virtual). A draft score and notes here.
A characteristic of the work is to be able to shape different sound characteristics from different sides or parts of the object and to modulate those based on the proximity or the listeners and which way they are facing in relationship to each other. This as much for those listeners as much as for other observers in the room (be it real or virtual). There is an underlying respect in shared listening spaces.
Collaboration
Inherent in the realization is an invitation and commitment to work with others in a cooperative style familiar from Composers Inside Electronics.
This is often in the form of non-hierarchical mutual cooperation and independence of action.
Of Texture, Haptics and Tactility
The instruments are constructed to be rich in acoustic and visual texture to provide haptic and tactile opportunity.
On Interaction
The instruments are constructed to invite interactivity and play along with significant opportunity for unintended consequences.
Collage, Montage, Collection
These works arise as audio collage and visual montage.
Design, Fabrication, Construction
The work depends on the development of hardware and software instruments and objects to be activated either with human intervention, automata or various combinations.
Composition, Orchestration
One the objects and materials are known, there is then a process of composing, of collecting and defining how the materials and objects can be accessed in space and time.
Feedback, Resonance, Bayes Theorem
The work exists as an exploration of feedback in various forms and media.
The work comes with a realization of the underlying common processes connecting resonance and iteration.
The work is in the observation and excursions in the transition and onset between silence and stillnes to laminar to turbulence.
Part of the observation is the distinction and structural compositional opportunties with complexity vs. randomness. That is to seek dimensionality in complexity that does not exist in true randomness.
The lineage of the work is with Tudorian complexity rather than Cage’ian rollng of the dice. (Nov 2024)
Of recent interest is parables on Bayes Theorem and the ramification of subjectivity and objectivity in feedback loops (shamelessly triggered by the sinking of the Bayesian).
Gestures across Media
As part of the composition, a library of gestures is to be defined. Gestures can exist within a media (video, sound, kinetic object) and can transcend or move between media.
Presentation: Performance, Installation (in person and virtual)
The work is to be seen and or heard in concert or gallery or online or combination thereof.
Origins
Many of the techniques noted here for Current Drift are extensions and refinements from a number of sources.
There is much here that started with the performance and isntrument building techiques learned from Rainforest, David Tudor and CIE. Much of the installation constructs are from Driscoll and I for Rainforest V variations.
John Driscoll ultrasonic works Slight Perturbations and Speaking in Tongues are strong points of reference along with our common interest in focused and rotating loudspeakers.
My own interest in chaotic oscillators surfaced in my early work around 1972-74 at the SUNYA Electronic Music Studio in a patch cross coupling 2 oscillators and two voltage controlled amplifiers. With the encouragement of New Music In New Hampshire instrument building fervor with Gordon Mumma, David Behrman and David Tudor. I turned this into a table top device used for Shrieks and Nuptials.
All of my own creative work is in the construction of systems as a means of expression.
Through much of 2025, there has been a development of sketches and elements:
Sketches and elements keywords (click to expand)
accelerometers, arduino, Pi Zero, RPI4, ESP32, R4, encoders, steppers, dc motors, DMX, OSC, Wifi, deflection laster, LED’s, transducers, networked, nurbs, jitter, gen~. Points of reference includinge recoding the Clifford attractor in JS; ultrasonic techniques from Speaking in Tongues and Slight Perturbations (works by J. Driscoll).
Links