a laboratory for audiovisual interaction and visual polypoetry. //work in progress...
Real-time sampling play, an experimental performance in which time connects the relationships between interactive audiovisuals, the spoken word and gestural performance. Delay, repetition, polyphony and other concepts used in sound are applied to digital polypoetry.
This project was conceived and developed at the interactive arts lab organised in the lead-up to the IDN festival in Barcelona in 2007. The core programming was presented during the festival as an interactive installation called 'Playmodes'. reflexus began to take shape during 2008, as a result of Eloi's collaboration with Santi Vilanova. The initial concept and script were then applied to the live context with Jordi Teixidor, producing a first stage of 'Playmodes' that is adapted to gesture and the spoken word.
During 2008, reflexus and 'Playmodes' will continue to develop in the field of dance, and a free software program for processing video and sampling video and audio in real time will be prototyped and made available to artists and choreographers.
Eloi Maduell - video and concept Jordi Teixidor - text and action Santi Vilanova - music and sound
Loop is an International Festival & Fair for Video Art . Barcelona . May 2008 . Reflexus was shown as part of the specific Festivals Program, curated by Girona's VAD festival.
Mapping festival is one of the most influent festivals in the audiovisual performances scene. Reflexus was shown in the cinema Spoutnik in the Usine, Geneve. May 2009
What follows is an overview of the modes we used for the development and performance of the reflexus show. The images you see are the Reaktor modules that act as a GUI, and also as part of the logic driver for the video core designed with openframeworks. The whole communication is done by OpenSoundControl protocol, as audio and video run in separate machines.
These GUI can be controlled through MIDI, which facilitated us thelive performing and sequencing of the show.
1. Delay
The Delay mode delays the video signal for as long as it is set. It can be configured to delay the signal an int. amount of miliseconds, or it can be delayed by a divisor/multiple of the beat, allowing synchronization with audio signals.
2. Random
The random mode moves the playhead of the AV signal to a random position. It can also work in the ms and bpm mode. When the bpm mode is set, the jumps of the playhead can be quantized to beat divisor/multiple step, which is usefull when working with music, mainly with rhythm, allowing not to loose the beat feeling.
3. L8P
The L8P mode can store 8 different AV loops and reproduce them polyphonically.
4. Recloop
The Rec-Loop concept is similar to the overdubbing audio effect. It basically allows cyclic recording of AV without deleting the previous content, but summing the new content to the existing one. Rec-Loop also implements an audio envelope follower, which allows to start the video recording triggered by the audio when it goes above a certain treshold. This envelope switch can be set to just trigger video recording, but also as a continuous parameter that controls the video opacity.
5. Reverse
The reverse mode records an AV phrase and it immediately puts it backwards. Through the use of an envelope follower which triggers AV recording when a certain threshold is reached and adjustable Attack and Decay times, Reverse can be configured to listje just silabes, words or entire phrases.
6. Repeat
The repeat effect, which is not 100% a mode, but a permanent effect at the end of the modes chain (what means that can be always used, no matter what mode is on) performs repetitions of the last n beats, linked to a bpm. Repeat can perform event control quantization, in order to correct human imperfections whn triggering the effect.
7. Tap
A tap tempo algorithm that gives us information about the tempo musicians are playing. It is usefull in situations when not electronical music is played,in order to trigger the modes synchronized to the beat.
