For humans as a species, rituals have been a way of, amongst many other things, connection. Through the æons, rituals have been a pivotal centre of passage, either of age or ancient knowledge, a kind of practical dialectics that fuses not only the mind and body but also both of them with the Beyond. Rituals also have been a vehicle of social connection, moments of bonding and proximity through a physical experience shared in a specific situation, time and space.
As human societies shifted in form and content, so did rituals and their music, from the tribal gatherings to the urban tribes and clubbing of today.
This is a virtual archaeological sound experiment on the juxtaposition of old ritual sounds and modern synthesizer presets and vocoders. Through algorithmic analysis of high-level and low-level audio descriptors, resynthesis and Artificial Intelligence-guided reconstruction of old, low quality recordings, we intend to induce the clashing of ancient spectral vibrations and new synthetic forms of the same sounds, sequences and chord progressions, forced to cohabit in the same auditory space and being made physical by the same speaker column. We intend to catalog and study the resulting reaction by measuring heat signals and body movements of a sample audience. Furthermore we will also interview random participants in order to try and map graphically what was conveyed mentally during the experiment.
The results will be analysed and presented in a digital slideshow, allowing for the video projection of a series of digital representations of the conclusions reached in this study, as per habit in contemporary academic contexts.
As human societies shifted in form and content, so did rituals and their music, from the tribal gatherings to the urban tribes and clubbing of today.
This is a virtual archaeological sound experiment on the juxtaposition of old ritual sounds and modern synthesizer presets and vocoders. Through algorithmic analysis of high-level and low-level audio descriptors, resynthesis and Artificial Intelligence-guided reconstruction of old, low quality recordings, we intend to induce the clashing of ancient spectral vibrations and new synthetic forms of the same sounds, sequences and chord progressions, forced to cohabit in the same auditory space and being made physical by the same speaker column. We intend to catalog and study the resulting reaction by measuring heat signals and body movements of a sample audience. Furthermore we will also interview random participants in order to try and map graphically what was conveyed mentally during the experiment.
The results will be analysed and presented in a digital slideshow, allowing for the video projection of a series of digital representations of the conclusions reached in this study, as per habit in contemporary academic contexts.
Experimental digital archeology of ritual sounds
Luís Kasprzykowski
2020
Luís Kasprzykowski (Challenger, Failed Architect, Hooded Menace, Survival Kids), nascido no Porto, estuda cinema e sound design. Dedica-se à música electrónica integrando o colectivo Portuense FACA MONSTRO. Com foco na bass music, explora o conceito de espaço, do impacto físico do som e da envolvência atmosférica que a manipulação sonora proporciona. Integra diferentes projetos como músico mas trabalha essencialmente a música electrónica de improviso e a produção musical. Com extenso trabalho ligado ao cinema, ao vídeo, à performance e ao teatro, mantém na música ao vivo e no clubbing o palco principal, com participação activa junto de colectivos e/ou editoras como a Ácida (PT), Favela Discos (PT), Marvelous Tone (PT/GER) e DigDug (NY).
Luís Kasprzykowski
2020
Luís Kasprzykowski (Challenger, Failed Architect, Hooded Menace, Survival Kids), nascido no Porto, estuda cinema e sound design. Dedica-se à música electrónica integrando o colectivo Portuense FACA MONSTRO. Com foco na bass music, explora o conceito de espaço, do impacto físico do som e da envolvência atmosférica que a manipulação sonora proporciona. Integra diferentes projetos como músico mas trabalha essencialmente a música electrónica de improviso e a produção musical. Com extenso trabalho ligado ao cinema, ao vídeo, à performance e ao teatro, mantém na música ao vivo e no clubbing o palco principal, com participação activa junto de colectivos e/ou editoras como a Ácida (PT), Favela Discos (PT), Marvelous Tone (PT/GER) e DigDug (NY).
