I was struck by the way the text traced the journey of creative individuals blending art and music across time. The portrait of Leonardo da Vinci as a pioneer of all-round artistic practice felt like a sturdy anchor for later movements that dissolved strict boundaries between fields. I found the chapter on abstraction as a means of communication especially moving since it showed how pioneers like Klee and Kandinsky drew on musical principles to shape visual work. Their view of composition as a polyphonic surface opened a new door to seeing pictures as dynamic arrangements of tone. I also appreciated the insights into how economic factors shape choices about identity. The idea that success can tilt someone toward calling themselves an artist or a musician felt candid and profound. This reading inspires me to question my own labels and to explore bringing multiple passions into my creative life, which I hope to incorporate in my final performance for this class.
Reading Parkinson and Bell’s paper really made me rethink what “live” performance means, especially in electronic music. I’ve been to various EDM shows and experimental gigs, and this paper put into words something I’ve often felt but never quite articulated: there’s a huge difference between watching someone press play in front of a light show versus seeing someone actually create music on the spot.
The comparison between Deadmau5 and Derek Bailey is sharp and effective. I’ve always thought of Deadmau5’s sets as more about the experience – the visuals, the atmosphere, the crowd – than the actual performance of music. He doesn’t hide that either. It’s planned, precise, and works because it’s predictable. Bailey, on the other hand, represents the total opposite: messy, unpredictable, and raw. I’d never heard of him before reading this, but the way the authors describe his improvisation made me want to check him out.
What stood out to me most was how live coding fits between these two extremes. I hadn’t thought of coding as a performance before, definitely not something that could be compared to playing an instrument like a guitar or a piano. But the way live coders type out music in real time, in front of an audience, felt weirdly intimate and vulnerable. It reminded me of watching someone freestyle rap or paint live, impressive not just for the end product but for how it’s made.
I appreciated how the authors didn’t try to argue one approach is better than the other. Instead, they unpacked different ways of being “live” and how audiences respond to effort, visibility, and spontaneity. As someone who’s always been interested in both music and technology, this paper gave me a whole new lens for thinking about performance and what we’re really looking for when we go to see someone play.
p5.js/Hydra code:
let p5 = new P5()
s0.init({src: p5.canvas})
p5.hide();
let particles = [];
let numParticles = 50;
let mode = 2;
for (let i = 0; i < numParticles; i++) {
particles.push({
x: p5.random(p5.width),
y: p5.random(p5.height),
size: p5.random(5, 20),
speedX: p5.random(-2, 2),
speedY: p5.random(-2, 2),
color: p5.color(p5.random(255), p5.random(255), p5.random(255))
});
}
p5.draw = () => {
p5.background(0);
if (ccActual[0] < 20) {
mode = 0; // Particles mode
} else if (ccActual[0] < 40) {
mode = 1; // Spiral mode
} else if (ccActual[0] < 60) {
mode = 2; // Grid mode
} else if (ccActual[0] < 80) {
mode = 3; // Starburst mode
} else if (ccActual[0] < 110) {
mode = 4; // Waveform mode
} else {
mode = 5; // Fractal mode
}
// Draw based on current mode
switch(mode) {
case 0: // Particles
drawParticles();
break;
case 1: // Spiral
drawSpiral();
break;
case 2: // Grid
drawGrid();
break;
case 3: // Starburst
drawStarburst();
break;
case 4: // Waveform
drawWaveform();
break;
case 5: // Fractal
drawFractal();
break;
}
}
function drawParticles() {
p5.noStroke();
for (let i = 0; i < particles.length; i++) {
let p = particles[i];
p5.fill(p.color);
p5.ellipse(p.x, p.y, p.size, p.size);
p.x += p.speedX;
p.y += p.speedY;
if (p.x < 0 || p.x > p5.width) p.speedX *= -1;
if (p.y < 0 || p.y > p5.height) p.speedY *= -1;
}
}
function drawSpiral() {
p5.stroke(255, 0, 100);
p5.strokeWeight(3);
p5.noFill();
p5.translate(p5.width/2, p5.height/2);
for (let i = 0; i < 200; i++) {
let r = i * 0.5;
let angle = i * 0.1 + time * 0.2;
let x = r * p5.cos(angle);
let y = r * p5.sin(angle);
p5.point(x, y);
if (i > 0) {
let prevX = (i-1) * 0.5 * p5.cos((i-1) * 0.1 + time * 0.2);
let prevY = (i-1) * 0.5 * p5.sin((i-1) * 0.1 + time * 0.2);
p5.line(prevX, prevY, x, y);
}
}
}
function drawGrid() {
p5.stroke(0, 255, 255);
p5.strokeWeight(2);
let cellSize = 50;
for (let x = 0; x < p5.width; x += cellSize) {
for (let y = 0; y < p5.height; y += cellSize) {
let distFromCenter = p5.dist(x, y, p5.width/2, p5.height/2);
let size = p5.map(p5.sin(distFromCenter * 0.01 + time), -1, 1, 10, cellSize-5);
p5.rect(x, y, size, size);
}
}
}
function drawStarburst() {
p5.stroke(255, 255, 0);
p5.strokeWeight(2);
p5.translate(p5.width/2, p5.height/2);
for (let i = 0; i < 36; i++) {
let angle = i * p5.TWO_PI / 36;
let x1 = 100 * p5.cos(angle);
let y1 = 100 * p5.sin(angle);
let x2 = 300 * p5.cos(angle + time * 0.5);
let y2 = 300 * p5.sin(angle + time * 0.5);
p5.line(x1, y1, x2, y2);
}
}
function drawWaveform() {
p5.stroke(0, 255, 0);
p5.strokeWeight(3);
p5.noFill();
p5.beginShape();
for (let x = 0; x < p5.width; x += 10) {
let y = p5.height/2 + p5.sin(x * 0.02 + time) * 100 +
p5.cos(x * 0.01 - time * 0.5) * 50;
p5.vertex(x, y);
}
p5.endShape();
}
function drawFractal() {
p5.stroke(255);
p5.noFill();
p5.translate(p5.width/2, p5.height/2);
drawBranch(100, 0, 8);
}
function drawBranch(len, angle, depth) {
if (depth <= 0) return;
p5.strokeWeight(depth);
p5.stroke(255 - depth * 30, depth * 30, 150);
p5.push();
p5.rotate(angle);
p5.line(0, 0, 0, -len);
p5.translate(0, -len);
let t = time * 0.5;
drawBranch(len * 0.7, angle + p5.sin(t) * 0.5, depth - 1);
drawBranch(len * 0.7, angle - p5.cos(t) * 0.5, depth - 1);
p5.pop();
}
src(s0).modulate(noise(5,0.1),0.1).blend(osc(15,0.2,()=>ccActual[0]/127).hue(()=>ccActual[0]/20),0.3).out()TidalCycles code:
d1 $ ccv (slow 4 "0 25 50 75 100 127")
# ccn "0"
# s "midi"
d2 $ stack [
n (arp "<up down diverge>" (slow 4 $ "a'min7 c'maj7 e'min7 g'maj7"))
# s "arpy"
# gain (slow 4 $ range 0.5 0.9 $ "0 25 50 75 100 127" / 127)
# room 0.3 # size 0.5,
n (slow 4 $ "a2 c3 e3 g3 c4 e4")
# s "jvbass"
# lpf (slow 4 $ range 300 2000 $ "0 25 50 75 100 127")
# gain 0.8,
every 3 (fast 2) $ n (slow 2 $ scramble 8 $ run 8)
# s "east"
# gain 0.7
# pan (slow 8 $ sine)
]
d3 $ slow 8 $ s "padlong"
# gain 0.6
# lpf (slow 4 $ range 500 5000 $ "0 25 50 75 100 127")
# hpf 300
d4 $ every 4 (jux rev) $ whenmod 8 6 (fast 2) $
n (slow 2 $ "0 [~ 1] 2 [3 4]")
# s "feel"
# gain 0.75
# room 0.2
# orbit 1
d5 $ every 2 (# gain 1.5) $
s "glitch:5*8"
# gain (slow 2 $ range 0 0.8 $ "0 25 50 75 100 127" / 127)
# speed (range 0.5 1.5 $ slow 16 sine)
# pan (slow 3 $ rand)
# cut 1
d2 silence
d3 silence
d5 silence
hushLink to demo video (apologies for the keystrokes, my supercollider/pulsar has been very laggy and buggy and I was not able to record from supercollider so I had to rely on Quicktime recording)
Thank you!
Following the words of the famed producer Kanye West, I wanted to incorporate a lot of the human voice into my project. My overall theme was a transition from happy, serene sounds with the backdrop of the phrase “I love live coding” spelled out, into a transition with a countdown and then a descent into madness with the phrase “pain” spelled out in repeat and it ends with the word “help” spelled out rather lifelessly.
The visuals then had to match this sequence, where I wanted the initial scenery to be colorful with pretty shapes. For the transition, I wanted the shapes to get a bit more distorted, and for the number of shapes to match the countdown so you can both see and hear the countdown for the beat drop. Right after, comes a brief moment of serenity before a descent into chaos, untilizing a lot of dark libraries as a backdrop to the prominent “pain” repeated throughout.
Making this project was a lot of fun and I am excited to see everyone’s project.
Tidalcycles:
setcps (135/60/4) -- 1. Set global tempo
happyComplex = do {
hush;
d1 $ slow 4 $ s "alphabet" <| n "~ ~ 8 ~ ~ 11 14 21 4 ~ ~ 11 8 21 4 ~~ 2 14 3 8 13 6 ~ ~"
# speed "1.2"
# gain (range 1.5 1 (slow 64 sine)) -- starts loud then fades over time
# room "0.1"
# pan (slow 8 "0 1");
d2 $ stack [
fast 2 $ s "arpy" >| note (arp "updown" (scale "major" ("[0,2,4,6]" + "c5")))
# gain (range 1.2 0.8 (slow 64 sine)),
s "arpy" >| note (scale "major" ("[<-7 -5 -3 -1>,0,2](3,8)" + "c5"))
# gain (range 1.2 0.8 (slow 64 sine))
];
-- Light percussion: gentle claps and hi-hats.
d3 $ stack [ s "~ cp" # room 0.5,
fast 2 $ s "hh*2 hh*2 hh*2 <hh*6 [hh*2]!3>"
# gain (range 1 0.5 (slow 64 sine))
# room 0.7
];
-- Ambient textures: acoustic drum loop and soft piano.
d4 $ loopAt 8 $ chop 100 $ s "bev:1" # room 0.8 # legato 12; -- # gain (range 1 0.3 (slow 64 sine));
d5 $ slow 8 $ s "superpiano" <| n "c d f g a c6 d6 f6"
# gain (range 1 0.3 (slow 64 sine))
};
happyComplex
d8 $ ccv (segment 128 (range 127 0 saw)) # ccn "0" # s "midi" -- 5.
d9 $ ccv (segment 128 (range 127 0 saw)) # ccn "1" # s "midi" -- 6.
d1 $ qtrigger $ slow 2 $ s "numbers" # n "<3 2 1>" # gain 1.5
--ctrl 4
d1 silence
d10 $ ccv "0 127 0 127" # ccn "2" # s "midi" -- 8.
d11 $ ccv "<127 0 127 0>" # ccn "0" # s "midi" -- 8.
scaryComplex2
d1 $ slow 2 $ s "alphabet" <| n "~ 15 0 8 13 ~"
# speed "0.6"
# legato 2
# gain (range 1.3 2 (slow 64 saw))
# room "0.1"
# pan (slow 8 "0 1")
d1 $ s "alphabet" <| n "7 4 11 15" --19
# gain 1.5 -- 21, 23, 25 change to 1, 0.5 0
hush
-- transitionComplex = do {
-- -- # hush;
-- d5 silence;
-- d1 $ qtrigger $ seqP [
-- (0.01, 1.01, s "numbers" <| n "3" # gain 1.5),
-- (1, 2, s "off"),
-- (2, 3, s "off"),
-- (3, 4, s "numbers" <| n "2" # gain 1.5),
-- (4, 5, s "off"),
-- (5, 6, s "off"),
-- (6, 7, s "numbers" <| n "1" # gain 1.5),
-- (7, 8, s "off"),
-- (8, 9, s "off")
-- ];
-- d2 $ fast 2 $ s "hh" <| n (run 6)
-- # gain 0.8
-- # speed (slow 4 (range 1 2 saw));
-- d3 $ loopAt 16 $ s "sheffield" # gain (range 0.2 0.4 (slow 32 sine)) # room 0.9;
-- xfadeIn 4 2 silence
-- };
hush
scaryComplex2 = do {
clutch 2 $ s "ades3" <| n (run 7) # gain (range 1.2 0.8 (slow 64 sine)) # room 0.2;
clutch 3 $ loopAt 1 $ s "dist:1" # gain 1.0;
clutch 4 $ slow 8 $ s "bass1" <| n (run 30)
# gain (range 1.0 0.7 (slow 64 sine))
# up "-2" # room 0.3;
clutch 5 $ stack [
fast 2 $ s "arpy" >| note (arp "updown" (scale "minor" ("[0,2,3,5]" + "c4")))
# gain 0.8,
s "arpy" >| note (scale "minor" ("[0,1,3,5]" + "c4"))
# gain 0.8
] # room 0.5;
clutch 6 $ slow 4 $ s "industrial" <| n (run 32) # gain 1.0 # hpf 800
};
d1 $ s "alphabet" <| n "7 4 11 15" --19
# gain 1.5 -- 21, 23, 25 change to 1, 0.5 0
hush --27
Hydra:
//S1
gradient(0.1)
.colorama(0.1 + cc[0] * 0.7)
.mult(
voronoi(5, 0.2 + cc[1] * 0.5, 0.7)
)
.modulateRotate(osc(10, 0.05, Math.PI / 2), cc[0])
.modulate(noise(()=>(cc[0]+cc[1])*3,.1))
//7. change to 3 -> 30 -> 300 -> 3000
.out(o0); // 4.
//S2
osc(20, 0.1, 0)
.modulate(noise(3, 0.1))
.add(
osc(10, 0.1, Math.PI / 2)
.modulateRotate(noise(2, 0.05), 0.05)
)
.colorama(0.1 + cc[0] * 0.1).colorama(0.1).colorama(0.1).colorama(0.1).colorama(0.1) // Subtle hue shift modulated by CC0
.mult(
shape(4, 0.2 + cc[2]*0.03)
.repeat(3,3)
//.repeat(2,2) // 11.
//.repeat(1,1) // 12.
//.repeat(3000,3000) // 13.
)
.modulate(noise(()=>(cc[0]+cc[1]) * 3, 0.1)) // 14. change to 3
.out(o0); //10. play with the 3
osc(200, 0.01, 4)
.rotate(2 + cc[2]*20)
.layer(
osc(30, 0, 1)
.luma(0.1, 0.1)
.color(0, 0, 0, 1)
)
.layer(
osc(300, 0.8, 1)
.luma(0.1, 0.01)
)
.modulate(noise(() => (cc[2] + cc[2]) * 20, 0.5)) // 0 1
.colorama(0.05 + cc[2] * 0.05).colorama(0.1).colorama(0.1).colorama(0.1) // Modulated hue via CC2
.mult(
voronoi(5, 3, 0.7) //17. change to 30, 300
)
.out(o0); //16
shape(2, 0.01).thresh().out() //22
hush() //26
Link to video.
Ryoichi Kurokawa’s art dissects and abstracts elements from vastly different scales to evoke a sense of majesty. His work involves dissecting, “de-naturing,” and distilling phenomena into abstract sounds and images to reveal the wonders contained within.
While Kurokawa’s synaesthetic approach is intriguing, I wonder if the emphasis on uniting hearing and seeing is more about overcoming the limitations of traditional art forms than a genuine exploration of sensory experience. Perhaps the “mechanical separation” he refers to is not a flaw to be corrected, but a characteristic that allows each sense to be appreciated independently.
Kurokawa embraces technological advancements while maintaining an appreciation for older forms. He is interested in romancing both old and new technologies. His installations often feature multiple screens, creating immersive environments that explore the interplay between figuration and abstraction. However, I question whether the sheer scale and technological complexity of his installations risk overshadowing the subtleties of the natural phenomena they are meant to represent. The sublime, as Kurokawa seems to define it, may be lost in translation if technology becomes an end in itself rather than a means of enhancing our understanding of nature.
Vuo is a visual programming environment designed for artists, designers, and creative developers to build interactive media applications without traditional coding. It is especially popular in fields like live visuals, generative art, motion graphics, and real-time interactive installations.
What makes Vuo unique is its node-based interface, which allows users to create complex visual and audio-driven projects through a modular drag-and-drop system. Unlike traditional coding environments, Vuo’s event-driven architecture enables seamless real-time interactivity, making it ideal for projects that require immediate feedback and dynamic responsiveness. It also supports Syphon, OSC, MIDI, and 3D graphics, making it a versatile tool for multimedia creators.
Vuo was developed by Kosada as an alternative to Apple’s now-discontinued Quartz Composer, which was widely used for real-time graphics. Launched in 2014, Vuo was designed to be a modern, GPU-accelerated, cross-platform tool that extends beyond Quartz Composer’s capabilities. Over time, it has grown to support 3D rendering, audio-reactive visuals, MIDI control, and OSC communication, making it a powerful tool for digital artists.
Today, Vuo is widely used for live performances, interactive installations, and experimental visual art, providing an intuitive and powerful platform for creative expression. It is also popular in VJing, projection mapping, and interactive museum exhibits, making it an essential tool in modern digital art.
Below are some images of what I implemented.
Noise-Based Image Generator
Simple Pattern
It’s fascinating how much expression can be packed into the smallest timing variations in music. This paper really opened my eyes to the idea that even simple, repetitive patterns can be incredibly expressive through subtle shifts in intensity and timing. It seems like the core of groove-based music lies in this interplay between a steady pulse and the almost imperceptible ways musicians play with it. It’s like they’re having a conversation with each other, using these tiny deviations in timing to create different moods and feelings.
I found it particularly interesting how the paper connects the backbeat, with its slight delay, to the body’s natural rhythms. The idea that the way we move – our feet anticipating a sound and our hands following it – might influence musical timing is pretty interesting. It makes you think about how much our physicality is tied to the music we create and enjoy.
The discussion of technology’s role in music was thought-provoking too. The absence of those human-like microtiming variations can be as powerful as their presence, and the strategic use of “robotic” rhythms can be musically meaningful. And the way musicians use technology to manipulate sampled recordings, giving them a sort of “pseudo-human” feel, highlights the ongoing conversation between humans and machines in music. It makes me wonder what is “soul” in music, and if it is really a powerfully embodied human presence? I’m starting to think that it might be related to these very subtle, almost invisible traces of the human body in music.