Author: Ziya Vhora

For my research project, I chose to experiment with the platform LiveCodeLab 2.5

LiveCodeLab 2.5 is an interactive, web-based programming environment designed for creative coding and live performances. It allows users to create 3D visuals and generate sounds in real-time as they type their code4. This unique platform is particularly suited for live coding, more particularly visuals as the range of sound samples that are offered are not much.

Live coding lab has however, many samples to work with, meaning it is an excellent introduction for perhaps younger audiences or those that are beginning their journey with live coding.

Unfortunately, I was looking forward to experimenting with sound manipulation, however, I found that this platform worked mainly with manipulating and editing visuals. Therefore, I decided to expand and start polishing my skills with live coding visuals.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YrtH6dgI-Y8YJtzzENxbCvzYfVMTkSlP/view?usp=sharing

What Is Live Coding? 

From the reading, I managed to gain an insightful understanding of what Live Coding is.From my own perspective, I would claim that it is a practice of improvisatory live performance through the use of code. Ultimately, we use code to connect ourselves to our artistic desires and visions, and doing it in real time means that there is a level of improvisation that live coders indulge in. Therefore I do agree with Ogborn’s resistance to define live coding — as it gives it a fixed state, and does not acknowledge its flexible nature. 

Live coding removes the curtain between the audience and the performer — to project the code from the screen, the audience can connect with the performer by being able to visualise how the programmer thinks in real time. Thus the act of writing in public adds an element of interactivity, honesty, and even creativity — all of which are pillars to the process of live coding.

This article explores a nuanced perspective on the nature of rhythms and patterns in African American music. However, I found the exploration of technology’s role in music production particularly thought-provoking. It made me realise that the evolution from early drum machines to sophisticated sampling techniques reflects a fascinating interplay between technological advancement and the desire to capture human-like expressiveness. The use of technology in music can be a tool to sharpen or elevate or even make the process of music composition easier. The examples of artists like Miya Masaoka and Laetitia Sonami, who blur the lines between acoustic and electronic sounds, demonstrate how technology can extend rather than replace human creativity. 

I find that there is an ongoing dialogue between technology and human expression in music – yet it continues to challenge our understanding of creativity, embodiment, whilst also dangerously pushing the boundaries – if those exist. For example, electronic music often plays with the tension between human and machine rhythms, creating a continuum between bodily presence and an electronic rhythm.