Over the course of two four-hour events, Philip White will perform on multiple nested feedback and analysis systems. A room microphone listens to the output of a multi-channel mixer feedback system, performs analysis on pitch and timbre, then using a series of vca’s in the feedback path, tries to match what it’s hearing. Because of the complexity of the signal, the analysis is largely inaccurate and results in an unstable oscillation which superimposes itself over the unstable oscillation of the mixer feedback generating small formal structures.
[May 4+5] Phillip White: The Way the Rocks Hold the Current (III)
Phillip White
Sat/Sun, May 4+5 2013, 3-7pm
Reception: Sat, May 4 2013, 7pm
Admission: FREE
Location:
Harvestworks – www.harvestworks.org
596 Broadway, #602 | New York, NY 10012 | Phone: 212-431-1130
Subway: F/M/D/B Broadway/Lafayette, R Prince, 6 Bleeker
The Way the Rocks Hold the Current (III) is a live electronic work that tries to understand itself and fails.
Over the course of two four-hour events, Philip White will perform on multiple nested feedback and analysis systems. A room microphone listens to the output of a multi-channel mixer feedback system, performs analysis on pitch and timbre, then using a series of vca’s in the feedback path, tries to match what it’s hearing. Because of the complexity of the signal, the analysis is largely inaccurate and results in an unstable oscillation which superimposes itself over the unstable oscillation of the mixer feedback generating small formal structures.
The Way the Rocks Hold the Current (III) was developed during residency at Harvestworks in early 2012 when testing some voice reactive software in the studio for another project. I realized that even without a dedicated input (in this case voice) the system would run itself and respond quite dynamically as I opened and closed the door to the adjacent room with the microphone.
Sample: www.prwhite.net/I_Excerpt.mp3
Bio:
Philip White’s performances center on a non-linear feedback system, which consists of a mixer and several homemade circuits. In addition to his work with analog and digital electronics, White has written extensively for chamber ensembles and created a large body of intermedia pieces that explore meaning in information transmission.
He currently performs with Suzanne Thorpe (thenumber46), Ted Hearne (R We Who R We) Colonic Youth (James Ilgenfritz, Dan Blake, Kevin Shea) and Taylor Levine. Recent performances/exhibitions include Diapason (NYC), ISSUE Project Room (NYC), The Stone (NYC), Sonic Circuits (DC), Redux New Media Festival (Charleston, SC), Galerie Neurotitan (Berlin), Princeton University, Bent Festival, In/Out Festival, NYCEMF, Floating Points Festival and a featured spot on free103.9.org. He has performed with Toshimaru Nakamura, Gene Coleman, Kenta Nagai, ADACHI Tomomi, MV Carbon, Ches Smith, Michael Schumacher and many others. He has received awards from Meet The Composer, Electronic Music Foundation and Harvestworks.
Photo Credit: Peter Gannushkin