I am sharing eleven old pieces in reverse chronological order. I don’t consider them as my best of’s, but they are more like excuses to “what happened?” and “why did I do that?” Excuses are rarely correct answers to the questions, but they are somewhat related and much more entertaining. I invite you to listen to my incoherent explanation of why I play drum machine solo instead of recording soothing summer rain sound.
Curated by Joo Won @joowonmusic himself, “Works 2019-2009” is an outstanding showcase of his development as a sound artist, in reverse. Joo Won’s music sits precisely at the intersection of sound, technology, and innovation – communicated both in his compositional processes and choice of hardware. There is no passive engagement with his music – by choice or chance, Joo Won’s music demands active listening – there are so many disparate elements to focus on, so many new sounds, that it’s always a thrill to listen to one of his pieces.
Having “Works 2019-2009” as the 20th 1473 release is perfect, really – by providing an overview of an artist’s journey, it serves as the perfect way to mark this milestone for the label. Starting with release 21, the look and mission of 1473 will shift and open up even more – I’m incredibly excited and I hope you are too!
Quite importantly, and as addressed in previous posts, today is Bandcamp Friday when Bandcamp ensures that 100% of income is passed directly to artists and labels by waiving their transaction fees. Joo Won and I are happily passing this income towards raising funds for Spread Art in Detroit, a vital independent art space, run by the formidable Shiva @shivoid
Please help support Spread Art’s mission by purchasing Joo Won’s album today. I promise you’ll be excited by all of the new sounds you hear.
Sum and Difference is a collaborative composition guideline for music technologists. Each member of the ensemble joins in an online meeting platform to process audio files according to the score. The result is new sample-based compositions that share similar characteristics. The pieces are also different due to the variety of the original samples and the ensemble member’s improvised parameter changes. For participants, Sum and Difference is more about the process of making it than the result. In the pandemic-influenced time, the joy of creating music together, the joy of creating something from nothing in an ensemble, is severely limited. But the current situation forces music technologists to experiment with collaborative methods best suited for online interaction. Sum and Difference works best when each member is on the Internet, physically alienated from the rest of the world.
by Joo Won Park
Performers
Number of performers: 4-10
Needed technology
A web folder accessible by all performers
An audio editor or DAW for each performer
Needed skills
Experience and knowledge in digital audio editing and processing
Data organization and management skills
Preparation
Make a sharable web folder
Upload recordings of non-musical sound with the file names shown in the score (A0.wav, B0.wav, etc.)
The number of uploaded audio files should equal the number of performers
Each audio file should be 2-5 seconds long
Each audio file should be distinct from the others
Each performer should plan a processing or editing technique to change an audio file
Use any DAWs or apps
Establish a short and repeatable process. The performer should be able to execute it within 5-10 minutes
Execution
Step 0. Gather using a remote meeting platform such as Zoom or Google Meet. Assign one performer to one Processor.
Step 1. Download, process, and upload the audio file from the web folder according to the score.
Each cell in the score has ▼FileName-P-▲FileName. Here’s an example of how to interpret it
If the cell has ▼A0-P-▲B1
Download file named A0.wav from the web folder
Process the sound according to the plan
Export the sound with file name B1.wav, and upload it to the web folder
Step 2-10. After 10 minutes, repeat the download-process-upload procedure described in Step 1.
Vary the processing parameters (i.e., move knobs, use different settings)
Strive to add a few more seconds of sounds
Edit and polish the sound if possible (i.e., delete the silence at the beginning, normalize, etc.)
Be consistent with the file format. Use a format readable by all platforms, such as .wav and .aif
Last Step. Share and listen to the resulting sounds. The number of final tracks should equal the number of performers.
Made by Electronic Music Ensemble of Wayne State (EMEWS) on Jan 20, 2021
Matthew Banka, Maxwel Bourgeois, Garrison Briggs, Daniel Kozlowski, Logan Macka, Benjamin Schornack, Alec Segel, Mark Whalen, Daniel Yates, Michael Younger
Forms to Ponder is a collaborative EP with Theodosia Roussos. The nine tracks in the album relate to each other in many ways. It is a culmination of my musical practice for the last six months.
Program
A form in music connects what we hear now to what we heard before. When we notice the form, we can also expect what may come next. Tracks in this album have forms best expressed with recorded sounds and digital music technology. Amidst the unfamiliar electronic sounds, I hear delightful relationships unfold. Creating and listening to this album was a fun memory game for me, and I hope to share that feeling with you.
The included bonus item is a production map that connects one track to another. More information and an explanation of how and why I made this album is available at www.joowonpark.net/cmpe.
Computer Music Practice: Forms to Ponder
Tracks in Forms to Ponder features audio apps and processes I developed for Computer Music Practice Examples (CMPE). CMPE’s goal is to show how and why I use technology to make music. The only way I know how to create the sounds and forms featured in this EP is by using digital technology. There are musical expressions only possible when sounds turn into data. The video below elaborates this idea with the usual block diagrams and Google slides.
Many is an app that generates a series of long reverb tones. The reverb time is long enough to sustain a pitch. Use your own sample and choose between five modes to create a continuous (perhaps never-ending) ambient sounds.
