[-empyre-] introduction: altzero

[Anthony Rowe <ant@squidsoup.com>]

hi all

really interesting stuff going on here - great conversations.

i'd like to introduce 'altzero', selected as part of Web3DArt.

'altzero' is an ongoing project that is searching for a broader perception 
of recorded and interactive audio - looking at alternative ways of 
'exploring' sound and audio composition.

altzero3 is a loop-based spatial composition - each loop is spatially 
positioned and represented by a column of bubbles.  You can stay in a 
section for as long as you like, discovering the subtle intricacies of the 
interplay between each nearby sound.  the result is almost an audio 
freeze-frame; in a sense removing the rigid temporal aspect of 
sound/composition and replacing it with a spatial one that is far more 
flexible and easy to manipulate.

interesting things start to happen when you consider that wherever you 
leave the mouse (and so long as you don't move it) your path will always 
form a circle - a loop (this is because you are actually moving over the 
surface of a sphere).  so what you hear becomes a loop of loops, all 
overlapping, that never-the-less changes in small ways with each cycle, as 
the loops synchronisation varies...

as you move through the space you leave a trail behind you - a spatial 
record of your audio experience (as what you hear at any point is 
determined by your position and bearings).  anyone who follows your trail 
will get a very similar sonic experience to yours.

the aim is that by using 3D visuals to represent the sounds in space and 
having the ability to choose your direction of travel adds to the 
understanding and perception of the audio - it clarifies the position of 
each sound, and gives a sense of direction and scale to the environment.

 -- ant

anthony rowe
squid s o u p
www.altzero.com