Textuell and data.flex

TCS121: Intro to Sonic Arts

November 3, 2015

Blog 5

Reading: Caleb Kelly's Sound p. 80-86, 162-165

Audio: Oval's "Textuall" and Ikeda's "data.flex"

1. Describe the sounds you hear in "Textuell" and "data.flex."  Try to use more adjectives, and avoid describing the works in terms of genre or other music you've heard (which your reader may not know).  How are the sounds in these two pieces the same? Different?
1. The sounds I hear from both audio pieces are very "tech/electronic" sounding. Textuell has a constant beat and rhythm, with consistent sounds, such as a tiny ring every so often, as well as certain "instruments" that make the same sounds over and over. It sounds like it was created digitally, or at least it sounds like recordings that were then manipulated digitally to sound electronic. There isn't a huge shift or change in the piece. At certain moments there is a slight shift which transitions into a new tempo, but overall, the piece is rather constant. 
2. Ikeda's data.flex is similar in that it sounds like it was digitally created. However, it starts off with random static sounds that make it seem like the file is broken, then transitions into the actual piece. Like Textuell, it has a consistent beat and use of the same sound elements over and over again, such as a static ringing sound that pops in and out. It's different in that it does have elements and moments in the piece where it abruptly stops or shifts, whereas Textuell was more subtle in its shifts. 

1. Describe how the sounds make you 'feel' in all senses of the word.  Do you have a physical reaction? An emotional one? Describe.  Also write about how you listened to the works (in headphones? a noisy room? late at night while sleepy?).  Did the conditions of your listening contribute to your response to the pieces?
1. The sounds from both pieces made me feel at ease because the beats were in a constant tempo, with not huge surprises. It made me feel like I was in an electronic, futuristic, almost dystopian mood because I associate tech sounding audio with dystopian futuristic movies. The static elements of the pieces also made me think of the buzzing of electronics or the static and sounds of when they are broken. I listened to the pieces late at night in my room with one earphone, because my earphone set is broken. I feel the conditions of my listening helped me focus on the audio, because I did not have any other distractions. However, if I had both earphones functional, I would feel more immersed into that intended audio environment these artists had in mind. 

1. Analyze the pieces (and your response) in terms of time vs. duration as set out by Cox in his article (above).
1. The pieces were created to play within a certain time period, and only lasts for a certain amount of time. However, these pieces could be repeated for an unlimited duration because at the beginning and end of the pieces, there is enough breathing space to loop the songs without sounding like it was unintentional.