Godfried-Willem Raes

"Seven Quaver Evertire"

"Simple Triple Ouxercuse"

"& QuadRadar"
or

"SQE v STO 4QR"

for an nude dancer, laptop performer and robot orchestra

The two compositions "Seven Quaver Evertire" and "Simple Triple Ouxercuse" were originally written in 1977 and scored for variable (percussion) instruments and a number of musicians varying between 3 and 13. In 2003 we revised and combined both pieces such that the computer can take the role of 5 musicians performing the pieces. The instruments make use of all percussion components in the Logos <M&M> robot orchestra. The resulting new piece was designed to be completely interactive and receiving its inputs from a dancer. Hence the tempo is fully derived from the movement speed of the dancer, whereas dynamics depend on the size of the moving body surface at any instant. Musical voices are triggered depending on position in space. To this end the authors "Quadrada" gesture control interface, based on radar detection, is used. For this reason, the performer has to be nude. The laptop performer can remap the instruments in real time and has control over a few extra musical voices confined to the robots <So>, <Bourdonola> and <Harma>.

The automats are restricted to the following:

• <Troms>
• <Rotomoton>
• <ThunderWood>
• <Piperola> (only its percussion is used here)
• <Bourdonola>
• <Harma>
• <Player Piano>
• <Vox Humanola> (only the castagnets <Casta> are used here)
• <Klung>
• <Vibi>
• <Springers>
• <Dripper>
• <So>
• <Flex>
• <Tubi>
• <Belly>
• <Puff> (added 2004)
• <Llor> (added 2005)
• <Vacca> (added 2006)
• <Vitello> (added 2006)
• <Psch> (added 2006)

These robots constitute almost the entire robot orchestra built by the author up to the end of the year 2006. The setup on stage takes at least 120 square meters. The dancer should be placed central, surrounded by the automats.

Although the duration of the piece is not limited in the software, it should be restricted to somewhere less then 30 minutes. The minimum duration should be 8 minutes. The 'score' is completely embedded into the software.

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First performance: 09.09.2003 - Ghent, Logos Tetrahedron, M&M ensemble, with: Emilie De Vlam and the author.

Second performance: 18.01.2005: -Ghent, Logos Tetrahedron, M&M ensemble, with: Kristof Lauwers (laptops) and the author (movement).

Further performances: 22.11.2006: Ghent, Logos Tetrahedron, M&M ensemble, with: Kristof Lauwers (laptop), the author and Marian De Schryver (movement).

A sample CD recording, with Emilie De Vlam and the author, is available on the Logos Public Domain Label, LPD014: Robodies

 

Godfried-Willem RAES

Public Domain,september 2003/ january 2005