Rainforest 404
December 10, 2019
Killian Hall
2pm Guided tour / interactive installation
2:30pm FaMLE performance with special guests
David Tudor’s Rainforest IV is a playful exploration of the sounds of the objects which populate our world. FaMLE’s interpretation of this piece embeds the resonant objects found in Tudor’s original into an environment made up of audio and network feedback. Audio feedback is prevalent in much of Tudor’s other electronic work, and is a visceral reminder of the complexity and instability of acoustic environments. Our implementation of network feedback builds on FaMLE’s practice of sharing musical and gestural cues between performers.
The combination of all of these elements will turn Killian Hall into a dynamic, unpredictable, and constantly surprising audio environment. Visitors will be invited to explore and interact with this environment, and to help with this Rainforest 404 will first present the environment as an interactive installation with guided tours. Following this will be a performance by FaMLE and special guest artists.
Best known as a pianist and for his collaborations with John Cage and Merce Cunningham, David Tudor was also a pioneering electronic musician, often building custom circuits and incorporating audio feedback. Rainforest IV was the culmination of a series of pieces which utilize audio transducers to turn arbitrary objects into loudspeakers. Audio recordings and electronic sounds are then fed into the transducers, allowing the natural resonances of the objects to shape the sonic character of the music.
The MIT Laptop Ensemble (MLE) is a living laboratory examining how new digital technologies are shaping musical performance. Using laptop computers as our /primary/ canvas, we look into how our digital lives suggest new opportunities for musical collaboration and exploration. Musically omnivorous, MLE can sound like electronic Debussy, Romulan synthpop, a luminous treefrog city, or anything in-between. Using new digital musical instruments and unorthodox performance techniques, an MLE concert provides a window into the future of live music.
FaMLE: The MIT Laptop Ensemble
Jerry Zhang
Josh Verdejo
Nikhil Singh
Christopher Lock
Yueyang Richard Fan
Ian Clester
Director: Ian Hattwick
