'Beauty is crystal, rationality, precision, simplicity … The sublime is infinity: infinitesimal, immense, indescribable. Mathematics is beauty in its purest form.' -- Ryoji Ikeda
Introduction
'Leading Japanese electronic composer/artist, Ryoji Ikeda, focuses on the minutiae of ultrasonics, frequencies and the essential characteristics of sound itself. His work exploits sound's physical property, its causality with human perception and mathematical dianoia as music, time and space. He has been hailed by critics as one of the most radical and innovative contemporary composers for his live performances, sound installations and album releases. Using computer and digital technology to the utmost limit, Ikeda has been developing particular "microscopic" methods for sound engineering and composition. Since 1995 he has been intensely active in sound art through concerts, installations and recordings.
'His albums +/- (1996), 0°C (1998), matrix (2000), op (2002; all Touch), data.plex (2005) and test pattern (2008; both raster-noton) pioneered a new minimal world of electronic music, employing sine waves, electronic sounds, and white noise. Using computer and digital technologies, his audiovisual performance test pattern (2008) and concerts datamatics (2006 – present), C4I (2004 – 2007) and formula (2000 – 2006) suggest a unique orientation for our future multimedia environment and culture. With Carsten Nicolai, he works the collaborative project 'cyclo.', which examines error structures and repetitive loops in software and computer programmed music, with audiovisual modules for real time sound visualization.
'His ongoing body of work, datamatics, is a long-term programme of moving image, sculptural, sound and new media works that use data as their theme and material to explore the ways in which abstracted views of reality – data – are used to encode, understand and control the world.' -- transmediale
Further
Ryoji Ikeda Website
Ryoji Ikeda -- a restrospective @ 5:4
Resource of Ryoji Ikeda Links
Ryoji Ikeda @ Myspace
Ryoji Ikeda's 'Test Pattern' reviewed @ Popmatters
Frances Guerin on Ryoji Ikeda's '+/- [ the infinite between 0 and 1]'
Ryoji Ikeda's publications
Ryoji Ikeda Discography
Buy Ryoji Ikeda's albums @ raster-noton
Stills
Interview
from Japan Times
How do you see music changing?
Ryoji Ikeda: We know that we can't concretely predict how music will be in the future, but everybody knows that music will definitely change. Of course, this is not only about music changing, this is about everything changing. It seems to be obvious that the form, style and way of representation will be endlessly transformed by technological trends, which has long been a tradition within music — from the invention of notation, or instruments such as the pianoforte, to digital downloads today. But I am more interested in thinking about what will not change — I naively believe that the essentials of music will never change.
What about "entertainment"?
RI: As long as capitalism continues, entertainment will always be driven by the stock exchange. Aside from such dry thoughts, I like to believe that popular entertainment genres will always have a mutant or alternative form, such as art films in the movie industry — that any genre always keeps its "Art," that which raises questions and encourages deeper considerations about the genre itself.
Who were your original inspirations?
RI: Most of the mathematicians in our modern history, especially Leibnitz, Cantor, Godel, Grothendieck.
What is your creative process like?
RI: The process happens in a trial-and-error and a back-and-forth way. It's an adventure between the hands and the brain that is both systematic and intuitive, and cannot be generalized. For example, first I make different cookbooks for each project or work — the score or "idea" making. I then follow this plan, preparing all recipes carefully — the production process — and then every single element is judged intuitively by the chef at the very moment when he starts to cook — the live performance or installation of an exhibition. I think this is quite normal for any artist.
What are the most important recent technological advances for what you do?
RI: Many interesting things have happened in the last decade, especially in the development of multitask platform technology for computers, which enables anyone to program their own software. This is a breakthrough for me, since programming requires us to learn very sophisticated computer languages. I myself don't do programming, but to see a new way of thinking among a generation is interesting — as if to witness a major new wave or trend like with DJ kids a decade ago. To me, a drastic shift in people's way of thinking like this is always more exciting than its trigger.
What are your expectations for the next generation of digital artists?
RI: When young programmers grow up and become mature, I believe they get very close to a border between pure math and what they are doing. In the age of (the Greek philosopher) Plato, music was a science (and part of math), and some of the genuine programmers may well come to accept this great concept in the future, even if they are not conscious of what they are doing for art. And then, at some stage, perhaps the music industry will disappear.
Excerpts from 10 works
Test Pattern, Sónar 2010, Barcelona
Spectra, Sónar 2010, Barcelona
Matrix (cut)
Ryoji Ikeda@Mutek Mexico 2007
2009.04.30 @METRO
@ Territorios Sevilla (26.05.2007)
Per Se
data tron 8K enhanced version @Ars Electronica Festival 2009
Grec 09
Carsten Nicolai & Ryoji Ikeda - Cyclo - Mutek_10
----
*
p.s. Hey. Just to give you an early heads up, I go to Utrecht later this week to perform 'Them', and since I don't know where I'm being put up or what if any internet access I'll have while I'm there, I'm going to give you a long weekend. The last post for this week will be on Thursday, and then I'll be back in Paris and with you again on Monday. Consider it an Easter holiday, if you like. ** Chris Cochrane, Hey, C. Oh, okay. Maybe we should add some new rewards as new incentive? Everyone, I alerted you some days ago to the fact that there's a Kickstarter-based money-raising effort going on to help find the funds to finish the mixing and production of the hopefully upcoming soundtrack album to 'Them' that is scheduled to come out on John Zorn's label. Apparently, the donations have stalled out. We need $2500 to complete the needed work, and we have $886 pledged as of this morning. So let me say again that if you have some spare dough and would like to help Ishmael, Chris, and me out, please consider sending a little bit our way, thank you. The Kickstarter page is here. Yeah, I'll see you up there on Thursday. I'm excited and very, very curious. ** David Ehrenstein, Hey. That party sounds pretty sweet, and that's awesome news about the new Resnais. I had kind of thought he might be through with filmmaking based on how unwell he looked at Cannes last year. Fantastic! Oh, yes, I certainly do recall your Mark/Marty entry. Nice Ayn Rand/FaBlog. Everyone, go see what the masterful Mr. Ehrenstein has done with that odious Ayn Rand over on his incorrigible FaBlog. ** Thomas Moronic, Hi, T. Thanks a lot for the great words on and to Colin and Kevin! ** Kiddiepunk, How can you be watching me through my wall when you are in my chateau? It's technically impossible, don't you know. ** Sypha, Ha ha, I love how a post-modernist spin can be used to justify anything. Who needs religion when we're got post-modernism to solve all of our niggling little problems? ** Alan, Hm, well, if I had it to do all over again, I would have responded to David's question off-blog. Again, as I said, the novel is written expressly to be read in book form, and when you read it, you will understand what I mean by that. I mean, there'll be galleys in less than two weeks, man, for goodness sake. If you really want to read it early, I'll see if I can get HP to send you one. Big no on the interview transcripts, ha ha, and those were some very fine thoughts on Colin's book, thank you. ** Schoolboyerrors, Hey. Being a vegetarian in Paris means almost never eating satisfactorily in restaurants, but there are a few vegetarian eateries, and at least two very good ones: Passage Oblige (in the Marais) and Soya (near Pere Lachaise). I don't know Le Mayju, but you can bet I'll look it up and try it out pronto. Thanks a lot. Pretty killer that you got to see that seemingly last Whitehouse gig. I missed out on the live Whitehouse experience, unfortunately. Happy Monday, man. ** Tosh, Hi, T. Thanks about the post and for ordering the book! I'm trying to leave a few strategic 'hms' and 'ums' in there. But it's scary to find out that I talk like a lawnmower mows. ** Wolf, I think that Paris restaurant Soya is vegan. I'm trying to remember. Well, the interview took place over four days, which seemed like a good idea at the time, ha ha. Use the wedding as your suit buying excuse, no? What more excuse do you need, you know? And on your interview transcript idea, a big no, ha ha. ** Steevee, No, my file still won't open, but a tech-headed friend gave me some things to try, so I'm going to give them a shot today. ** Math, Hey! Email, cool, I'll go find and read it when I finish this. ** Ken Baumann, Hi, Ken! I was talking with some friends this weekend, and one of them mentioned that they're rebooting the 'Robocop' franchise, and we were trying to decide which rising young actor would be the most interesting, freshest choice to play Robocop, and we decided it was you. What do you think? You could be the first experimental writer/movie idol crossover superstar. Awesome that you got to hang with Blake and Justin, and, yeah, sure, I know that Thai place. It's pretty good, as I recall. And I'm super glad that you'll be around LA in May. I'll get you my dates as soon as I know them. Best to you, buddy. ** Colin, Hey, man. Oh, like I said, it was a total honor, and thank you. It all went pretty well, I think. Lots of hugely deserved praise, interest, and/or purchases. ** Chris (British), Hi. I don't know Ryszard Kapuściński's 'Shadow of the Sun'. Really interesting, hm. I've noted it, and I will do my utmost to score it. Thanks, man. ** Killer Luka, That drawings is totally amazing. Word. Big word. Everyone, feast your eyes on this amazing new drawings by the amazing artist Killer Luka. Go on, do it, share my whoa. Wowzer, pal. Incredible! ** Todd Colby, Hello, Mr. Colby! It's always an honor. Thanks a lot for the Colin props. How are you? My ultra-best and respect to you. ** David, Hi. I don't think the Honore film has opened in the States. I think it has played at a festival or two there. Christophe said it was being released in the States the last time I saw him, but he said he didn't know when. It's just out on DVD over here, and it's coming out on DVD in the UK and Spain soon. ** Bill, Hi, Bill! That link/Tomita thing looks really interesting. In fact, rather than link people up, I think I'll put him in the Varioso post I'm working on. Thanks! Is everything squared away with the Recollets? ** The Dreadful Flying Glove, Weekend was a work weekend, mostly. 'Pig Lib' is a gorgeous album. Malkmus talked my work up in The Wire? I didn't know that. That's so cool of him. He rules. Wow, I'm obviously liking that whole guitar thing from the 'playing again' to 'Blanket Roll Blues' and beyond. Do it. You started on some Days? You mean like, Days for here? Oh, man, do I so need such things at the current time, and, oh, would I ever be so incredibly grateful to you. Damn. You not only get luv in return, you get love. The whole, unselfconscious motherfucking emotion. ** Pisycaca, Sunday, yes! I'll write you back today. Fantastic. And speaking of fantastic, holy shit! That's such a great thing and story about Bradford and the egg and you. How scary and amazing to get up on stage for that. I want to hear a lot more about that when I see you, and, in the meantime, I'll go find those Facebook pix. Killer! ** Caleb, Hi, Caleb. Welcome to here, and thank you for being here. Yes, Matt explained in brief your Rohmer thesis to me, and I've been excited about it ever since because, as you probably know, I adore the 'Perceval' film and your approach/ thesis sounded thrilling. Thanks a ton for the link. Yeah, I'll go watch that the second I get through writing this p.s. A real pleasure to have you here, and please come back anytime, and lots of respect to you. ** Misanthrope, Hey, G. That is some ouch on the brakes front. Man, ugh, but smashing into some car would cost a lot more, I guess. Plus, being stuck in a wheelchair isn't all that trendy these days. So Gregory Smith is getting all hard-edged? Hm. That I wouldn't mind seeing. ** Inthemostpeculiarway, Oh, French breakfasts have orange juice too. You can choose between juice and coffee and, uh, Evian, or you can have all three. Which is what I do. Yeah, I don't want to jump the gun on the Gaga album. The proof will be in the pudding, as they say. I wonder where that strange saying comes from? My editor speaks French, and he's also trying to get some o.o.p. Harry Crews novels back into print, so that explains the purchase. That sleeping, curled up cat as fetus image was disturbing and simultaneously very nice. 'No Strings Attached' just opened here, but it's called something else entirely. I can't remember what. Something to do with sex. Like 'the sex vacation' or something, but in French. You didn't sound like a bad person. It's good that you found your friend's necklace. What's inside the heart? Is it too complicated to explain? Fran Drescher has a new show? Is she still using that voice? Is that her real voice? I guess I've always figured it wasn't and that it was like Cyndy Lauper's Brooklyn voice. My weekend: Unfortunately, the huge majority of it was spent editing that interview with occasional short periods where I would feel completely brain dead and have to stop. During one stop, I met with my agent and showed him my progress, and we talked about that, so that wasn't really a break. I also went out for coffee with Kiddiepunk and Oscar, which was a nice break. We decided to actually go do something today rather than just meet for a coffee because they're going to Italy for Easter tomorrow and won't be back for eight days. I don't know what we're going to do, though. We'll find something. Probably art-related. What else ... not much. I talked to my sister. My family has erupted into a new stressed out, battling interaction about doing a memorial service for my dad, and it's just the usual horrible mess with my psycho brother causing all the problems, and I'll spare you the details. Yury and I were both going to do our laundry, but someone vandalized and wrecked the Recollets laundry room, so it's off limits. This is the second time that's happened. There's some selfish hothead staying here apparently. Uh, yeah, really, I spent almost all of the weekend scratching up and revising a print-out of my interview with a pen, and so I guess if you can imagine that, you know pretty much what I did since I last spoke to you. Today .. we'll see. How was yours? ** Jheorgge, Hey! I took some time out this weekend to look at your new work on the site, and I loved it. Pretty much all of it. That newest writing was fantastic, for instance! Kudos! I think I missed Gag Gang Dance. I think it was last night. And I also missed Oneohtrix Point Never, which is more painful. I just spaced out on the date. Oh, thanks about my turn in 'Homme au bain'. That's awfully sweet of you. It was really, really interesting to do. What does your week ahead look like? ** Slatted Light, Hey, D! Well, 'Last Spring' is a series of projects. The big maze piece will be the conclusion, and it has to be ready by early March of next year when it's scheduled to premiere. We're doing these 'LS' prequel pieces too. The first one premiered last month and is going to tour around. It's a boy robot talking to and with his evil-seeming hand puppet in this set designed by Gisele and Stephen. It's kind of like a trailer for the maze piece. And we're doing four 'LS' prequels in the form of zines that will start coming out in a month or so. It's a weird project, but I think it's going to be pretty great if we can get it right. Yeah, 'Bitter Angel' is incredible, right? Amy is the best. True, I'm fiddling with/writing some new fiction. It's always easier for me if I have fiction to work on. Otherwise, I feel really scattered. I'm not sure what the new fiction will add up to if anything. It's just an experiment. I need to get my voice far away from the 'Marbled Swarm' voice and to somewhere as new as possible, and this experiment is part of that mission. And it's a good idea to get on that now because the writing I'm doing for the maze piece is related to the 'TMS' voice, but I want it to shift it away a bit too. If that makes any sense. Thanks, man. You take care too. ** Right. I was lucky enough to see a performance/ work by Ryoji Ikeda a week or so ago, and it was fantastic, and I thought I'd share his work with those of you who don't know it or who already know it and would like a hit. See you tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment