Murat N Konar

Murat N konar has 2 projects both very interesting

first up is 'loopqoob'

loopqoob is a physical performance system consisting of one or more sensor-equipped cubes connected to a computer based music generation/synthesis system. The orientation of the cubes determines an aspect of the music to be played.

In the implementation presented, there are three cubes. Each face of each cube is mapped to a musical motif or loop. The 'cubist' controls which motifs are played by orienting the cubes so that the face corresponding to the desired motif faces up.

aims+objectives

loopqoob is an exploration of the areas of 'near instruments', 'plastic playback', and physical computing. It is intended to be a playful and amusing way to play with or perform music. It should also be interesting to watch. Like scanjam, it makes the performance of loop-based electronic music observable in a potentially dramatic and physical way, but unlike scanjam, is more distinctly physical. In many ways, loopqoob follows on from Dominic Robson's Piano Cubes, though while Robson was investigating ways for non-musicians to make music, I am using music as a context in which to investigate physical interfaces.

here's a movie of the working prototype:
http://www.muratnkonar.com/id/loopqoob/video-finalproto.shtml

next up: 'scanjam'

scanjam is a joint project with Adrian Ashley and Mikkel Köser, and is a response to a brief that exhorted us to think of radically new ways to use scanners.

description

scanjam is a music performance system consisting of two scanners and a computer. We took advantage of the time-based nature of the scan head and mapped each scanner to one bar of music. The music is composed in two bar "modules". Objects placed on the scanner are read and depending on their color, shape, and vertical placement, trigger sounds when the scan head passes them by. When one scanner reaches its end the next scanner begins. While the second scanner is scanning, the first scanner is "rewinding".


aims+objectives

In our brainstorming for this project, we were keen to abstract the unique properties of scanners without regard to their purpose, and come up with a plausible alternative application. We also wanted to put a bit of humanity back into the performance of electronic music.
Much electronic music of the dance or loop based variety when performed live is done so behind a laptop computer. Whether the performers are actually performing or whether they're surfing the web is a fair question to ask. A system like scanjam makes the performance of loop based electronic music observable in a dramatic and physical way.


obligatory disclaimer

Because this project was aimed at generating concepts and not working examples (and because we only had one week from brief to presentation) a working version of scanjam does not exist. But it is plausible.

the video:
http://www.muratnkonar.com/id/scanjam/index.shtml

he has made some other amazing stuff but it has little to do with my research so here's the link to the homepage:

http://www.muratnkonar.com