Monthly Archive for October, 2009

Databending: Where next?

Published on 29/10/2009 in Blog. 2 Comments Tags: Graphics, Image file formats, Scalable Vector Graphics, SVG, vector.

I’ve been exploring databending for awhile now and whilst I quite like it I do wonder where it can go next, or rather, where I can take it next. Whilst I like the chaos and apparent random results achieved in opening up an image file in a hex/text editor and mucking around I feel that more could be done with the result. I feel that the modified image (or sound) should part of a design, not the design itself. With that in mind I’ve been doing an experiment mixing the chaotic but more controlled output of Alchemy and several modified images

Essentially what I have done with the images is applied a clipping path to them using a few of the shapes present in the original image. There of course is then scope for editing the SVG in similar ways.

This is a very similar technique to preparing a .psd with many layers and then modifying it. It has been discussed whether this way of using the resultant image constitutes databentbending, but you could argue that with databending you’re attempting to reproduce and control the output of a glitch or error and so if you’re then able to control it it is no longer an error.

Regardless of classifications I’d really like to see where I can take databending next and how I can incorporate errors into design.

Chiptune Marching Band

Published on 26/10/2009 in Blog. 0 Comments Tags: band, chiptune marching band, Hack, hacking, hackney, london, Marching band, Music, openlab, space studios.

On Saturday 24th October I was at Space Studios in London to attend the Chiptune Marching Band workshop. I was really excited to go to this as I haven’t had a chance to dedicate my time to a single project with my breadboard and Arduino board.

After introductions we got down to making our noise making device. Essentially we were following instructions from a booklet, but more in depth explanations to how the different parts work were available if requested. My device had a light sensor which altered my sound, as shown below.

Once we finished our devices, which happened rather quickly, we took to the streets of Hackney to engage the masses in our noise!

There was a performance from pixelh8, Dave Giffiths (who I saw at OpenLab earlier this year) and others later on in the evening, but a slow train back home meant I had to miss it.

As usual this is exactly the sort of thing I’d like to see happening in Birmingham and the West Midlands. fizzPOP, which I run with help from Nikki and others, and 8Bit Lounge are going some way to filling this void and hopefully there’s some good news coming up in the next few days.

All You Can Eat Zine

Published on 17/10/2009 in Blog. 1 Comment Tags: Birmingham, gallery, gallery of owls, publish, sunflower lounge, zine, zines.

Zines by a.a.s Group, Lizz Lunney and ATTA girl

On Thursday night there was a whole host of cultural events going on in Birmingham. The one that I spent most of my time at was the All You Can Eat Zine event at the Sunflower Lounge hosted by Gallery Of Owls.

Since last year they’ve been regularly making atheir own zine, the GZEAN. Soon after An Endless Supply appeared and from the amount of zines available last night it seems like there is a small, but dedicated zine culture in Birmingham, which is definitely inspiring and reassuring for people looking to start their own.

The general price range was about £2 for a zine, which seems fair. Taking a flick through you could take a guess at how some were produced. For example, you could see that An Endless supply is made on computer with desktop publishing software (and possibly the a.a.s Group zine) whilst ATTA girl and GZEAN are clearly put together by hand. In a way it’s reflective of how times have changed and access to tools increases and learning curves to use software decreases.

There were also a few performances. First up was Richard Peel who did an adaptation of Dracular in about 10 minutes. The two actors mimed to the vocal track which really did make it funnier!

The next that I saw before I had to leave was Pez on drums. He had ambient music going throughout the speakers which he drummed along to. In a rather experimental twist he’d sometimes hit his guitar with his drum stick which worked quite well. Have a look and listen for yourself.

(The sound didn’t come out as expected, but I like it more for that reason)

Going to this event really inspired me to start up a zine again. Midge was right in saying that you can sometimes overthink yourself out of doing a zine and part of it is just getting up and doing it.

Watch this space!

8Bit Lounge

Published on 11/10/2009 in Blog. 0 Comments Tags: 64, 8bit, bit, chiptune, Commodore, Commodore 64, computers, Game Boy, gameboy music, nintendo, sega.

I’ve been helping run a night at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath called 8Bit Lounge. To explain what it is imagine the coming together of beer, Gameboy music/chiptunes and old consoles!

There’s been two nights so far, the most recent being Tuesday 6th October, which you can read about over at fizzPOP.org.uk. We’re somewhat lacking in 8Bit consoles (the lowest bit number was a 32bit Sega Saturn with 10-player Bomberman) but that’s something I hope to remedy when I get my Commodore 64 down from the attic

I’d like to see more things like the improvised music that we had at the last night and also things like livecoding, which has taken off big time in London recently. Still, it’s all early days.

The next night is on November 3rd so come on down!