Avatar Orchestra Metaverse
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http://du-store-verden.no/artister/artist.php?2007112722382294975
The three dimensional virtual enviroment of Second Life is both the homebase and the contextual base for the Avatar Orchestra Metaverse. The Avatar Metaverse Orchestra is equally much a tool for performing as it is a vehicle for continued experimentation. The Orchestra works with its growing repertoire of compositions made especially for it and for this virtual environment. What is unique with the Avatar Orchestra Metaverse, is a size that makes it possible for them to work with sound within virtual environments in a vastly more fluent and varied way than can smaller constallations. The Orchestra approach Second Life as an instrument itself.
The Orchestra doesn't have a fixed size, and it will never get to a that either. It is an ever changing mix of backgrounds and generations shaping the Orchestra at any time. What it do have at present is a dedicated core, and in many of the projects the Orchestra also works with guest performers and guest sound installations. To approach the idea of an orchestra in such an elastic manner makes the logistics easier as the performers are based globaly on planet earth.
The Orchestras lack of membership constitution contribute to the esthetics as another aspect of the indeterminate process of live performance in Second Life. In addition to the changing body of the Orchestra, there are plenty more factors in play. So, even if the Orchestra perform composed pieces and do follow a score and a conductor, the result is dependent on both the performers and the virtual environment in which they play. All the public spaces in Second Life are more or less open for cooperation and interaction, and provides a variety of contexts to play in and with.
In the spring 2007 the Avatar Orchestra Metaverse arose to the needs to perform two projects rather simultaneous, one by Hars Hefferman and the other by Maximillian Nakamura. When performing compositions, the Orchestra primarily works with audio samples. There are many ways to trigger audio samples within Second Life, and the Orchestra builds its own virtual instruments specific for each piece. This way each individual performer are able to trigger sounds independent from one another. These instruments also feature visuals and animations, and performances of a jumping, hovering, floating, dancing and twirling Avatar Orchestra Metaverse is a truly spectacular event.
(only a few pieces in our reportoir)
Fragula (2007)
Composer: Miulew Takahe; Instruments and animations by Bingo Onomatopoeia; also occasionally using with Gazira Babeli's animationsculpture Come Together; Premiered at PgUp?, Notice Gallery, London, June 2007.
See: http://www.creativemachinery.org/oi.html
The Heart of Tones (2008)
Composer: Free Noyes; Instruments and animations by Bingo Onomatopoeia; Premiered at Voice++ Festival at Open Space, Victoria with additional performers Sum Noyes, Trombonejen Wigglesworth, StuArtnoise? Sass. Dedicated to the memory of Toyoji MacDonnell?.
Pwrhm (2008)
Composer: Humming Pera; Instruments by Bingo Onomatopoeia; Set architect Goodwind Seiling; Premiered at Deep Listening Women and Identity Festival, Weaver Gallery, New York.
Rue Blanche (2007)
Composer: Miulew Takahe; Instruments by Bingo Onomatopoeia; Premiered at Ljudrum Eskilstuna, Eskilstuna, May 2007.
Composer: Wirxli Flimflam; Instruments and animations by Bingo Onomatopoeia; Set architect is DeThomas? Dibou; composed site-spesific for the Virtual Haidplatz built by Jori Tokyo; Premiered at PgUp?, Notice Gallery, London, June 2007 with additional performers Jannne Janus, Junivers Stockholm and Way Sands.
Wee.No.Kresh (2007)
Composition and instrument builder: Bingo Onomatopoeia. Premiered at virtual Haidplatz.
Software:
Second Life (open source), and also Open Sim (this is a little premature at this moment, but this change fast), and simple open source software prior for the making of samples. Instruments are made and scripted within Second Life.
High-res image:
Avatar Orchestra Metaverse improvise in AngryBeth? Shortbreads sound installation Super-Collider. Photo: Leif Inge