I’ll be performing with the Carbon Dioxide Ensemble (Co2E) at Denver Noise Fest. The fest starts today on Dec 21st and our set is on the second night on the 22nd.
See my recent article Spread the Word – Denver Noise Fest VII 2016 is On!!! December 21-22 Globe Hall.
The Carbon Dioxide Ensemble is a collaboration with myself, Thomas Lundy, and Victoria Lundy, and . In this ensemble we focus on live improvisational performance of Musique concrète. In this unique act I use the Elektron Octatrack dynamic performance sampler to live sample Thomas Lundy as he manipulates a Copper Heart and other objects which with dry ice. Victoria Lundy accompanies on Theremin and Reaktor.
Octatrack Is Essential for Live Sampling and Improvisational Real-Time Sound Design
The Octatrack is aptly named as a “Dynamic Performance Sampler” and is perfect for this sort of gig. The Copper Heart has a contact mic on the bottom. When Tom articulates the heart with dry ice, the metal start shearing at a microscopic level causing the heart to resonate. He can also bang and scrape the ice on the heart. I capture this in real-time and then build instruments on the fly to compliment what both he and victoria are playing. I have some percussion samples in the wings and some other fun oddities that I can quickly can pull into the equation if the improv demands it.
I find it more fun, challenging, and interesting to perform without a safety net in this regard and forego a cue mix and just program the Octatrack “tracks” live in the PA – mostly performing in real-time in chromatic or slots mode. I use scene morphing to do things like pull the harmonic content of the heart into bass territory so I can “light up” the sub-woofers in the room. One fun “move” is to use the crossfader mapped to sample playback rate to tune the sub-harmonics to achieve sympathetic vibration with the room. It’s pretty epic to hear in person :^)
Video
It’s all pretty unusual and fun. Below is a video of a past performance. Audio is from GoPro mic so doesn’t really do the audio justice – but will give you a sense of the act.
Safety First
Oh, and if you working with dry ice, don’t forget to wear your safety goggles.
Mark Mosher Multimedia 
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