Showing posts with label project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label project. Show all posts

2019-02-16

Random Words for Profit or Pleasure (call for participation...)

I've had some success (translation: fun) assembling recordings from friends into variously poetical compositions.  There was New Muses and there was Cloud Crowd Found Sound...

At the time of the latter, I was torn between doing it with nonsense words, or using genuine approved dictionary-grade lexemes.  Well at that time nonsense prevailed (I'm saying nothing...) but the idea of doing something similar with real words remained and now...  it may be An Idea Whose Time Has Come (tm).

If you would like to play, then you can use the link below to get a short random word list, please:
  1. Click the link
  2. Increase the number of words to 5 or 10
  3. (Fiddle with the word-length controls if you want)
  4. Click "Generate Random Words"
  5. Record the words using your favourite computer or phone recording app
  6. (Try to do it somewhere quiet and non-echoey)
  7. If you are feeling keen, throw in a few commonplace words like "if", "but" or "was"
  8. Send the result to me (message me in comments or on Facebook if don't know contact details...)
If you want to participate, here is the: LINK


FAQ:
  1. What will you do with the words?
    Make some sort of post-modern poetry from them.
  2. Will we get credit for our input?
    I'll put you in the credits if that's what you mean...
  3. Will we get a share of the profits, then?
    Sure!  Just as soon as I've made the first million.
  4. This isn't an attempt to steal our bank details then?
    Not as such, how could I——
  5. Or our souls?
    OK.  Moving swiftly on...


2018-06-23

Cloud Crowd Found Sound - Call for words

I so much enjoyed collaborating with nine other voices to make New Muses for a Post Human Age that I have been musing (so to speak) over what else I could do that would be similar but not too similar... and I have finally hit on this.

So what is the idea?  Well...  in music there is the idea of Voice as Instrument which gets away from singing words with meanings and instead treats the voice more like an infinitely flexible clarinet.

A striking example of such an approach is Karl Jenkins' Adiemus.  People think this is Latin: it is not, it is nonsense words constructed for no purpose except to sound right in the music.  If you wish, this is not "a song", it is a musical piece that uses the human voice as solo and harmonising instruments.

So the concept I have been toying with is similar, but changing relation between voice and poetry, rather than voice and music.  I'm intending to get a load of voice samples, and use them as rhythmic and sonic compositional elements without regard for the meaning.

Possibly this is more voice as percussion rather than instrument, except nothing like beatboxing because that would be deeply embarrassing.  Or possibly this is poetry stripped of meaning, the same way that an instrumental could be thought of a song stripped of words, but remaining an artwork.

Another idea you might like to consider is of mixing desk as instrument, or maybe multitrack recording as composition tool...

So what do I want?

Please send me a recording of your own voice speaking 5 or 10 nonsense words.

Please also send them written down so I can write out the "lyrics" if required.

Please consider your tone of voice when recording.  Choose a mood for your words: if you think you have angry words, use an angry voice; if they are small and frightened, think like a scared child while recording.  The more your words stand out in style, the more they will stand out in the finished work


FAQ:


Q. Should the words form a "sentence"?

A. Yes please!  The reason being I won't be able to build convincing sentences from individual words (without sounding like a terrible sat-nav) but I can somewhat split a sentence into single words.  However do whichever best suits your words...


Q. Can I swear?


A. If you think your made-up words are swearing and can put that in your voice, sure!  Bring it on.  (But please don't everyone do this, I need variety...)


Q. Will you use all the words you get?

A. No idea!  Depends how many I get and how the composition pans out.  Unless I get hundreds and hundreds, I will try to use at least one word from everybody who contributes.


Q. So there will be no meaningful words in this?

A. Not as an initial objective.  If I feel it cries out for some sentences added in places then I'll add them.  Those won't be the main point of the work, however...


Q. I have a horror of being made to sound like a mouse on Helium, will you be manipulating the voices?

A. Again I don't know.  I might adjust speed and obviously timing and repetition will be important.  I may add echoes and reverb.  If I do more than that it will probably be more subtle, such as adding a slight chorus behind your original voice.


Q. So what's in it for me?

A. No money.  Strictly limited fame.  Possible notoriety.  I will credit everyone whose voice I use and link some suitable website that you give me.


Q. I'm in!  How do I record myself.

A. Just use whatever phone or computer app you have around.  Try to avoid background noise.  Try to use a medium sized non-echoey room.


Q. I'm also in!  What format do you want?

A. Whatever you can create.


Q. Count me in too!  How do I send it?

A. If you are privileged to know my email, then that's good.

A. You can message me on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IanBadcoePoetry/

A. You can message me on Twitter: @IanBadcoe

A. You can record the message, forget about it, find it later, copy it to a USB key and then accidentally leave it in a bus shelter during a thunderstorm -- response time may be longer on this one...

A. If you use google drive or dropbox or something like that, then you can put the recording in there, share it,  and just send me the URL by one of these other methods.


Q. What will this piece be about?

A. Thraxty drevfel hemophrogous delanqui

A. Or possibly string.


Q. What does "FAQ" stand for?

A. Go back to the 90s and do them again.