Associations and Dislocations is a series of projects broadly exploring the perceptual mechanisms and effects of presenting sound alongside images or objects, and the use of multi-person interfaces to encourage a collaborative sonic experience. Of interest are the emerging relationships embodied in the artworks (sonic/physical/visual, person/person, person/work)

Blow, Mike

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De Montfort University Open Research Archive

MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations				MockREF2018		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		Dr	Mike	Blow		Output:	Associations	and	Dislocations:	Multisensory	Interfaces	for	Collaborative	Musical	Experience	MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations		Output	statement			Associations	and	Dislocations	is	a	series	of	projects	broadly	exploring	the	perceptual	mechanisms	and	effects	of	presenting	sound	alongside	images	or	objects,	and	the	use	of	multi-person	interfaces	to	encourage	a	collaborative	sonic	experience.	Of	interest	are	the	emerging	relationships	embodied	in	the	artworks	(sonic/physical/visual,	person/person,	person/work).			The	works	address	several	research	concerns	related	to	multisensory	art	and	interaction:		1. The	use	of	sound	to	emphasize	or	contradict	qualities	of	an	object/image	and	the	perceptual	mechanisms	by	which	this	happens.	2. Relationships	between	hearing	and	other	senses.	3. Eco’s	concept	of	the	‘open	work’	applied	to	audiovisual	art;	exploring	semantic	gaps	between	visual	and	sonic	media.	4. Designing	the	affordances	of	multi-person	interfaces	to	facilitate	new	musical	experiences.	5. Creating	interfaces	that	appeal	to	visitors	of	all	ages,	work	irrespective	of	musical	background	and	which	reward	exploration.	6. Encouraging	collaborative	play	and	the	development	of	collaborative	strategies	among	participants.	7. Bringing	collaborative	multisensory	art	to	a	large	non-specialist	audience	through	exhibition	in	public	spaces	and	museums.		Research	concerns	are	addressed	by	exhibiting	physical	artefacts	which	are	designed	to	create	insights	into	one	or	more	of	the	research	themes.		Examples	are	visitors	intuitively	touching	the	spheres	of	Pod/Colony	upon	entering	the	work	(2,	5,	7)	or	hugging	the	spheres	to	feel	the	vibrations	(2);	or	visitors	to	Peace	Music	Project	composing	with	strangers	(4,	5,	6,	7).	In	Athens	I	provided	sounds	for	4	photographers,	exploring	(1,	3).	Papers	exploring	these	insights	are	presented	academically.		This	portfolio	has	found	a	broad	audience	and	is	becoming	known	internationally.	Pod	is	permanently	installed	in	Science	Museum	London	with	visitor	numbers	(mainly	schoolchildren)	of	500,000/year.	Colony	attracted	30,000	visitors	on	its	last	3	outings	and	has	international	bookings	for	2019.	A	new	project,	Democratic	Electronic	Music,	will	potentially	tour	UK	festivals	in	2019.										MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Supporting	Evidence:	Related	Scholarly	Activity		Blow,	M.	(2018)	Durational	Sound	Art	(presentation).	‘Bringing	New	Music	to	New	Audiences’	International	Conference,	De	Montfort	University	UK,	21	September	2018.		Blow,	M.	(2017)	On	Transformations	and	Relationships	between	Sound	and	Three-Dimensional	Form	(presentation).	Sound-Image	Colloquium,	Greenwich	University,	10-12	Nov	2017.		Blow,	M.	(2016)	Pod:	A	Multi-Sensory	Sound	Interface.	Proceedings,	3rd	International	Conference	on	Live	Interfaces,	June	29th	-	July	3rd,	2016,	Brighton	UK.		Blow	M.	(2015)	Disrupted	Architecture:	Reimagining	Buildings	through	Sound.	Proceedings,	21st	International	Symposium	on	Electronic	Arts,	14-19	August	2015,	Vancouver	Canada.	https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/handle/2086/14746		Blow	M.	(2013)	Solar	Work	2:	A	Solar-Powered	Sound	Artwork.	Leonardo	Music	Journal	Vol	23,	December	2013.	MIT	Press,	Cambridge	Mass.	USA.	Pp.	10-11.																		MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Supporting	Evidence:	Artworks		Democratic	Electronic	Music	(2019).	R+D	for	major	group	interactive	soundart	exhibition	proposal	developed	and	led	by	Mike	Blow,	including	Scanner,	Kathy	Hinde,	John	Richards	(DMU),	the	R10	Collective,	Matthew	Olden	and	Mat	Emmett	(Plymouth).	R+D	phase	undertaken	in	2018	funded	for	£6k	by	Without	Walls	consortium;	£25k	full	proposal	is	under	review,	if	commissioned	will	be	at	UK	festivals	in	2019.			MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Temps	Zero	and	Void	Sound/Image	Workshop	(June	1-8	2018).	Improvised	live	score	to	a	portfolio	of	photographs	and	film,	Institut	Francais	Athens	8/06/18.	With	13	photographers	and	3	sound	artists.	Available	online	and	as	an	audiovisual	book	published	by	Void.	https://vimeo.com/275498880	https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/handle/2086/17023			Photos:	Mike	Blow,	Stephane	Carpentier,	Nai	Wenshu	MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	The	Peace	Music	Project	(2017).	A	multisensory	interactive	artwork	encouraging	visitors	to	collaboratively	create	music	using	two	ex-miltary	weapons	control	panels	from	Tornado	fighter	jets.	£1k	support	from	Oxford	Contemporary	Music.	http://evolutionaryart.co.uk/peace.php				Peace	Music	Project	at	Supersonic,	Ashmolean	Oxford	3/3/17	and	Fort	Process	22/09/18.	Photos:	Mike	Blow	MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Peace	Music	Project:	Exhibitions		Fort	Process,	Newhaven	Fort	Sussex	22nd	Sept	2018	Supersonic,	Ashmolean	Museum	Oxford	3rd	March	2017																															MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Colony	(2016,	collaboration	with	Alison	Ballard)	is	an	evolution	of	Pod,	using	more	spheres	of	different	sizes	and	a	bespoke	20-minute	composition.		Created	with	£26k	funding	from	Arts	Council	England,	Sound	and	Music	and	Oxford	Contemporary	Music	and	produced	by	Edmund	Harcourt/Hogarth	Productions.	http://evolutionaryart.co.uk/colony.php			Colony	at	Cheltenham	Jazz	Festival	May	2018.	Photos:	Mike	Blow	MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations				Colony,	instagram	posts	by	visitors	following	Bluedot	Festival,		June	2017				MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Colony:	Exhibitions		Cheltenham	Jazz	Festival,	5-6th	May	2018	Kendal	Calling	festival,	27-30th	July	2017	Bluedot	festival,	July	7-9th	2017	Crewe	town	center,	July	1-2nd	2017	Supersonic,	Ashmolean	Museum	Oxford,	3rd	March	2017	Oxford	Christmas	light	festival,	25-26th	Nov	2016	Dundee	Light	Night,	18th	Nov	2016	Bournemouth	Arts	by	the	Sea,	8-9th	Oct	2016																									MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	TIWWA	(2016,	collaboration	with	iDAT/Plymouth	University).	An	interactive	multisensory	sculptural	artwork,	presented	at	Tate	Modern,	which	visualised	and	sonified	data	from	the	building	and	social	media.		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6tNeNYg4mE				This	Is	Where	We	Are,	exhibition	at	Tate	Modern	June	17-19	2016.	Photos:	Mike	Blow,	Mike	Phillips	MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Shadowplay	(2015).	Presented	at	Cheltenham	Jazz	Festival	May	1-3	2015.	A	multi-user	light-sensitive	control	panel	allows	visitors	to	create	their	own	‘remix’	from	recordings	of	musicians	appearing	in	the	festival.		http://evolutionaryart.co.uk/shad.php				Shadowplay	at	Cheltenham	Jazz	Festival	2015.	Photos:	Mike	Blow	MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Shadowplay	collaborators	and	texts	used	on	the	work		Jonathan	Silk	Scottish	drummer	and	composer,	recently	named	"One	to	watch"	in	Jazzwise	magazine.	Jonathan	was	awarded	one	of	the	six	Yamaha	Jazz	Scholarships	in	2011	and	the	same	year	won	the	Tony	Levin	prize	for	"the	most	swinging	drummer"	held	at	Birmingham	Conservatoire.		Billy	Martin	Billy	is	a	drummer	and	percussionist,	best	known	to	music	enthusiasts	as	one-third	of	the	indescribable	Medeski	Martin	&	Wood.	He	often	collaborates	with	other	musicians	in	improvisational	projects,	many	of	which	are	documented	on	his	own	Amulet	Records	imprint	which	he	founded	in	1995.		Mike	Blow	British	electronic	artist,	musician	and	academic.	Attempts	to	live	by	Immaculate	Heart	College	Art	Department	rule	number	4:	"Consider	everything	an	experiment".			Jamie	Cullum	British	jazz	pianist	whose	second	studio	album,	released	in	October	2003,	went	platinum	and	made	him	the	UK's	biggest	selling	jazz	artist	of	all	time.	Cullum	draws	his	inspiration	from	many	different	musicians	and	listens	to	an	eclectic	mix	of	music	from	Miles	Davis	to	Tom	Waits.		Matthew	Bourne	Pianist	and	composer	Matthew	Bourne	first	came	to	national	attention	as	one	of	the	winners	of	the	Perrier	Jazz	Awards	in	London,	2001.	Continues	to	be	in	constant	demand	as	a	pianist	and	analogue	synthesist	and	has	released	two	solo	albums.		Kit	Downes	British	jazz	pianist	who	plays	regularly	with	his	own	trio,	Stan	Sulzmann,	Troyka,	The	Golden	Age	of	Steam,	Sam	Crockatt	and	Clark	Tracey.	Kit	won	the	BBC	Jazz	Award	2008:	Rising	Star	and	a	Yamaha	Jazz	Scholarship	Award	in	2009.		Matt	Gough	Trumpeter	and	educator	who	leads	the	Matt	Gough	dectet	and	The	Forgotten	Fairground	Project,	and	works	with	The	Jonathan	Silk	Big	Band,	The	Young	Pilgrims,	the	Three	Belles	and	Mike	Fletcher	Big	Band.		Kayoko	Blow	Born	in	Osaka,	grew	up	playing	in	bands	in	Kyoto,	and	studied	art	and	music	at	City	University	New	York.	Her	interest	is	experimental	music	improvisation	in	guitar,	voice,	and	electric	devices.	For	this	piece,	she	is	singing	her	original	Tanka	(formal	Japanese	poetry,	similar	to	Haiku).	MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Traak!	(2015,	collaboration	with	Eric	White	and	John	Twycross	of	Oxford	Brookes	University).		Augmented	reality	artwork	overlaying	physical	cube	‘instruments’	with	virtual	animations	and	sounds.	A	response	to	the	itonarumori	of	Luigi	Russolo.	Part	of	the	Arts	Council-funded	AGAST	(Avant-Gardes	and	Speculative	Technology)	project.	Photos:	Mike	Blow	/	John	Twycross.	https://www.brookes.ac.uk/poetry-centre/projects/avant-gardes-and-speculative-technology/	http://evolutionaryart.co.uk/traak.php			MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Traak!	Exhibitions:		Mediacity	5	conference,	Plymouth	Univetrsity	UK,	1st	–	3rd	May	2015	Digital	Creatives	Oxford,	19th	March	2015	Audiograft	15,	Oxford	Brookes	University,	14th	March	2015																														MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Pod	(2013,	2016,	collaboration	with	Alison	Ballard)	consists	of	sounds	playing	inside	1.8m	inflatable	spheres.	The	work	is	sonic,	tactile	and	visual,	as	visitors	are	able	to	touch	the	spheres	to	gain	an	understanding	of	sound	as	a	vibratory	phenomenon.	http://evolutionaryart.co.uk/pod.php				Pod	at	Science	Museum	London	and	Barbican,	London.	Photos:	Mike	Blow	/	Alison	Ballard.	MockREF2018		|		De	Montfort	University,	Leicester		|		Dr	Mike	Blow		|		Associations	and	Dislocations	Pod	exhibitions:		Science	Museum	London	Wonderlab	Gallery,	Oct	2016	–	Oct	2021	Reading	2016,	Reading’s	Year	of	Culture	21st	March	2016	Audiograft	16,	Oxford,	09-20th	February	2016	Oxford	Light	Night,	21-22nd	Nov	2014	The	Barbican	London,	01-02nd	March	2014	Whitley	Arts	Festival	Reading,	25th	Oct	2013	

Associations and Dislocations: Multisensory Interfaces for Collaborative Musical Experience

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Associations and Dislocations: Multisensory Interfaces for Collaborative Musical Experience

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