Algorithmix:
Well, perhaps before we start I should first mention, that I would prefer
to answer your questions in English, if you don't mind?
Ik begrijp uw vragen wel, maar mijn Nederlandse uitspraak is
niet so goed.
NCRV:
How did you get the idea of using radio plays?
Algorithmix:
That is, I guess, because we feel that the radio play is the ultimate radiophonic
genre. And also very Dutch!
NCRV:
How did you select the radio plays that you used?
Algorithmix:
Well, we did not really select them. We just asked someone who has a
very large collection of radio plays. We just said, please, give us sixteen
different ones. But we did tell them that we wanted "Sprong in het
Heelal" and "Paul Vlaanderen", because those we think
are the all-time classics.
NCRV:
What processes did you apply to the sound-material?
Algorithmix:
Uhm, it's mostly just mixing. There are 16 input tracks, and they are turned
on and off, at various volumes. And there is equalizing, and panning, and the
standard effects that everyone uses, like reverb, echo, and pitch-shift. All
these things are changed at random.
NCRV:
Did you pay attention to the opposition between drama and algorithm?
Algorithmix:
No no the piece is not it is not about some polarity between human
emotion and the rationality of the computer, if that's what you have in mind.
But you know what the opposition is, between the radio drama and the algorithm?
It is that I think that all this drama in these radio plays is completely fake.
That is what the algorithm deals with. What it does is, it tears the radio
plays apart, it shreds them into pieces, it turns them into a big mess. So the
whole thing becomes much more like the real life of real people. A big mess!
NCRV:
What was the division of labor between Remko, Alcedo, and Van?
Algorithmix:
That wasn't always clear to me. They talked a lot and they seemed to have a
lot of fun. But the real work was done by a Macintosh computer, and a Yamaha
ProMix mix-board, and a lot of tape-recorders. But if you are particularly interested
in the people, I think Van Lagestein is the one who came up with the
idea of using radio plays for this piece. First they worked on a different piece,
which would involve doing a random mix of all kinds of live radio signals. I
myself I interacted mostly with Alcedo Coenen, cause he was writing the programs.
The others were just talking.
NCRV:
Is there enough variation in this piece? How should one listen to it?
Algorithmix:
Well, this isn't entertainment, this is art! But you asked how to listen to
it, and that is a good question. As an answer I would say, do not treat
it as a piece, as an object that you try to comprehend. Treat it as an
environment . . . Immerse yourself in it . . . Make belief you're listening
to the radio!
It is true that
the whole thing came out of a relatively simple algorithm, but I find it striking
that the result is in fact rather complex. If you give it the same kind of attention
that some people give to Karlheinz Stockhausen or Louis Andriessen, the result
will be much more rewarding.
NCRV:
But is 25 minutes not too long?
Algorithmix:
No, certainly not! It should go on much longer. In fact we had wanted
to do a similar piece that would go on for at least a whole day, but preferably
for several weeks, or forever. Cause that is what we want. The music
should go on forever, and then people can decide for themselves when they want
to tune in and when they want to tune out!
But apparently,
the radio stations aren't ready yet for such pieces. They just see all sorts
of practical problems. It is really too bad. I really don't understand why anybody
pays their luistergeld with the kind of programs they get these days.
IAAA