Piece for Tape

‘Piece for Tape’ is a live performance featuring guitar, vocal and interactive audio-visual system. The system functions as a collaborator in composition and performance. It can be thought of as augmenting both the songwriting process (through the inclusion of software building and use of visuals) and the performance of the finished piece (through additional channels of communication with the audience).

The system is afforded significant influence over the composition, both in real-time through ‘performative agency’ and in non-real-time through ‘memetic agency’ (Bown et al, 2014). The piece therefore balances fixed and indeterminate features so that while no two performances are ever quite the same, the identifying aspects of the song are preserved. Furthermore, the act of creating the system becomes part of the songwriting process (Richards, 2008).

In order to engage audiences, the system is designed to demonstrate the quality of ‘transparency’ (Fels et al, 2002; Bin et al, 2016), which can be thought of as a ‘network of liveness’ (Sanden, 2013). This is achieved through the use of the cassette tape as an audio-visual metaphor which informs the development of both the system and the composition. This both reveals the workings of the system and enforces the compositional theme of memory and nostalgia, providing a point of shared understanding between performer/composer and audience from which more complex processes unfold.

'Piece for Tape' has been performed at:
- MTI concert series, De Montfort University (2017)
- Noisefloor Festival, Staffordshire University (2017)

And is available online:
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lne3h2Qhms
- Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/215530031