Visual artist and composer
Data String Oscillations is composed from a selection of five audio cassettes found in Artexte’s collection (www.artexte.ca). Parts of the sound content of these cassettes were sampled and mixed with other sounds recorded in the physical environment of Artexte (metal squeaks from the library shelves, electromagnetic noises from the thermo-hygrometer, sounds from the staff computers browsing the database back-end, etc.).
The five selected cassettes were digitized as part of an archiving project, and metadata was added to the files created. This metadata was turned into a different score for each track of the album, using software that transforms alphanumeric characters into MIDI parameters.
Through this process, the album draws out a new sonic territory, different from the original cassettes, but still related to it. Overall, the album aims to highlight the originality of these selected works from the 80’s and 90’s, while giving a voice to the archival framework that allows their management and preservation.
All samples were taken from :
- Cordillera / Zone of Silence Story, by Hildegard Westerkamp and Norbert Ruebsaat (1986)
- Survival Virus de Survie : Cinq dollars / Five dollars , by Mathieu Beauséjour (1995)
- In bocca al lupo : In the Mouth of the Wolf, by Rita McKeough (1992)
- Mystery (X) Tape Sampler, by John Oswald (80's, exact date unknown)
- Stamp Axe Magazine Vol.6 No.1 : Instrumains/Handstrument, by various artists (1990)
* There is only one physical copy of Data String Oscillations, which is produced on audio cassette. This copy can be consulted at Artexte, where it is preserved.