Bret Battey | De Montfort University (original) (raw)

Book Chapters by Bret Battey

Sound and Image: Aesthetics and Practices (Andrew Knight-Hill, ed.), 2020

The author’s Estuaries series of audiovisual compositions (2016-19) draw together investigations ... more The author’s Estuaries series of audiovisual compositions (2016-19) draw together investigations into novel methods of abstract animation, generative music and audiovisual counterpoint. This article explains key aspects of some of these concerns and how they contribute to particular aesthetic qualities of the works. The animation technique was based on visualisation of Nelder-Mead search processes that seek the brightest or darkest points in a source image. This process can create unpredictable and complex textures and temporal behaviors that can seem perceptually unified and coherent due to the consistent shape and behavioral vocabulary of the algorithm. The music was created with the assistance of the author’s Nodewebba software, which implements his concept of variable-coupled iterated maps. Algorithmic integration of these two techniques, and mixing discrete events with articulation of continuums, helped to establish a hierarchically organized “fluid” audiovisual counterpoint. Given the limits of automated linking of visual and musical algorithms that are not perceptually informed, the author argues for an “audiovisualisation-assisted composition”, where generative audiovisual materials serve as a starting point from which an artist elaborates and edits heuristically.

The Oxford Handbook of Sound and Image in Western Art, 2016

This chapter considers the historical lineage and conceptual origins of visual music, addressing ... more This chapter considers the historical lineage and conceptual origins of visual music, addressing the turn to abstraction and absolute film in visual arts, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century, and the turn to mimesis and spatialization in music, particularly through the acousmatic tradition after World War II. The chapter proposes a convergence between visual artists and musicians that prompted the former to embrace time through a shift away from mimesis toward abstraction, and the latter to adopt greater focus on space in shifting from abstraction toward mimesis. Together, these historical shifts prefigure the development of audiovisual art, revealing underlying theoretical commonalities in the articulation of time and space that suggest fundamental dynamics of the audiovisual contract and strategies available to the visual music creator to establish a synergy of sound and image. Some of these strategies are demonstrated in two original case studies.

The exploration of “concrete”, non-instrumental sound sources in music in the 20th century has le... more The exploration of “concrete”, non-instrumental sound sources in music in the 20th century has led to new insights into the importance of experiential “space” in music. At the same time — somewhat ironically — the application of musical thought to image has encouraged visual abstraction. Both this shift to “concrete” materials in music and the shift to “abstract” materials in visual arts have highlighted important principles for audio-visual creation. This essay considers briefly a handful of thinkers and artists who have explicitly brought a musically-informed thinking to developing time-based abstraction in visual arts, and have, in the process, revealed a concern common to both domains: the sculpting of experiential shapes out of time. [CHAPTER IS IN HEBREW]

The author reflects on personal, aesthetic, theoretical and technical concerns reflected in his a... more The author reflects on personal, aesthetic, theoretical and technical concerns reflected in his audiovisual composition "Autarkeia Aggregatum" (2005). He introduces his concept of "isomorphism of complex gestalts" to describe the nature of the sound and image relationships in the work. He also provides an analytical visual score of the beginning of the work, exploring the applicability of such scores to audiovisual compositions. He concludes by emphasising the important of audiovisual composers being sensitive to the holistic, emergent perceptual properties unfolding in visual and sonic materials and their relationships. [ARTICLE IS IN HEBREW]

Journal Articles by Bret Battey

This article addresses the research agenda of creative computing from the perspective of a genera... more This article addresses the research agenda of creative computing from the perspective of a generative artist/composer, someone for whom processes of software creation and art creation inseparably intertwine. Using his audiovisual composition 'Clonal Colonies' (2011) as a case study, the author addresses the dynamic of generative artistic creation when it is a process of discovery and dialog with artist-created, often unpredictable software systems. He provides technical specifics regarding his use of his variable-coupled map networks approach for music and his Brownian Doughnut Warper visual algorithm. Finally, he proposes a set of principles applicable to the creation of generative artwork, considers how tools and systems could better support such work, and proposes that creative computing research also focus on helping creatives surmount the fundamental personal challenges encountered in creative work of all types.

Ideas Sonicas, 2015

The author critiques and expands his concept of "fluid audiovisual counterpoint" by investigating... more The author critiques and expands his concept of "fluid audiovisual counterpoint" by investigating the relevance of the species counterpoint tradition in music to conceptualizing audiovisual relationships in abstract video music. He points out both gains and limitations of such an approach, considering in particular issues of temporal and perceptual hierarchy, atomism, and gesture. He also considers how this might relate to Adam Basanta's 2013 proposed three-axes model of audiovisual relationship typologies. Ultimately, he proposes elements of a "phenomenological theory of audiovisual counterpoint", with fluidity being a subcategory. As an example, he considers how this subcategory might be informed by the relationship between the gestures of Indian classical vocalists and the music they are singing. Ultimately, the argument is made that complete systematization of audiovisual counterpoint is not possible, or even desirable, and that informing the artistic intuition by expanding possibilities and sensitivities would be the primary goal of an audiovisual counterpoint pedagogy.

The Soundtrack, Jun 2012

The author briefly explores the aesthetic of his audiovisual composition Sinus Aestum by addressi... more The author briefly explores the aesthetic of his audiovisual composition Sinus Aestum by addressing issues of beauty, novelty, ways of being, wayfinding in creative dialog with computer systems, and degrees of isomorphism between sound and image.

Organised Sound, 2004

This paper introduces the concept of variable-coupled iterated map networks and explores its appl... more This paper introduces the concept of variable-coupled iterated map networks and explores its application to generation of musical textures. Such networks consist of one or more interlinked nodes. Each node consists of an iterated map function with a time-delay factor that ...

A set of techniques is presented for analysis and computer rendering of melodies such as those fo... more A set of techniques is presented for analysis and computer rendering of melodies such as those found in Indian classical music, in which subtle control of the continuum between scale steps is fundamental to expression. Pitch, amplitude, and spectral centroid curves are extracted from a recorded performance. Critical inflection points on these curves are identified by psychoacoustic criterion. Constrained Bézier splines are fit to the data between those points using a non-linear solver with linear interpolation to estimate function values, eliminating the need to optimize parameterization. The model can be used for musicological analysis, or the data can be repurposed towards expressive computer rendering of custom melodic gestures and musical textures.

Conference Papers by Bret Battey

Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2016

Nodewebba software provides a GUI implementation of the author's "Variable-Coupled Map Networks" ... more Nodewebba software provides a GUI implementation of the author's "Variable-Coupled Map Networks" (VCMN) approach to algorithmic composition. A VCMN node consists of a simple iterated map, timing controls, and controls for mapping the node output to musical parameters. These nodes can be networked, routing the outputs of nodes to control the variables of other nodes. This can enable complex emergent patterning and provides a powerful tool for creating musical materials that exhibit interrelated parts. Nodewebba also provides API hooks for programmers to expand its functionality. The author discusses the design and features of Nodewebba, some of the technical implementation issues, and a brief example of its application to a compositional project.

Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2015

Force-feedback controllers have been considered as a solution to the lack of sonically coupled ph... more Force-feedback controllers have been considered as a solution to the lack of sonically coupled physical feedback in digital-music interfaces, with researchers focusing on instrument like models of interaction. However, there has been little research applied to the use of force-feedback interfaces to the control of real-time generative-music systems. This paper proposes that haptic interfaces could enable performers to have a more fully embodied engagement with such systems, increasing expressive control and enabling new compositional and performance potentials. A proof-of-concept project is described, which entailed development of a core software toolkit and implementation of a series of test cases.

Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2011

This paper introduces a method of sound synthesis that is based on the use of automatic gain cont... more This paper introduces a method of sound synthesis that is based on the use of automatic gain control (AGC) in a time-delayed feedback loop. The approach, which the author calls "Compressed Feedback Synthesis" (CFS), can be conceptualised as a special expansion of a generalised comb filter, where feedback gain can be unity or greater. The system can be expanded with additional processing in the feedback loop to create a highly flexible and sensually engaging sound materials. The use of CFS in the author's audiovisual composition Sinus Aestum will be discussed, including specific solutions to the challenging of controlling such a system compositionally.

PICACS (Pitch Curve Analysis and Composition System) is a software prototype inspired in part by ... more PICACS (Pitch Curve Analysis and Composition System) is a software prototype inspired in part by study of Indian classical music. The primary motivation of the system is to facilitate analysis, composition, and convincing computer rendering of music that is characterized by detailed, expressive shaping of the continuum between scale steps. The system creates models of pitch, amplitude, and spectral-centroid expression envelopes by utilizing nonlinear least-squares fitting of constrained Bézier spline curves. Details of the modeling system have been published elsewhere [2]; this paper focuses on the unique challenges that arise in designing an editing system for such models to support compositional purposes. While some of the challenges are specific to the Bézier model, it is clear that many of the challenges would apply to any system that seeks to support modelling and editing of continuous expression using sets of linked curves and multiple layers of expression data.

Congress on Research in Dance Conference Proceedings, 2009

This lecture-demonstration reflects on a research-informed teaching project in which teaching sta... more This lecture-demonstration reflects on a research-informed teaching project in which teaching staff in dance and music technology collaborated on technical and pedagogic research and artistic creation in interactive dance. Our primary aim was to throw light on how interactive technologies might challenge and develop the ways in which students in dance and music technology engage in creative practice, through the exploration of a set of technologies and conceptual approaches. The research has revealed very particular compositional structures and methods. Experimental sketches were developed with a particular focus on emergent behavior and richly behaviored audio-visual feedback systems that were both controlled by and influenced the dancers. The demonstration presents our approaches and offers methodologies and strategies for the use of new technologies in dance pedagogy.

ACM SIGGRAPH 2006 Sketches, Jul 30, 2006

This paper describes the artistic and technical processes used in generating the visuals for the ... more This paper describes the artistic and technical processes used in generating the visuals for the video music work Autarkeia Aggregatum. An algorithm is described that involves a grid of points extracted from a source image and submitted to rotational and Brownian noise movement schemes.

Proceedings of the Connecticut College Biennial Symposium on the Arts and Technology, 2001

The Animation Extension to Common Music (AECM) version 1 is a set of extensions to the Common Mus... more The Animation Extension to Common Music (AECM) version 1 is a set of extensions to the Common Music (CM) infrastructure. These extensions allow musical event algorithms authored in CM to also generate scripts to control a computer animation environment. The current version of AECM works with Common Music 1.4 and generates MaxScript, the scripting language for 3-D Studio Max 2.5. While facilitating the use of algorithmic methods for generation of both audio and visual events, it can encourage reconceptualization of relationships between sound and image mediums. Examples are provided from the author's recent work Writing on the Surface for computer-realized sound and image.

Book Reviews by Bret Battey

Papers by Bret Battey

Oxford Handbooks Online, 2013

This chapter considers the historical lineage and conceptual origins of visual music, addressing ... more This chapter considers the historical lineage and conceptual origins of visual music, addressing the turn to abstraction and absolute film in visual arts, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century, and the turn to mimesis and spatialization in music, particularly through the acousmatic tradition after World War II. The chapter proposes a convergence between visual artists and musicians that prompted the former to embrace time through a shift away from mimesis toward abstraction, and the latter to adopt greater focus on space in shifting from abstraction toward mimesis. Together, these historical shifts prefigure the development of audiovisual art, revealing underlying theoretical commonalities in the articulation of time and space that suggest fundamental dynamics of theaudiovisual contractand strategies available to the visual music creator to establish a synergy of sound and image. Some of these strategies are demonstrated in two original case studies.

Sound and Image: Aesthetics and Practices (Andrew Knight-Hill, ed.), 2020

The author’s Estuaries series of audiovisual compositions (2016-19) draw together investigations ... more The author’s Estuaries series of audiovisual compositions (2016-19) draw together investigations into novel methods of abstract animation, generative music and audiovisual counterpoint. This article explains key aspects of some of these concerns and how they contribute to particular aesthetic qualities of the works. The animation technique was based on visualisation of Nelder-Mead search processes that seek the brightest or darkest points in a source image. This process can create unpredictable and complex textures and temporal behaviors that can seem perceptually unified and coherent due to the consistent shape and behavioral vocabulary of the algorithm. The music was created with the assistance of the author’s Nodewebba software, which implements his concept of variable-coupled iterated maps. Algorithmic integration of these two techniques, and mixing discrete events with articulation of continuums, helped to establish a hierarchically organized “fluid” audiovisual counterpoint. Given the limits of automated linking of visual and musical algorithms that are not perceptually informed, the author argues for an “audiovisualisation-assisted composition”, where generative audiovisual materials serve as a starting point from which an artist elaborates and edits heuristically.

The Oxford Handbook of Sound and Image in Western Art, 2016

This chapter considers the historical lineage and conceptual origins of visual music, addressing ... more This chapter considers the historical lineage and conceptual origins of visual music, addressing the turn to abstraction and absolute film in visual arts, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century, and the turn to mimesis and spatialization in music, particularly through the acousmatic tradition after World War II. The chapter proposes a convergence between visual artists and musicians that prompted the former to embrace time through a shift away from mimesis toward abstraction, and the latter to adopt greater focus on space in shifting from abstraction toward mimesis. Together, these historical shifts prefigure the development of audiovisual art, revealing underlying theoretical commonalities in the articulation of time and space that suggest fundamental dynamics of the audiovisual contract and strategies available to the visual music creator to establish a synergy of sound and image. Some of these strategies are demonstrated in two original case studies.

The exploration of “concrete”, non-instrumental sound sources in music in the 20th century has le... more The exploration of “concrete”, non-instrumental sound sources in music in the 20th century has led to new insights into the importance of experiential “space” in music. At the same time — somewhat ironically — the application of musical thought to image has encouraged visual abstraction. Both this shift to “concrete” materials in music and the shift to “abstract” materials in visual arts have highlighted important principles for audio-visual creation. This essay considers briefly a handful of thinkers and artists who have explicitly brought a musically-informed thinking to developing time-based abstraction in visual arts, and have, in the process, revealed a concern common to both domains: the sculpting of experiential shapes out of time. [CHAPTER IS IN HEBREW]

The author reflects on personal, aesthetic, theoretical and technical concerns reflected in his a... more The author reflects on personal, aesthetic, theoretical and technical concerns reflected in his audiovisual composition "Autarkeia Aggregatum" (2005). He introduces his concept of "isomorphism of complex gestalts" to describe the nature of the sound and image relationships in the work. He also provides an analytical visual score of the beginning of the work, exploring the applicability of such scores to audiovisual compositions. He concludes by emphasising the important of audiovisual composers being sensitive to the holistic, emergent perceptual properties unfolding in visual and sonic materials and their relationships. [ARTICLE IS IN HEBREW]

This article addresses the research agenda of creative computing from the perspective of a genera... more This article addresses the research agenda of creative computing from the perspective of a generative artist/composer, someone for whom processes of software creation and art creation inseparably intertwine. Using his audiovisual composition 'Clonal Colonies' (2011) as a case study, the author addresses the dynamic of generative artistic creation when it is a process of discovery and dialog with artist-created, often unpredictable software systems. He provides technical specifics regarding his use of his variable-coupled map networks approach for music and his Brownian Doughnut Warper visual algorithm. Finally, he proposes a set of principles applicable to the creation of generative artwork, considers how tools and systems could better support such work, and proposes that creative computing research also focus on helping creatives surmount the fundamental personal challenges encountered in creative work of all types.

Ideas Sonicas, 2015

The author critiques and expands his concept of "fluid audiovisual counterpoint" by investigating... more The author critiques and expands his concept of "fluid audiovisual counterpoint" by investigating the relevance of the species counterpoint tradition in music to conceptualizing audiovisual relationships in abstract video music. He points out both gains and limitations of such an approach, considering in particular issues of temporal and perceptual hierarchy, atomism, and gesture. He also considers how this might relate to Adam Basanta's 2013 proposed three-axes model of audiovisual relationship typologies. Ultimately, he proposes elements of a "phenomenological theory of audiovisual counterpoint", with fluidity being a subcategory. As an example, he considers how this subcategory might be informed by the relationship between the gestures of Indian classical vocalists and the music they are singing. Ultimately, the argument is made that complete systematization of audiovisual counterpoint is not possible, or even desirable, and that informing the artistic intuition by expanding possibilities and sensitivities would be the primary goal of an audiovisual counterpoint pedagogy.

The Soundtrack, Jun 2012

The author briefly explores the aesthetic of his audiovisual composition Sinus Aestum by addressi... more The author briefly explores the aesthetic of his audiovisual composition Sinus Aestum by addressing issues of beauty, novelty, ways of being, wayfinding in creative dialog with computer systems, and degrees of isomorphism between sound and image.

Organised Sound, 2004

This paper introduces the concept of variable-coupled iterated map networks and explores its appl... more This paper introduces the concept of variable-coupled iterated map networks and explores its application to generation of musical textures. Such networks consist of one or more interlinked nodes. Each node consists of an iterated map function with a time-delay factor that ...

A set of techniques is presented for analysis and computer rendering of melodies such as those fo... more A set of techniques is presented for analysis and computer rendering of melodies such as those found in Indian classical music, in which subtle control of the continuum between scale steps is fundamental to expression. Pitch, amplitude, and spectral centroid curves are extracted from a recorded performance. Critical inflection points on these curves are identified by psychoacoustic criterion. Constrained Bézier splines are fit to the data between those points using a non-linear solver with linear interpolation to estimate function values, eliminating the need to optimize parameterization. The model can be used for musicological analysis, or the data can be repurposed towards expressive computer rendering of custom melodic gestures and musical textures.

Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2016

Nodewebba software provides a GUI implementation of the author's "Variable-Coupled Map Networks" ... more Nodewebba software provides a GUI implementation of the author's "Variable-Coupled Map Networks" (VCMN) approach to algorithmic composition. A VCMN node consists of a simple iterated map, timing controls, and controls for mapping the node output to musical parameters. These nodes can be networked, routing the outputs of nodes to control the variables of other nodes. This can enable complex emergent patterning and provides a powerful tool for creating musical materials that exhibit interrelated parts. Nodewebba also provides API hooks for programmers to expand its functionality. The author discusses the design and features of Nodewebba, some of the technical implementation issues, and a brief example of its application to a compositional project.

Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2015

Force-feedback controllers have been considered as a solution to the lack of sonically coupled ph... more Force-feedback controllers have been considered as a solution to the lack of sonically coupled physical feedback in digital-music interfaces, with researchers focusing on instrument like models of interaction. However, there has been little research applied to the use of force-feedback interfaces to the control of real-time generative-music systems. This paper proposes that haptic interfaces could enable performers to have a more fully embodied engagement with such systems, increasing expressive control and enabling new compositional and performance potentials. A proof-of-concept project is described, which entailed development of a core software toolkit and implementation of a series of test cases.

Proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference, 2011

This paper introduces a method of sound synthesis that is based on the use of automatic gain cont... more This paper introduces a method of sound synthesis that is based on the use of automatic gain control (AGC) in a time-delayed feedback loop. The approach, which the author calls "Compressed Feedback Synthesis" (CFS), can be conceptualised as a special expansion of a generalised comb filter, where feedback gain can be unity or greater. The system can be expanded with additional processing in the feedback loop to create a highly flexible and sensually engaging sound materials. The use of CFS in the author's audiovisual composition Sinus Aestum will be discussed, including specific solutions to the challenging of controlling such a system compositionally.

PICACS (Pitch Curve Analysis and Composition System) is a software prototype inspired in part by ... more PICACS (Pitch Curve Analysis and Composition System) is a software prototype inspired in part by study of Indian classical music. The primary motivation of the system is to facilitate analysis, composition, and convincing computer rendering of music that is characterized by detailed, expressive shaping of the continuum between scale steps. The system creates models of pitch, amplitude, and spectral-centroid expression envelopes by utilizing nonlinear least-squares fitting of constrained Bézier spline curves. Details of the modeling system have been published elsewhere [2]; this paper focuses on the unique challenges that arise in designing an editing system for such models to support compositional purposes. While some of the challenges are specific to the Bézier model, it is clear that many of the challenges would apply to any system that seeks to support modelling and editing of continuous expression using sets of linked curves and multiple layers of expression data.

Congress on Research in Dance Conference Proceedings, 2009

This lecture-demonstration reflects on a research-informed teaching project in which teaching sta... more This lecture-demonstration reflects on a research-informed teaching project in which teaching staff in dance and music technology collaborated on technical and pedagogic research and artistic creation in interactive dance. Our primary aim was to throw light on how interactive technologies might challenge and develop the ways in which students in dance and music technology engage in creative practice, through the exploration of a set of technologies and conceptual approaches. The research has revealed very particular compositional structures and methods. Experimental sketches were developed with a particular focus on emergent behavior and richly behaviored audio-visual feedback systems that were both controlled by and influenced the dancers. The demonstration presents our approaches and offers methodologies and strategies for the use of new technologies in dance pedagogy.

ACM SIGGRAPH 2006 Sketches, Jul 30, 2006

This paper describes the artistic and technical processes used in generating the visuals for the ... more This paper describes the artistic and technical processes used in generating the visuals for the video music work Autarkeia Aggregatum. An algorithm is described that involves a grid of points extracted from a source image and submitted to rotational and Brownian noise movement schemes.

Proceedings of the Connecticut College Biennial Symposium on the Arts and Technology, 2001

The Animation Extension to Common Music (AECM) version 1 is a set of extensions to the Common Mus... more The Animation Extension to Common Music (AECM) version 1 is a set of extensions to the Common Music (CM) infrastructure. These extensions allow musical event algorithms authored in CM to also generate scripts to control a computer animation environment. The current version of AECM works with Common Music 1.4 and generates MaxScript, the scripting language for 3-D Studio Max 2.5. While facilitating the use of algorithmic methods for generation of both audio and visual events, it can encourage reconceptualization of relationships between sound and image mediums. Examples are provided from the author's recent work Writing on the Surface for computer-realized sound and image.

Oxford Handbooks Online, 2013

This chapter considers the historical lineage and conceptual origins of visual music, addressing ... more This chapter considers the historical lineage and conceptual origins of visual music, addressing the turn to abstraction and absolute film in visual arts, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century, and the turn to mimesis and spatialization in music, particularly through the acousmatic tradition after World War II. The chapter proposes a convergence between visual artists and musicians that prompted the former to embrace time through a shift away from mimesis toward abstraction, and the latter to adopt greater focus on space in shifting from abstraction toward mimesis. Together, these historical shifts prefigure the development of audiovisual art, revealing underlying theoretical commonalities in the articulation of time and space that suggest fundamental dynamics of theaudiovisual contractand strategies available to the visual music creator to establish a synergy of sound and image. Some of these strategies are demonstrated in two original case studies.

DIMPLE is a software system providing a 3D "blank canvas" in which users can create 3D ... more DIMPLE is a software system providing a 3D "blank canvas" in which users can create 3D interactive scenes for haptic audio-visual inter- action from any media creation system that supports Open Sound Control [5] messaging. This update modernizes DIMPLE for the cur- rent generation of haptic devices and operating systems.

Force-feedback controllers have been considered as a solution to the lack of sonically coupled ph... more Force-feedback controllers have been considered as a solution to the lack of sonically coupled physical feedback in digital-music interfaces, with researchers focusing on instrument-like models of interaction. However, there has been little research applied to the use of force-feedback interfaces to the control of real-time generative-music systems. This paper proposes that haptic interfaces could enable performers to have a more fully embodied engagement with such systems, increasing expressive control and enabling new compositional and performance potentials. A proof-of-concept project is described, which entailed development of a core software toolkit and implementation of a series of test cases.