Board Member
CIME-ICME - International Confederation for Electro-Acoustic Music (Ireland Representative)
ISPAM - International Association for the Study of Popular Music (Executive Board / Ireland Representation)
Editorial Board Member
Popular Music History Journal (US/EU)
JRMA - Journal of the Royal Musical Association (Cambridge University Press)
AES - Audio Engineering Society Journal
Membership
SMI (Society of Musicology Ireland)
BFE (British Association of Ethnomusicology)
ICMC (International Computer Music Association)
IMBAS: Irish Forum for Art Practice
IASPM: International Association for the Study of Popular Music
CMC: Contemporary Music Center of Ireland
SMC: Spatial Music Collective
ISSTA: Irish Sound, Science and Technology Association
IFCG: Irish Film Composers Guild
Max/MSP - Heritage / Archival Instrument Re-Emulation
My most recent work has involved recreating The Phonogene, developed, Radio France (GRM) in the 1950s and later by Make Noise. The Phonogene (1954) (left image) was a multi-headed tape instrument, used by Pierre Schaefeur and Iannis Xenakis at Radio France (GRM). Developed alongside engineer Jacques Poullin, the Phonogène, allowed the user to control the speed of playback of a magnetic tape in accordance with the twelve semitones of the tempered scale. As sound manipulation practices began to change, through the use of Vari-Speed and Time Lag Accumulation. Further to this, created in 1954, the Morphophone allowed a delay effect to be applied to the sound signal. Also using magnetic tape as a medium, its twelve play heads enable the same sound to be replayed simultaneously but with a delay to produce an echo effect, while also varying the dynamics and timbre of the sound. Both these machines helped future directions for both Schaefer and other composers working at GRM.
In order to preserve, study and collate heritage/archival instruments of the past, this and others have been digitally recreated in the software platform, Max/MSP for users to explore and share.
Related Publications -
https://www.academia.edu/109006324/Reconnections_Emulation_Aesthetics_and_The_Modular_Synthesizer
Max/MSP Jitter - Video Synthesis
In an attempt to bridge my work with modular synthesis, I have built and referenced 1960s Rutt Etra Video Synthesizer, which uses scan line referencing to create drone like video processing.
Max/MSP - Neural Networks
Past work has examined the use of Neural Networks generate both algorithmic and generative compositions.
Max/MSP: Machine Learning / Composition
Past compositional work has explored the Python Machine Learning library ‘Sci-Kit Learn’ to generate both algorithmic and generative compositions.
Musicology (Electronic Music / Synthesis)
My written work explores the historical analysis of electronic music and its associated technologies.
Recent Publication:
Dark Waves: The Synthesizer and the Dystopian Sound of Britain (1977- 80)
Rowman & Littlefield (US)
Solo Improvisation
conducted in the medium of sound and the musician himself is at the heart of the experiment.
Sonic Arts Festival, Waterford (Live)
Real Time Studio Composition
searching for sounds and for the responses that attach to them, rather than thinking them up, preparing them and producing them.
Live studio recording
Scoring for Visual Media
using these processes (and others) to score for visual media
Medicated Milk - Directed by Aine Stapelton