Wednesday, March 14th, 19:30 to 22:00
Cycle de conférences à l’Ecole Normale Supérieure
Amphithéâtre Jaurès, 29 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris
I left the Ecole Normale Supérieure barely two months ago, only to return with lectures on art and neuroscience, and an EEGsynth performance, as part of the program of the national Semaine du Cerveau (week of the brain). This was the second time Samon Takahashi and I teamed up for a performance, after one at Karolinska Institutet in August. However, it was now just me wiggling my synth, without the moral and modular support of Jean-Louis. I’m sure we learned from our last time at Karolinska, but this time we again decided to not inform the audience of what was would be happening: while many were expecting a lecture they were instead first sonically bombarded for 40 minutes with quasi-musical sounds and noise patterns blasting loud from a sound-system that was rented for the occasion. Of-course we announced it, and had flyers printed. But like always, one just cannot expect the audience to read. This time however, we had the time to transform a scientific auditorium into a stage that felt truly different from that space in which I was used to receive long lectures by invited professors. We obviously took inspiration from imagery of Alvin Lucier’s Music for Solo Performer.
We took several days of preparing the performance, getting to know the sounds and patches (brain-to-sound connections) that allows Samon to dive deeper into his mind, and generate the alpha activity we use to modulate the sounds. As an example, the sonic feedback alpha-power -> pitch works better if it is first inverted, i.e. to make the goal of high alpha correspond to low- rather than high-pitch, which feels more relaxing and is therefor a better ‘reward’ in the neurofeedback loop. In fact, we went as far as create a musical score, or at least as a general framework on how to patch the brain to sound over time. In analogue modular synth, so many factors and parameters influence the sound, that a precise score is not possible. Let alone the brain and brain-music-interfacing! Still, it is a good idea to develop ideas for patches beforehand, and have a sense of how they can morph from one to another (as there are plenty of restrictions in how one can patch from one to the other in a fluid way). This is especially the case for a newbie like me, who does not have too much ‘patch memory’ (Mark Verbos). The important thing here, however, it to realize that I am not just playing for myself, or the audience. Rather, first and foremost it is for Samon – and his brain. If he can’t ‘get’ into it, the who feedback system will fall apart. Luckily Samon is a very forgiving listener, as he is thoroughly marinated in experimental music and noise, and we were certainly able to close the loop that night. Below you can see the score and listen to an exercise we did the day before, transforming Samon’s alpha activity in a composition.
The room, hosting about 230 seats, was packed, although we certainly lost over half the people during the performance, which arguably is just not for everyone. Those who stayed, however, were in there for the whole ride however: a presentation by me on the scientific origin of brainwave music, and then a deep dive by Samon into the world and pioneers of brainwave music and art. It was a very excited and interested audience, and those that were confused earlier were rewarded by both a sensory as well as intellectual understanding, of what still is quite ear-mind-ear-blowing (sorry, that’s bad). In any case, it was a great evening, and a great way to connect with a new audience. It certainly was the first time the Amphithéâtre Jaurès was used for a concert!
We want to warmly thank Clementine Fourrier-Eyraud (ENS, communication) for making this all happen, Daniela de Paulis for letting us borrow her g.tec EEG headset we use in her Cogito in Space project (I wanted to take no risks in getting good EEG signal), and all who attended and engaged with us in this exciting overlap between science and art.
Score for Brainwave music performance ENS
| Approximate Time | General Patch | Brain patching over time | |||
| 1 (0″) | VCO sine (XR22) –> Delay (2022) –> VCA (Quad) | Alpha(+) –> VCA(+) | Alpha(+) –> Delay Feedback(+) | Alpha(+) –> Slew –> VCO Pitch(-) | |
| 2 (10″) | Clock (Sapel A) –> Resonator (Rings) | Slow clock | Faster clock | Alpha(+) –> VCA(+) | Alpha(+) –> Clock(-) |
| Slow dampening | Faster dampening | Alpha(+) –> Slew –> Pitch(+) | |||
| 3 (15″) | Clock (Sapel B) –> LPG (LXd) | Clock B = mean Clock A | Alpha(+) –> Delay Feedback(+) | ||
| VCO square (XR22) –> LPG (LXd) –> Delay (2022) | Alpha(-) –> Quantizer –> Delay Pitch(-) | ||||
| Quantizer (H3 – Disting Mk4) –> Delay (2022) | |||||
| 4 (20″) | Clock A & Clock B swith to ‘<‘ mode, silencing gates ad random | ||||
| 5 (25″) | EEG soundsample (Morphagene) –> Filter (Belgrad) | Alpha(+) –> Gene Size(-) | Formant mode | Alpha(+) –> Slew –> Speed(-) | |
| High resonance (switch low) | |||||
| 6 (30″) | VCO square (XR22) –> Delay (2022) | Alpha(+) –> Slew –> VCO square Pitch(-) | Alpha(+) –> Slew –> VCO sine Pitch(-) | Remove square | |
| VCO sine (XR22) –> Delay (2022) –> Filter | Alpha(+) –> Delay Pitch(+) | ||||
| 7 (35″) | Remove sine with filter |