FaMLE presents: The Meaning of ‘Live’
Concert December 03, 2021 | 06:00 pm
Innovation HQ, Building E38 3rd Floor
292 Main Street Cambridge, MA
Free and Open to the Public
5:30 pre-show talk in the Voxel Lab, E38-391
Join FaMLE as we return to in-person musicking with an exploration of ‘The Meaning of ‘Live’. As an electronic music ensemble, we focus on the intersection of electronic musical systems with collaborative performance. Our practice of network-based collaboration served us well during the pandemic, and this semester we augment that with musical experiences that can only happen in the physical world — including analog modular synthesis, spatialized audio, and collaborative remixing.
An important part of this has been our residency in the Voxel Lab, MIT’s new makerspace for music and arts innovation. Located in the Voxel Lab is an evolving eurorack modular synthesizer, comprised of an assemblage of commercial and DIY oscillators, filters, sequencers, etc., including a commercial module by MIT alum Will Stockwell. Each FaMLE member has been learning one section of this assemblage, focusing on how the physical and musical affordances of the instrument can be used to realize musical compositions.
We have also continued to explore computer-mediated musicking, and for the first time this semester are integrating Ableton Live into our software suite. Live is perhaps the most influential contemporary software for live electronic music performance, and provides a broad palette of synthesis and performance techniques. In addition, we are continuing to use the MLE library for Max/MSP, which provides a variety of networking and UI tools for our pieces.
As part of our practice each FaMLE member is responsible for conceptualizing a new electronic composition for the ensemble, and guiding the ensemble through the rehearsal and performance of this new work. As usual, our concert will feature a diverse collection of pieces, ranging from sensorial experiences using the modular synthesizer, spatialized audio and networked distribution of harmony, and a live remix of a Lupe Fiasco composition.
Join us before the concert for a short talk by director Ian Hattwick on FaMLE’s residency in the Voxel Lab.