stigmery

This piece, for five laptops and soprano saxophone, examines the tension in combining synthesised, imagined speculative instruments with actual, real-world instruments; how these individual sounds combine into a singular three-dimensional sonic object, and how this object organises itself and finds balance based on the decisions of the performers when tasked with what is outlined by the composer.

Google AI Overview:

Stigmergy is a form of indirect communication where agents coordinate by modifying their environment, leaving "traces" (like pheromones or physical marks) that guide subsequent actions by themselves or others, leading to complex, self-organized behavior without central control, famously seen in ants building nests or foraging. This principle explains collective intelligence in animals, human collaboration (like Wikipedia), and inspires swarm robotics, allowing groups to achieve complex tasks efficiently by responding to environmental cues rather than direct commands.

 

This is an archive of the work, which includes the score, MAX patches for each of the laptop parts, recordings of performances of the work, and various spatial renders of a mock-up of the piece.