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Turntable and Computer Composition Turntable and Computer Composition Eoin Smith Music Department National University of Ireland, Maynooth Ireland [email protected] In: Motje Wolf (Ed.) Proceedings of Sound, Sight, Space and Play 2009 Postgraduate Symposium for the Creative Sonic Arts De Montfort University Leicester, United Kingdom, 6-8 May 2009 http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/events-conferences/sssp2009 Abstract This paper sets out to explore the area of turntables and composition. New attention, directed towards the turntable by software developers and academic institutions, has provided more original and creative environments for composition and improvisation using turntables. The hybrid of computer musician and turntablist could give rise to a new generation of computer based turntablists, who have their roots firmly in the techniques of the pioneers of turntable based composition and its respective sub- genres. It is my belief that the sonorities and innovative techniques of these computer-based turntablists will provide the next stage in the history for the turntable. I will discuss the use of the turntable in today's technological environment, while attempting to decouple the connection between DJ and the turntablist. This will help me to better discuss the next possible stage in the history of the turntable and the type of artist that will usher it in. Where applicable, I will discuss some broader concepts, like the notion of gesture in relation to the area of turntables and computer music. I will conclude by analysing a recent interactive installation of mine, which focused on the fusion of turntables and computer music tools. In: Motje Wolf (Ed.) Proceedings of Sound, Sight, Space and Play 2009 37 Postgraduate Symposium for the Creative Sonic Arts De Montfort University Leicester, United Kingdom, 6-8 May 2009 http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/events-conferences/sssp2009 Eoin Smith: Turntable and Computer Composition Introduction Serato Final Scratch. However, the majority of DJs tend to opt for the non- Over the past sixty years, the turntable vinyl, laptop approach. has enjoyed a symbiotic relationship 'Tape and computer music, turntablism, with musical/cultural revolutionary techno, do-it-yourself record manufacture movements. Consider Musique and distribution – all these seizures of the Concrète, the Hip-Hop revolution (with means of (re-) production add up to a its offshoots into turntablism), Disco and cataclysmic system-hack made all the the Acid House/Techno generation of the more devastating by its invisibility.' early nineties: the catalyst and creative (Shapiro 2000, unpaginated) common denominator was the turntable. If one was to hypothesise, in the light of From the headquarters of the this recent influx of software, on the Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française in future of the turntable and its use in 1948, the Block Parties in 1970’s composition, how would it look? Peter America, the explosively colourful, Shapiro suggests a relationship between energetic clubs of the disco era to the prominent musical movements and their heaving and throbbing warehouses of 'invisibility' within the culture around the Acid House generation, the them. Although the use of the turntable technology of the turntable has by commercial DJs has waned, I do remained more or less the same (with believe that there is new attention being the exception of Qbert's QFO design), directed towards the turntable by but the different contexts in which it was inconspicuous sources. used have given rise to some of the boldest and most creative musical and cultural statements in history. Computer Based Turntablists Aside from being a tool of the innovative pioneers, one must not forget that the The popularity of the turntable, as a turntable, as a ‘record player’, was a record player, diminished with the domestic product for decades. The introduction of CDs but the instrument turntable was ultimately replaced by the maintained popularity within the Hip-Hop new and more convenient technology of community, acting as an intrinsic the audio compact disc, causing the use element of live performances. of the turntable to diminish significantly. Turntablism has been the exception in In correlation to this, the recent influx of the present day shift away from vinyl; it software available for DJs has created is concerned with the use of turntables an equally convenient situation, where as musical instruments. DJs are now opting to use more laptop ‘Lead by pioneers like Christian Marclay orientated means of performing, as it and Grandmaster Flash, who started to allows the artist to operate and arrange play the turntable in the late 1970's, sets in a quicker and, some say, a more turntable performance has become a creative manner. One can appreciate the distinctive form of musical expression. The benefits this type of technology brings, primary interest of the turntablist is to the most obvious being that it alleviates generate sounds from the turntable and the DJ mixer, rather than playing and the stress associated with transporting mixing pre-recorded music as a typical DJ an immense amount of vinyl. However, does.’ (Mizuta Lippit 2004, p. 211) this convenience destroys the physical relationship between the DJ and the In the light of ‘playing’ and generating vinyl. There are programs to cater for sounds with turntables, I feel it those DJs desiring an interactive appropriate to include noise artists such element, using time-coded vinyl, such as as Otomo Yoshihide and Emil Beaulieau, Ms Pinky (whose motto is, ‘It may not be whose primary instrument, or sound the real thing, but at least you're playing source, is the turntable. There is a with vinyl’) (Ms Pinky website) and significant difference between the In: Motje Wolf (Ed.) Proceedings of Sound, Sight, Space and Play 2009 38 Postgraduate Symposium for the Creative Sonic Arts De Montfort University Leicester, United Kingdom, 6-8 May 2009 http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/events-conferences/sssp2009 Eoin Smith: Turntable and Computer Composition ideologies and practices of the more was created was as important to the conventional turntablist and these outcome of as the sounds themselves.’ experimental strands of turntablism, (Holmes 2001, p.93) however I think that it is important to The whole studio became a musical include every form of turntable art, to instrument for Pierre Schaeffer; here the improve our understanding of the interaction with technology was just as various ways one could possibly important as the concept of the piece. In incorporate turntables into computer comparison, turntablism relies on orientated composition. physical interaction. The genre Computer technology in the 1970s was incorporates a plethora of physical and not as advanced nor as easily sonic gestures, primarily emanating from accessible as it is today, making it an the manipulation of the mixer and unattractive medium of experimentation. records under the styli. This leads me to believe that this new In terms of laptop improvisation and attention directed towards the turntable performance, physical gesture is a will result in a cross-pollination of characteristic which can often be turntablists and aficionados of computer omitted. As there is a shift away from music. Artists like Daito Manabe and DJ hardware environments and older Sniff are prime examples of such cross- technology such as the turntable, there pollination, both working with turntables has been a greater need for controllers and Max/MSP in creative compositional to develop some level of interaction with environments. the computer interfaces. Few of these are helpful to the turntablist: ‘because the turntablist use both hands when Gesture in Turntablism he/she plays, these devices are impossible to use at the same time.’ ‘The brushstroke a painter makes onto a (Mizuta Lippit 2004, p. 211). Similarly, screen can be understood as a visible mark of his or her gesture; likewise, in not using controllers like this can create music, sound materiality and its movement a distance between the performer and in time can be understood as an audible the audience, because the mark of a gesture onto an instrument.’ listener/audience does not know what (Zanpronha 2003) aspect of the sound the performer is controlling, as Emmerson notes, Any genre of music that incorporates turntable technology in performance or ‘performer-triggered real-time composition places an emphasis on the computations give no guarantee that the concept of gesture. As the use of listener will perceive that a human being turntables is decreasing somewhat, the has initiated or influenced a musical element of gesture is also a notable event.’ (Emmerson 2007, p. 93) casualty. Physical gesture was an Integrating turntablism into the world of intrinsic element in the production of computer music means the turntable Musique Concrète, the first turntable becomes accessible as an interactive ‘inspired’ genre: Holmes noted one such middle ground, maintaining the physical gesture, ‘he used volume control to element, which certainly, in a create fade-in and fade-out effects’, performance aspect, confirms the real- (Holmes 2001, p. 92). This relationship time cause and effect of the sonic result between technology and composition for the audience or listener. Sonically, was a prominent factor in the turntablism's most notable gestures revolutionary face of the genre, as emanate from the manipulation of the Holmes explains. vinyl under the stylus, contributing to the ‘The act of composing music was genre’s (and the instrument’s), accomplished by technological means; the unmistakable sonic fingerprint. With the way in which the organization of sounds introduction of computer processing, the In: Motje Wolf (Ed.) Proceedings of Sound, Sight, Space and Play 2009 39 Postgraduate Symposium for the Creative Sonic Arts De Montfort University Leicester, United Kingdom, 6-8 May 2009 http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/events-conferences/sssp2009 Eoin Smith: Turntable and Computer Composition conventional sonic gestures will be the Experimental Music? Organized Sound most notable change. As I will mention Too Rarely Heard (Landy 1991, p.
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