YOLO - a binary discourse

by Suzana Lasçu

How to create a multimedia network performance timed by software?

Title is "YOLO," which is the slang abbreviation for "you only live once." It's about binary translations of words into time durations, with each letter assigned a specific frequency. The piece was intentionally created for a male quintet, whose players push buttons coordinated by an Arduino, which trigger these frequencies, overlap and form layers. The political subtext is based on the current gender dynamics whereby men disproportionately occupy positions of power

The goal is to 1. make composition methods more diverse by testing and working with unconventional, non-algorithmic ways of converting raw data into sound, such as the binary translation of letters into rhythm. The irregular sequential edits would create atmospheres intended to partially mimic meanings of words by connecting them to pitches; 2.realize this in a fabric of different genres, from jazz to experimental; 3. address political and cultural realities.

Artists: Suzana Lascu (RO). Henri Colombat (FR/US). Luca Faraldi (IT). Hugo Ariens (NL). Richard Hughes (IR). Otso Aho (FI). (See further explanation on 2nd page CV Suzana Lascu)