Soft Machine³ - ArtsArtshttp://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010-03-05T00:12:41ZSquarespaceWhite Teeth - book adaptation by Channel 4 & WGBH on Huluhttp://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/3/3/white-teeth-book-adaptation-by-channel-4-wgbh-on-hulu.htmlrichardwalker2010-03-03T22:23:41Z2010-03-03T22:23:41Z
Four episodes, just under one hour each. A collaboration between Channel Four and WGBH.
A sparkling, epic comedy adapted by Simon Burke (Tom Jones) from the award-winning debut novel by Zadie Smith. White Teeth tells the story of three families living in Willesden, northwest London. Their lives, present and past, entertwine comically and explosively over three decades in the melting pot of modern Britain.
It is Channel Four content available for free in the U.S., which is unusual. Also it lacks an expiration date, and is apparently unavailable on DVD anywhere. Watch it, and thank me later.
White Teeth, Channel 4’s excellent adaptation of Zadie Smith’s prize winning novel, is television at its absolute best. What a pity that Channel 4 doesn’t make em like this and Tales of the City any more. And what a pity that White Teeth is not available on DVD in the UK or in the USA while tons of shows and movies that are no where near as good are. Come on Channel 4 and PBS.
I wish there were more people here like you. I didn’t realize Channel 4 has changed… It’s odd that the DVDs aren’t available — but I’m sure the legal issues are enormous, being an adaptation and a Channel 4 & WGBH collaboration. It’s been available since it appeared here…. no apparent “expire” date. Curiouser and curiouser… .
Had trouble embedding 3 & 4 — but they are available at the link at top, and by browsing “more episodes” after the above finish playing.
]]>De Profundis by Frederic Rzewski for piano and voice (Oscar Wilde, Lisa Moore)http://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/2/28/de-profundis-by-frederic-rzewski-for-piano-and-voice-oscar-w.htmlrichardwalker2010-03-01T07:36:25Z2010-03-01T07:36:25Z
Frederic RzewskiI suspect the microphone you see in front of Lisa isn’t turned on, as the voice part is barely audible.
My discovery of Rzewski’s (zheff-skee) music is thanks to Sarah Cahill’s radio program Then and Now on KALW. I’ve included my own archive recording of this piece because the video above has improperly recorded audio, and I consider this work to be very important. It is a piece by a living composer, played by a wonderful performer, incorporating passages of a work of tragic literature by a noted historical figure.
Demands on the pianist include speaking, whistling, laughing, humming, sighing, moaning, whispering, snapping, slapping, and the use of a bicycle horn. Present in the work is a fluency in many genres and techniques — including fugue, impressionism, post-romanticism and poly-tonality — all serving to illustrate and highlight the text. Also quite effective is the combination of finger drumming on the keyboard lid, shaking and hitting the piano, and whispering, during passages where Wilde addresses his vivid memories of time spent with “Bosie.”
Lisa Moore
Oscar Wilde
]]>Yamaha Vocaloid robot singer (with robot piano)http://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/2/28/yamaha-vocaloid-robot-singer-with-robot-piano.htmlrichardwalker2010-03-01T01:39:48Z2010-03-01T01:39:48ZThe embedded video shows a robot powered by the Vocaloid “voice synthesis” software. The movements and expressions were pre-programmed, but the generation of the singing voice from lyrics and score can be done in real-time apparently.
The piano is a Yamaha Disklavier of course, being controlled by the same program that is controlling the Vocaloid robot. This is a good example of state-of-the-art synthesis technology, and sounds natural and human to my ears.
The Character Vocal Series is a computer music program that synthesizes singing in Japanese. Developed by Crypton Future Media, it utilizes Yamaha’s Vocaloid 2 technology with specially recorded vocals of voice actors. To create a song, the user must input the melody and lyrics. A piano roll type interface is used to input the melody and the lyrics can be entered on each note. The software can change the stress of the pronunciations, add effects such as vibrato, or change the dynamics and tone of the voice.
The series is intended for professional musicians as well as light computer music users. The programmed vocals are designed to sound like an idol singer from the future. According to Crypton, because professional singers refused to provide singing data, in fear that the software might create their singing voice’s clones, Crypton changed their focus from imitating certain singers to creating characteristic vocals. This change of focus led to sampling vocals of voice actors.[11]
Each Japanese Vocaloid is given an anime-type character with specifications on age, height, weight, and musical strengths (genre, pitch range and ideal tempos). The characters of the first three installments of the series are created by illustrator Kei.
Any rights or obligations arising from the vocals created by the software belong to the software user. Just like any music synthesizer, the software is treated as a musical instrument and the vocals as sound. Under the term of license, the Character Vocal Series software can be used to create vocals for commercial or non-commercial use as long as the vocals do not offend public policy. In other words, the user is bound under the term of license with Crypton not to synthesize derogatory or disturbing lyrics. On the other hand, copyrights to the mascot image and name belong to Crypton. Under the term of license, a user cannot commercially distribute a vocal as a song sung by the character, nor use the mascot image on commercial products, without Crypton’s consent.
It is encouraging to read that “professional singers refused to provide singing data” because, as you were warned in The Performing Pianist (a pocket primer, 2002), page 27 (Digital vs. Analog):
Pianists are for the most part analog creatures. They may be transformed into digital entities by such things as the glorified player piano, the Yamaha Disklavier. This hybrid machine digitally and precisely captures the manipulations of the keys and pedals, also known as performance capture, which can then be reproduced exactly, ad infinitum, on the analog piano. A lazy individual could purchase and not play this instrument, thus avoiding the need to hire (or bribe) musicians, take lessons, or even go to concerts. This is not in the best interests of the art form. You should consider carefully the degree to which you agree to be digitized…
]]>Brief History Of Quantum Mechanics - BestOfSciencehttp://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/2/14/brief-history-of-quantum-mechanics-bestofscience.htmlrichardwalker2010-02-14T14:52:40Z2010-02-14T14:52:40Z
The history of quantum mechanics began essentially with the 1838 discovery of cathode rays by Michael Faraday, the 1859 statement of the black body radiation problem by Gustav Kirchhoff, the 1877 suggestion by Ludwig Boltzmann that the energy states of a physical system could be discrete, and the 1900 quantum hypothesis by Max Planck that any energy is radiated and absorbed in quantities divisible by discrete energy elements, E, such that each of these energy elements is proportional to the frequency ν with which they each individually radiate energy.
Planck insisted that this was simply an aspect of the processes of absorption and emission of radiation and had nothing to do with the physical reality of the radiation itself.
However, at that time, this appeared not to explain the photoelectric effect (1839), i.e. that shining light on certain materials can function to eject electrons from the material.
In 1905, basing his work on Plancks quantum hypothesis, Albert Einstein postulated that light itself consists of individual quanta. These later came to be called photons (1926). From Einstein’s simple postulation was born a flurry of debating, theorizing and testing, and thus, the entire field of quantum physics.
Quantum mechanics (QM) is a set of principles describing the physical reality at the atomic level of matter (molecules and atoms) and the subatomic (electrons, protons, and even smaller particles). These descriptions include the simultaneous wave-like and particle-like behavior of both matter and radiation (“waveparticle duality”).
Quantum Mechanics is a mathematical description of reality, like any scientific model. Some of its predictions and implications go against the “common sense” of how humans see a set of bodies (a system) behave. This isn’t necessarily a failure of Quantum mechanics - it’s more of a reflection of how humans understand space and time on larger scales (e.g., centimetres, seconds) rather than much smaller.
Quantum mechanics says that the most complete description of a system is its wavefunction, which is just a number varying between time and place. One can derive things from the wavefunction, such as the position of a particle, or its momentum. Yet the wavefunction describes probabilities, and some physical quantities which classical physics would assume are both fully defined together simultaneously for a system are not simultaneously given definite values in Quantum mechanics.
It is not that the experimental equipment is not precise enough - the two quantities in question just are not defined at the same time by the Universe. For instance, location and velocity do not exist simultaneously for a body (this is called the Heisenberg uncertainty principle)
Certain systems, however, do exhibit quantum mechanical effects on a larger scale; superfluidity (the frictionless flow of a liquid at temperatures near absolute zero) is one well-known example. Quantum theory also provides accurate descriptions for many previously unexplained phenomena such as black body radiation and the stability of electron orbitals. It has also given insight into the workings of many different biological systems, including smell receptors and protein structures.
Even so, classical physics often can be a good approximation to results otherwise obtained by quantum physics, typically in circumstances with large numbers of particles or large quantum numbers. (However, some open questions remain in the field of quantum chaos.)
]]>Leo Laporte interviews the creators of Old Spice adhttp://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/2/11/leo-laporte-interviews-the-creators-of-old-spice-ad.htmlrichardwalker2010-02-12T05:02:18Z2010-02-12T05:02:18ZLeo Laporte interviews the two who came up with the concept. There is a wager and cash involved regarding special effects and CG.
Leo interviews Craig Allen and Eric Kallman of Wieden + Kennedy to find out how “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” was made.
“Look at your man. Now back to me. Now back at your man. Now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me. … I’m on a horse!”
]]>Miley Cyrus Exposed - I interrupt this blog for a special facepalm awardhttp://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/1/31/miley-cyrus-exposed-i-interrupt-this-blog-for-a-special-face.htmlrichardwalker2010-02-01T02:45:43Z2010-02-01T02:45:43ZBolero Bill v3 (Ravel goes to war)http://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/1/25/bolero-bill-v3-ravel-goes-to-war.htmlrichardwalker2010-01-26T06:29:14Z2010-01-26T06:29:14ZWhen I listen to certain film composers, it is sometimes immediately apparent they are fans of Ravel’s music. While Ravel himself didn’t consider Boléro an important piece, it has “gone viral” somewhat — probably due to the catchy rhythm that drives it relentlessly forward. When I heard Ennio Morricone using that rhythm in a sound track, it was an immediate cue, and a natural choice for a remix against Boléro. I also think any “warhorse” piece which has been over-played or misused is fair game.
Boléro became Ravel’s most famous composition, much to the surprise of the composer, who had predicted that most orchestras would refuse to play it.[3] It is usually played as a purely orchestral work, only rarely being staged as a ballet. According to a possibly apocryphal story, at the premiere a woman shouted that Ravel was mad. When told about this, Ravel smiled and remarked that she had understood the piece.[6]
Imagine in your mind the villain from Diva (1981) — but instead of polka music, he’s listening to Boléro over and over… while he merrily commits terrible violence. The guns, brass, vocals and signature whistling are courtesy of Morricone. The ending was difficult, as I’m combining two separate recordings of Bolero; it has to have a “big finish” — a.k.a. fortissi-issi-issi-issi-issimo. One trick employed here is substitution sleight-of-hand; the “jump cut” out of Morricone is made possible by the two chords which lead to the “coda” in Boléro. Also, in the development I wove the theme onto itself to provide additional interest, since everyone knows the piece so well.
]]>Da Capo al Fine v3 - Wise Guy Mix (homage to Godfather & Sopranos)http://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/1/25/da-capo-al-fine-v3-wise-guy-mix-homage-to-godfather-sopranos.htmlrichardwalker2010-01-26T02:17:55Z2010-01-26T02:17:55ZThis sort of “sound track remix” is quite illegal technically but when approached correctly is unlikely to be a subject of legal proceedings. For example, under the last half of the Sopranos theme an original track was added to the mix. The title is a play on the musical direction “from the head to the end” - which you can also take to mean “from the Mafia Boss to the gunshot.”
Instrument doubling for the Godfather waltz is accomplished by carefully editing together sections of two separate recordings. There is a side-trip to Chicago included in the Godfather section. One can’t omit the Tarantella - but where to put it? Knitting together the two broad sections required a transition to the natural key of the Sopranos theme. I’m very careful to preserve original pitch and meter, which stems from the overall mandate to retain the “audio fidelity” of the sources.
It is quite unfortunate that content owners consider the musical themes to such classics as these ongoing profit vehicles. In my perfect world, the composers would be well-paid, up front, and ongoing royalties would come from film and television broadcasts. The theme music itself can be considered an advertisement for that content, and could be released into the wild, for “fair use” by musicians, producers, DJs and other culture jammers and trouble makers.
Da Capo al Fine v3 (wise guy mix) Henri Mancini Ennio Morricone Nino Rota Alabama 3 ca·po 2 (kä’pō, kāp’ō) n. pl.ca·pos The head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate.
]]>We don't need your Businesses (meet Mr Redhill)http://www.softmachinecubed.com/arts/2010/1/4/we-dont-need-your-businesses-meet-mr-redhill.htmlrichardwalker2010-01-04T21:07:27Z2010-01-04T21:07:27ZA friend of mine told me an amusing story about how a photographer’s lighting equipment rental facility manages difficult would-be clients.
One of the best things about working for a well-established business with an organically earned reputation is that they aren’t looking for new customers. Such businesses don’t need a Yellow Pages listing, and sometimes even ask you who referred you to them.
A specialized service such as lighting equipment rental is often subject to cold calls from self-important, ill-behaved people who expect that name-dropping over the phone will get them special treatment. Should Miss Liebowitz’s assistant phone without a referral, and attempt to throw his weight around, he’ll likely be referred to Mr. Redhill.
Mr. Redhill is frequently out of the office, but he is the only person that can handle difficult would-be clients, and it’s important that they keep trying his number. When Mr. Redhill rings everyone at the shop chuckles.
It’s here!!!!!
