Disquiet Junto Project 0498: Sonic Entomologist

[disquiet]

Each Thursday in the Disquiet Junto group, a new compositional challenge is set before the group’s members, who then have just over four days to upload a track in response to the assignment. Membership in the Junto is open: just join and participate. (A SoundCloud account is helpful but not required.) There’s no pressure to do every project. It’s weekly so that you know it’s there, every Thursday through Monday, when you have the time.

Deadline: This project’s deadline is the end of the day Monday, July 19, 2021, at 11:59pm (that is, just before midnight) wherever you are. It was posted on Thursday, June 15, 2021.

Tracks will be added to the playlist for the duration of the project.

These are the instructions that went out to the group’s email list (at tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto):

Disquiet Junto Project 0498: Sonic Entomologist

The Assignment: Create a new hybrid insect from the sound of two different insects.

This project is the second of three that are being done over the course of as many months in collaboration with the 2021 Musikfestival Bern, which will be held in Switzerland from September 1 through 5 under the motto “schwärme” (“swarms”). For this reason, a German translation is provided below. We are working at the invitation of Tobias Reber, an early Junto participant, who is in charge of the educational activities of the festival. This is the third year in a row that the Junto has collaborated with Musikfestival Bern. Select recordings resulting from these three Disquiet Junto projects will be played and displayed throughout the festival.

Step 1: You will be playing mad scientist this week, or at least sonic scientist. Put that hat on.

Step 2: A large number of insects were invented for the previous project in this series. Many of them were made available for download and subsequent remixing. Check them out here:

https://we.tl/t-dWFMGwmyad

Step 3: Choose two insects from the ones available in Step 2. Imagine a hybrid of the two insects, created in a laboratory.

Step 4: By combining the sounds of the two insects selected in Step 3, record the sound of that hybrid you imagined. What does it sound like? Is it a refined creation, or a Frankenstein nightmare? Is it better, stronger, faster, or prone to mutation and ill health?

Background: There will be public display cases at the festival, and we will set up motion triggers that cause an insect sound to occur when people pass by. We will do so with signage explaining that it documents experimental insect life. The participants whose work is included will be listed by name.

Seven More Important Steps When Your Track Is Done:

Step 1: Include “disquiet0498” (no spaces or quotation marks) in the name of your tracks.

Step 2: If your audio-hosting platform allows for tags, be sure to also include the project tag “disquiet0498” (no spaces or quotation marks). If you’re posting on SoundCloud in particular, this is essential to subsequent location of tracks for the creation of a project playlist.

Step 3: Upload your tracks. It is helpful but not essential that you use SoundCloud to host your tracks.

Step 4: Post your tracks in the following discussion thread at llllllll.co:

https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0498-sonic-entomologist/

Step 5: Annotate your tracks with a brief explanation of your approach and process.

Step 6: If posting on social media, please consider using the hashtag #disquietjunto and #musikfestivalbern so fellow participants are more likely to locate your communication.

Step 7: Then listen to and comment on tracks uploaded by your fellow Disquiet Junto participants.

Additional Details:

Deadline: This project’s deadline is the end of the day Monday, July 19, 2021, at 11:59pm (that is, just before midnight) wherever you are. It was posted on Thursday, July 15, 2021.

Length: The length of your finished track should be 20 seconds.

Title/Tag: When posting your tracks, please include “disquiet0498” in the title of the tracks, and where applicable (on SoundCloud, for example) as a tag.

Upload: When participating in this project, be sure to include a description of your process in planning, composing, and recording it. This description is an essential element of the communicative process inherent in the Disquiet Junto. Photos, video, and lists of equipment are always appreciated.

Download: It is always best to set your track as downloadable and allowing for attributed remixing (i.e., a Creative Commons license permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution, allowing for derivatives).

For context, when posting the track online, please be sure to include this following information:

More on this 498th weekly Disquiet Junto project — Sonic Entomologist (The Assignment: Create a new hybrid insect from the sound of two different insects) — at: https://disquiet.com/0498/

Thanks to Tobias Reber and Musikfestival Bern for collaboration on this project. More on the festival at:

https://www.musikfestivalbern.ch/

https://www.instagram.com/musikfestival_bern

https://www.facebook.com/musikfestivalbern

More on the Disquiet Junto at: https://disquiet.com/junto/

Subscribe to project announcements here: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0498-sonic-entomologist/

There’s also a Disquiet Junto Slack. Send your email address to twitter.com/disquiet for Slack inclusion.

The image associated with this project is by Nick Southall, and used thanks to Flickr and a Creative Commons license allowing editing (cropped with text added) for non-commercial purposes:

https://flic.kr/p/7Syf86

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

. . .

Disquiet Junto Projekt 0498: Sonic Entomologist

Die Aufgabe: Erschaffe ein Hybrid-Insekt aus den Klängen zweier Insekten.

Dieses Projekt ist das zweite von drei, die im Laufe von ebenso vielen Monaten in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Musikfestival Bern 2021 durchgeführt werden, welches vom 1. bis 5. September in der Schweiz unter dem Motto “schwärme” stattfinden wird. Wir arbeiten auf Einladung von Tobias Reber, einem frühen Junto-Teilnehmer, der für die pädagogischen Aktivitäten des Festivals verantwortlich ist. Dies ist das dritte Jahr in Folge, in dem die Junto mit dem Musikfestival Bern zusammenarbeitet. Ausgewählte Aufnahmen, die aus diesen drei Disquiet Junto-Projekten entstehen, werden im Rahmen des Festivals gespielt und ausgestellt.

Schritt 1: Du übernimmst diese Woche die Rolle eines verrückten Wissenschaftlers, oder zumindest eines Klangwissenschaftlers. Setz dir diesen Hut auf.

Schritt 2: Eine grosse Anzahl Insekten sind für das vorangehende Projekt in dieser Reihe erschaffen worden. Viele davon sind zum Download und fürs Remixing zur Verfügung gestellt worden. Du findest sie hier zum Download:

https://we.tl/t-dWFMGwmyad

Schritt 3: Wähle zwei Insekten von jenen in Schritt zwei aus. Erschaffe ein Hybrid der zwei Insekten, erschaffen in einem Labor.

Schritt 4. Zeichne den Klang dieses Hybridinsekts auf, indem du die Klänge der zwei Insekten aus Schritt 3 kombinierst. Wie klingt das? Ist es eine raffinierte Schöpfung oder ein Frankenstein’scher Albtraum? Ist es besser, stärker, schneller, oder anfällig für Mutationen und schlechte Gesundheit?

Zum Hintergrund des Projekts: Im Rahmen des Festivals wird es öffentliche Schaukästen geben, und wir werden Bewegungsmelder aufstellen, die ein Insektengeräusch auslösen, wenn Leute vorbeigehen. Wir werden dies mit einer Beschilderung tun, die erklärt, dass hier experimentelles Insektenleben dokumentiert wird. Die Teilnehmer, deren Arbeit aufgenommen wird, werden namentlich aufgeführt.

Sieben weitere wichtige Schritte wenn deine Komposition fertig ist:

Schritt 1: Verwende „disquiet0498“ (ohne Leerschläge und Anführungszeichen) im Namen deines Tracks.

Schritt 2: Falls deine Audio-Plattform Tags zulässt: stelle sicher dass du den Projekt-Tag „disquiet0498“ (ohne Leerschläge und Anführungszeichen) verwendest. Vor allem auf SoundCloud ist dies hilfreich um anschliessend eine Projekt-Playlist erstellen zu können.

Schritt 3: Lade deinen Track hoch. Es ist hilfreich, aber nicht zwingend, wenn du dazu SoundCloud verwendest.

Schritt 4: Poste deinen Track im folgenden Diskussions-Thread auf llllllll.co:

https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0498-sonic-entomologist/

Schritt 5: Füge deinem Track eine kurze Erklärung zu deiner Herangehensweise bei.

Schritt 6: Falls du den Track auf den sozialen Medien erwähnst, verwende gerne die Hashtags #disquietjunto #musikfestivalbern so dass andere Teilnehmer deinen Hinweis besser finden können.

Schritt 7: Höre und kommentiere die Stücke deiner Junto-Kolleg*innen.

Weitere Details:

Deadline: Die Abgabefrist für dieses Projekt ist der Montag, 19. Juli 2021 um 23.59 Uhr wo immer du bist. Das Projekt wurde am Donnerstag, 15. Juli 2021 gepostet.

Dauer: Die Dauer des Stückes sollte ca. 20 Sekunden sein.

Titel/Tag: Wenn du das Stück postest, verwende bitte „disquiet0498“ im Titel des Tracks und, wo möglich (beispielsweise auf SoundCloud) als Tag.

Upload: Wenn du bei diesem Projekt mitmachst, dann füge deinem Post eine Beschreibung deiner Vorgehensweise bei - Planung, Komposition und Aufnahme. Diese Beschreibung ist ein zentrales Element im Kommunikationsprozess der Disquiet Junto. Fotos, Video und eine Auflistung der verwendeten Instrumente und Werkzeuge sind immer willkommen.

Download: Ermögliche gerne das Herunterladen deiner Komposition und erlaube attribuiertes Remixing (z.B. eine Creative Commons-Lizenz welche nicht-kommerzielles Teilen mit Attribution erlaubt und Remixes zulässt).

Wenn du den Track online postest, füge ihm als Kontext die folgende Information bei:

Mehr über dieses 498. wöchentliche Disquiet Junto-Projekt - Sonic Entomologist (Die Aufgabe: Erschaffe ein Hybrid-Insekt aus den Klängen zweier Insekten.) unter:

https://disquiet.com/0498/

Dies ist das zweite von drei Projekten in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Musikfestival Bern 2021, welches vom 1.-5. September stattfindet. Weitere Informationen unter:

https://www.musikfestivalbern.ch/

https://www.instagram.com/musikfestival_bern

https://www.facebook.com/musikfestivalbern

Mehr zur Disquiet Junto unter:
https://disquiet.com/junto/

Abonniere die wöchentlichen Projekt-Ankündigungen hier:
http://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Die Diskussion des Projekts findet statt auf llllllll.co unter:

https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0498-sonic-entomologist/

There’s also a Disquiet Junto Slack. Send your email address to twitter.com/disquiet for Slack inclusion.

Das mit dem Projekt assoziierte Bild ist von Nick Southall, und wird dank Flickr und einer Creative Commons-Lizenz (zugeschnitten und mit hinzugefügtem Text) für nichtkommerzielle Zwecke:

https://flic.kr/p/7Syf86

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

[disquiet]

The project is now live. Thanks to @TobiasReber for the huge collaboration on the three Musikfestival Bern projects we’re doing this year in advance of the September events.

[banabila]

I chose ‘Eriolatus Allostridor’ by @netrethowan and ‘Insect 2’ by @seramind .
A bit puzzled why a fly was bothering me enormously during the whole duration of this recording

[Paul_Reiners]

I used the following two tracks:

• Insect Menagerie (disquiet0494)
• _disquiet0494

By using the Max for Live Envelope Follower effect, I had each track operate on the other. Call the two tracks, track_0 and track_1.

1. I put the Envelope Follower on track_0.
2. I put a Borg grain delay effect on track_1.
3. I assigned the Envelope Follower to the Frequency parameter of the Borg effect.
4. I muted track_0.

I did this with

• track_0: Insect Menagerie (disquiet0494)
• track_1: _disquiet0494

I also did it with the tracks reversed.

Because of the muting, you don’t hear either of the original tracks, but, rather, you hear each of them through a grain delay as modulated by the other. Symmetric and formal.

I think it’s a very otherworldly, alien insect. Maybe H.P. Lovecraftian. With two heads emerging from a long stalk and whipping around before killing its prey. Bwah ha ha ha ha! BWAH HA HA HA HA!!

---

Credits

• ChalkWalk Junto
  • San Francisco, United States
  • Insect Menagerie (disquiet0494)
• ¶radio hummingbird
  • _disquiet0494

[disquiet]

@Bick_Brannigan

Do you have any set time limit on these? Do you want 20 seconds again?

Good question. I’d keep it brief again.

[TobiasReber]

The first two sound amazing already -

@banabila - that is a very “alive”, organic texture!
PS: I have an album of yours (“Entropia” which I also really happen to like!)

@Paul_Reiners - that sounds amazing! Thanks for explaining how you did it - I’ll have to try that technique as well. I’ve done crude versions of that in some experiments years ago, but with less interesting results.

[disquiet]

The playlist is now rolling. Thanks, folks.

[chalkwalk]

I went for a random selection process to choose my insect sounds. I picked at random and skipped anything that wasn’t just one insect sound until I had 2. My selections were:

@Cryptohelix - insect sounds - disquiet0494
@morgulbee - Warp Bugz - disquiet0494

I did all the processing in Bitwig (4 but I didn’t use any of the new features). I initially played them side by side and did a bit of EQ to help then sit together better. I then chopped them both into individual sounds and made a drum rack which I made into two new tracks. I added some enveloping and various effects like compression, delay, filtering and a resonator. I made a “one sound per bar” clip of each then shifted the relative timing per instance to try and get them sitting comfortably. I used a bit of transient shaping, compression, saturation and limiting on the master bus. I bounced the recording, then turned it into another drum rack. I then recorded a 20s clip of me playing that drum rack. I recorded it out through my mixer and my external mastering chain. Final triming and fades/tidying were in audacity.

The result is fairly different to both of the source materials and sounds a bit less like an insect than I’d have hoped. I didn’t really picture the insect perse but did try and imagine a sound I thought a living being might make. Similarly I tried to include a flavour of both of the source insect sounds, but to not have them be too distinct or disjoint in the end result. On the whole I think the combination works.

[Nosach]

Thanks to @Net’s and @morgulbee’s parascientific insights I was able to morph an insect from the hybrid species Warpus Allostridor belonging to the xenoscarab family. The specimen seemed highly sensitive to changes in air pressure, and as soon as I caught my breath it disappeared, leaving only this sonic signature logged by the instruments.

https://soundcloud.com/user-868546945/log8940-disquiet0498

[Ausgesuchtestenohren]

The mad entomologist made a hybrid insect using the DNA of BroodX - 10521 by @otolythe and Ambulantes electricus by @name_constant. Hybrid 10532 cannot fly but is trying it over and over again.

[gregory.bell]

I created this sound snippet by blending the ‘bee kind’ and ‘noodle twister’ samples provided as source material. My hybrid insect is an engineered bumble bee roughly the size of a hedgehog, whose wings create a textural sonic drone, and whose brain has been extended with 1990s modem technology for the purposes of (low bandwidth) communication.

[ray_cobley]

An edited combination of these two tracks:
Morgulbee – Warp-bugz-disquiet0494
Zedkah – Flyes-disquiet0590
with added fx.

[RabMusicLab]

I chose the insects
A williaso by Uforika
B warp-bugz by morgulbee (which is a favourit for breeding).

I used the two tracks in parallel with some added effects to reinforce the original strengths.
Then I added two copies, shifted in time, and used the (free) TAL Vocoder with A as carrier and B as modulator, and added some effects to enhance the sound.
Then I added two more copies, also shifted in time by a different amount, pitched B two octaves down, and used the TAL Vocoder with B as carrier and A as modulator. And since I liked the pitched B with added delay I also routed that into the mix.

This results in a new breed deriving the best qualities of both parents and developing new abilities through the combination.

[krakenkraft]

I sent " @fakeg3nius - alpha centauri" and " @Ausgesuchtestenohren - swarm behaviour" into the GleetchLab laboratory and let it cook for some time – the result is a nano insect, that swarm into human cells and feeds from alien DNA in the human DNA.

“Spacerhopperis Carcinogenesis” may free us from alien influences, but probably has carcinogenic side effects, hence the name. Because of its small size for insects, Spacerhopperis Carcinogenesis can only be heard with nanophones and these 20 seconds took months to be recorded.

[Joule]

This piece was constructed from two contributions to Insect Menagerie, one of which was composed by @Paul_Reiners Reiners and the second by @bee_kind - Matrifocal Bee. The two compositions were looped at 30 different playback speeds and overlaid to generate a descending tone pattern using Supercollider. Additional treatments of Matrifocal Bee were supplied by GuitarRig in Kontakt. The final piece was mixed in Ableton Live. Thanks to paul.reiners and bee.kind for permitting use of their amazing contributions.

[derangement]

Hybridised the following two insects:

Uforika – Williaso-disquiet0494
Morgulbee – Warp-bugz-disquiet0494

Processing on Eurorack modular system - random sequence gating between the two samples, playing a filter cutoff, with some granular effects.

[RichieWitch]

Stalking the deepest salt marshes in the dark of night, the highly-venomous swamp creeper winds its long, multi-segmented, obsidian-black body through the damp undergrowth. It crawls on dozens of legs, clicking a pair of frontal claws together in a cricket-like sound that draws small birds and reptiles to its embrace.

Special thanks to @acoustic_mirror and @Affectionate-Bee for the genetic material of their creations.

[name_constant]

The mad scientist combined Richiewitch – Future-crickets-disquiet-494 and Seramind – Insect-2-disquiet0494 and the progeny now likes to sit next to natural wells and imitates water sounds to attract prey.

[fakeg3nius]

Semi-randomly selected the creations from @Joule and @wasabicube and side-chained one to the other, added lots of reverb, amp, saturation and some additional glitches from the Arturia Buchla plugin. Was going for a heavy, swamp-like, moist atmosphere.

[mode.analogue]

a little late to the party but here we go. another fun exploration of foreign sounds. i seems to be some kind of cicada and it’s probably a little on the wild side but i hope you enjoy nevertheless!

this is ¶radio hummingbird’s contribution to this week’s disquiet junto with the serial number 0498. in short, the requirement for this contribution was to use two different imaginary insect sounds produced by other contributors for such prior assignment and cleverly combine/remix them.

i utilised the contributions from @acoustic_mirror (Acoustic_mirror – Cimex-resonare-disquiet0494) as well as @brej (Breannajohnston – Insect-menagerie-disquiet0494) for this piece and processed it as follows: each track has been recorded onto a cassette loop. one endless tape and one open loop which i crunched up quite a bit on top all this. both loops have been slowed down to different speeds and layered as well as equalised. i further processed both tracks via a delay pedal which was connected to another delay pedal which acted as a modulator. all this has been recorded and received a light mastering in ableton live. nothing else.

please enjoy and listen loud.

edit: and this is what the process looked like.

@_radiohummingbird