Gene Pool - Digital Culture

The Future seems to get ever-closer. We talk 3D printed buildings, augmented reality apps, and have fun with the new Siri personal assistant on the iPhone 4S, with iOS developer Chris Tingley and 3D artist, Riette Hayes-Davies. More Info: http://www.digitalmediacentre.org.uk

Following on from his hugely successful large-scale event, "Siren", sound artist Ray Lee assembles a collection of 40 handmade "ethometric" sound devices and presents a tour and demonstration of them in a performance which blurs the boundary of technological reality and tips visitors into a post Steam Punk mix of spiritualism and the New Science. Audio recording made by Felicity Ford. More Info: Ray Lee - www.invisible-forces.com Dr Kounadea: www.stavroulakounadea.com Ethometric Instruments Ltd.: www.ethometric.co.uk www.digitalmediacentre.org

Inhabiting an alternate technological reality, manipulating the signifiers of history or creating a space for the "wonderful" to emerge - sound artist, Ray Lee stops by to speak to us on the occasion of his performance piece, the Ethometric Museum. More Info: www.ethometric.co.uk | www.digitalmediacentre.org

Touching on hydrophones, Quartz Composer and Bat Detectors, we speak to artist, Kathy Hinde in between her residency on a canal boat turned into a moving data-collecting instrument for AND Festival, project to produce playable animations for a touring Folk music duo, and creation of online sound maps for her Twitchr and Echo Location pieces. Kathy's artwork encompasses installation, video, sound, interactive and digital elements in a genuine and considered way. She has a wealth of collaborators and is regular demand to lend her ideas to the staging of Theatre and Dance pieces. More Info http://www.digitalmediacentre.org http://www.kathyhinde.co.uk

Sonic explorations of the phonetics and meaning of European languages with Greek artist, Vicky Vergou. The two part project revolves around the wealth of languages existing in close geographical proximity and is realised in video, sound and images. Features recordings by the artist and Paul Whitty of SARU, Ann Rapstoff and others. More: http://languageparalanguage.blogspot.com/ http://www.vickyvergou.co.uk

"Did you hear the voices?" A roadtrip to the ancient monuments and sacred places of the West Country in search of inspiration and magic. With artist and musician, Sandy Nys of Belgian Ritual/Industrial band, Hybryds. Stopping off at Silbury Hill, Swallowhead Spring, West Kennet Long Barrow, Avebury, Stonehenge and Glastonbury. More: www.hybryds.com www.digitalmediacentre.org

Field recording meets contemporary composition, drone and home-brewed electronics in a live concert at The Rising Sun Arts Centre, Reading, as part of Simon Whetham‘s “Active Crossover” sound installation project. This episode is a condensed mix created by Simon Whetham of all of the performances on the night from: Simon Whetham, Jonathan Coleclough, Felicity Ford, Mark Durgan, Martin Franklin & Cheap Machines.

Development of new forms and representations in Dance for Screen. Our XTEND V collection of international artist films in this genre was shown at South Hill Park and projected large scale on the wall of Oxford Castle during the Oxford Dance Festival 2011. An edited selection of some of the films were screened before main features in the Phoenix Picturehouse Cinema in Oxford, during the festival period. After the Oxford Castle screening, we spoke with XTEND artists Ana Barbour and Katy Pendlebury, along with sound designer, Shakeel Asoof in the basement of the bar that was hosting the festival’s VIP reception. Conversation covers their work as artists and the collaborative process that helped them bridge choreography, film-making and composition. More: www.digitalmediacentre.org

Do the technologies of surveillance increase our safety, or is it just “Security Theatre”? What are the future implications of the data-trace left by a new generation brought up to share their personal life on Facebook? What’s the hidden price of the free online services we use? Many interesting contemporary topics discussed in the post-screening discussion by artists whose work features in the “Beyond Surveillance” collection of artist films. Jamie Wyld chairs the discussion with curator Manu Luksch and artists David Valentine and Paolo Cirio.

The commercial foundation, social relevance and stability of the funded arts sector under question with Dan Eastmond, MD of the new Firestation Centre for Arts & Culture in Windsor. With a background in commercial entertainments, a new management company relaunched the Old Court venue in 2008 with a vision of a courageous, fluid and future facing strategy to respond to the needs of catering and venue hires and reposition themselves as an open and responsive creative. Dan Eastmond contributed a blog article to Arts Professional magazine January 2011 which covers many elements discussed in this episode. More: www.digitalmediacentre.org

Crowd-funding, Ray Lee’s new installation “Murmer” and Steven Cornford’s piano-bashing and benching-dragging performance at Oxford Brookes annual sonic arts festival, Audiograft, all under discussion as Felicity Ford emerges from deep cover to hit us up on Skype. Featuring excellent audio recordings from both events. More: www.digitalmediacentre.org

The Art of the Handmade, from clothes to tech explored with artist, Thea Stallwood. The Gene Pool show hits 40 in this episode, where we talk to the current artist participant on our I/O Artist Residency Scheme. The I/O Scheme provides opportunity for artists to experience a wide range of DIY and Digital techniques and processes during our Autumn “Digital Developments” workshop season, followed by use of rooms, facilities and support to evolve new ideas during the Winter. More Info: www.theastallwood.com

Icelandic sagas and sounds from Pontoon Hotels in Thailand are among the pieces played during our Invisible Jukebox with globe-trotting sound artist, Simon Whetham in this episode. We spoke with Simon during the week when he was setting up his exhibition, “Active Crossover” at South Hill Park prior to it’s showing between February 4th-3rd April 2011. More Info: www.simonwhetham.co.uk www.activecrossover.co.uk www.digitalmediacentre.org.uk

Sonic interventions, acoustic architecture and urban sounds of control are some of the audio projects being pursued for our forthcoming series of Framework:Afield shows on Resonance FM. We met with all of the contributing artists at the Royal Festival Hall for a mid-project update. Interviews and audio from Sam Levine, Thea Stallwood, Jane Pitt and Lisa Hall. Info: www.digitalmediacentre.org / www.frameworkradio.net

Alternative internet, Freenet installed and discussed during this final show of our Autumn season on Soundart Radio 102.5FM, alongside a peek into the sonic doors in Sound Diaries "Sonic Advent Calendar" project. Presented by Martin Franklin & Felicity Ford. More: http://www.sound-diaries.com http://www.freenetproject.org

With the looming closure of the sonic airline-themed web project, Sound Transit, we book one last journey via this imaginative web site, which is the brainchild of artist, Derek Holzer. Programme presented by Martin Franklin and Felicity Ford More: www.soundtransit.nl

Theremin Day was a sold out workshop day where participants built a 6 oscillator, photo-optic, sci-fi drone machine from electronic components, under the guidance of Mr. Underwood. This episode includes audio from the completed optical Theremin projects, plus an extract of Sam Underwood's performance of Steve Reich's "Pendulum" score, with an interview covering the Theremin Day concept and the work of Underwood's many aliases, not forgetting the forthcoming brass band Metal "Doom-pah" trio. Further Info: www.mrunderwood.co.uk www.thereminday.co.uk

The hidden world of audio vibrations in buildings, environment, objects, interior and exterior locations revealed. Based on our very own "DIY Contact Mic" workshop day, we talk about the what and how of building your own contact mic, before auditioning some example sounds recorded from around our building during the day. Our message on the Phonography eGroup on Yahoo, asking for submissions and gained a great response. The latter part of the show features submitted contact microphone recordings from around the World by Raoul Brand, Michael Trommer, Manual Calurano, Steve Barsotti and Udo Noll. Many thanks to all of our contributors

From the Victorian Sewers of Brighton to Ocean Drive in Miami, we present sonic artefacts from our sound-hunting expeditions. Amazing 3D binaural audio from a tour of the underground tunnel system below Brighton and nature and nightlife from bustling Miami, Florida, presented by Martin Franklin and Felicity Ford. More of Felicity's Miami sounds can be heard on www.sound-diaries.com Info: www.digitalmediacentre.org

The maker of Southwold Pier's Cycle Pong, Iain Sharpe leads a weekend mixing electronics theory with it's creative application. Throw in an Arduino micro-processor, and you've got a programmable sound and light sequencer. We hear interviews and atmospheres from the "Electronics For Artists" weekend at South Hill Park.