Speakers corner quartet collaboration

The 19th October marks an important date in the history and development of speakers corner quartet. 3 years to the day after the initial idea was conceived the band took to the stage in Stroud at the Brunel Goods Shed with a fifth member of the band, Robby the Robot! 

Robby is an ever growing tower of percussive-midi-solenoid robotics. In the last three years Robby has had the chance to join in with the band on stage, but like all performers at an early stage of honing the craft of performing, Robby has experienced some levels of stage fright. 

About a year and a half ago I got involved with the band to try and help create a better platform for them to communicate with Robby, with the intention for the robots to take on more of a performative role. This device was born from those R&D sessions.

The new brain is a 16 channel midi device that receives signals from a wide variety of sources and converts the input into solenoid triggers, housed in a solid aluminium box, its rugged enough to be gig ready and once configured with their instrument counterparts the velocity data is converted into variable gate lengths to add dynamic range to the solenoid intensity.

The micro controller within has the potential to hold far more complex code than this fairly straight forward function. I have been experimenting with self generative code that can be influenced by the midi signals it receives, recording the values of previous inputs, MIDI notes, velocity and time intervals between notes, once activated the auto generative pattern begins based on this stored information. Any new data added from the band update the buffers with new data set to influence what Robby will play. There’s definitely some depths to delve into with this one!

The band have been extremely busy amassing an arsenal of percussive instruments into a complex tower of chaotic wires, flashing lights, shakers and chimes. With all the robotic instruments plugged into their new brains, and a wide array of midi controllers, the stage was set for the sonic explorers of Stroud to witness this experimental performance. Actually there was no stage to set, the audience found themselves able to explore the unfamiliar apparatus setup in the middle of the room, with the more familiar instrumentation to one side. My absolute favourite way to witness live music is in the round on the same level as the musicians, so this was a real treat. The immersive experience was greatly heightened with the 360 degree sound system that is installed in the venue, with the ability to send individual sounds swirling around the room.

The show started with sparse beginnings, a slowly evolving ambient soundscape. With Robby stepping in at times with what seemed like a slightly chaotic inability to understand the traditional place of a musician in a quintet, a childlike smashing of sounds, a banging of drums that showed little sensitivity to what the composition would normally call for. But we aren’t here for normal are we! 

It was like Robby was learning in front of us what it is to play with others, warts and all.

At times the sonic exploration might of been a little challenging for some of the audience, but I believe the narrative arc of the performance was clear, what started calm and gentle ambience delved into realms of dissonant chaos and found resolution in the powerful heavy grooves the band are better known for. It felt like we were baring witness to Robby learning the language of music. Robby was there to show us the evolution of technology from its absence, into the early stages of its clunky and disjointed development, all the way through to creating extremely complex rhythmic structures.

Next up we are taking Robby to the ICA in London for a short residency, with multiple performances and a workshop schedule open to both the public as well as working with a local school, where I will be teaching the basics of electro magnetics in music and soldering skills. We will build small solenoid devices that will be added to Robby for the performances. These will then be returned to the students for use in their own musical compositions. 

See you at the ICA !