HIEMPA: Hybrid Instruments from Electroacoustic Manipulation and Models of Pütorino and Aquascape

Abstract

The HIEMPA project combined a team of people with technical, artistic, environmental and cultural expertise towards an artistic outcome aiming to extend the New Zealand sonic art tradition. The work involved collecting audio samples from the aquascape of the Ruakuri Caves and Nature Reserve in Waitomo, South Waikato, New Zealand; and samples of a variety of pütorino – a New Zealand Mäori wind instrument. Following a machine learning analysis of this audio material and an analysis of the performance material, hybrid digital instruments were built and mapped to suitable hardware triggers. The new instruments are playable in realtime, along with the electroacoustic manipulation of pütorino performances. The project takes into account the environmental and cultural significance of the source material, with the results to be released as a set of compositions. This paper discusses the background research and process of the project.

Internet2 and Global Electroacoustic Music: Navigating a decision space of production, relationships and languages

“…My interest in using traditional instruments in electroacoustic performances is longstanding (Whalley 2005). This extends to real-time performance systems that incorporate regional acoustic instruments and environmental sounds (Whalley 2008). Prior work has also involved applying multi-agent technology to explore this and other aesthetic areas (Whalley 2004, 2010c).…”