Ryoji Ikeda’s live set. This is a music piece that experiments with black and white visual styles reminiscent of bar codes and digital tags. The piece uses high speed visuals synchronized with music or sound manipulated by the artist on stage.

I think it is notable because music based pieces are difficult to find. I have a personal interest in working with sound, and it seems that most audio pieces always end up looking like a visualizer of some sort. This piece does not exhibit such a property. In fact, it is highly peculiar, reminiscence of a dystopian future and a japanese science fiction aura. However, my critique is that the project doesn’t have much enjoyable sound other than annoying beeps and sounds that are sampled from various electronic devices in the real world. If I want to listen to my computer beep at me, I’d do that myself at my own time. I’m looking forward to see an artist present a work using sound that changes how sound is used or perceived.

However, it leads me to think, what if there is a possibility of making a soundscape that sounds like a sampling of real life. The audience will be surrounded with voices that is very familiar in daily life, yet the visuals are stark and hostile.

Ryoji Ikeda Live from Sheikh Ahmed on Vimeo.