April 04, 2006
TOPLAP
(Temporary|Transnational|Terrestrial|Transdimensional) Organisation for the (Promotion|Proliferation|Permanence|Purity) of Live (Algorithm|Audio|Art|Artistic) Programming
TOPLAP is a livecoding audio-visual performance group. Check their wiki for FAQs to find out such illuminating questions as: What's the difference between generative music and live coding?
DEFN 1 Generative music is created from some algorithm, usually running autonomously. There may be controls (parameters/arguments) to this process but the algorithm itself is fixed. Live coding is a way to substantially modify the actual nature of that algorithm, even as it calculates, in a realtime performance or interactive composition setting.
DEFN 2 They are kind of opposites. Generative music is about sowing seeds, comparable with genetic modification; altering DNA, putting the DNA in eggs, and watching it grow to see/hear the effects. In contrast, live coding is more about piecing animals together from scratch in the womb, splicing different live animals together, modifying their DNA while they're still growing, then experimenting with different ways of slaughtering them to get the best audio/visual/aromatic effects.
Note the above contains bold use of metaphor, TOPLAP do not condone any such activities on real life-forms (computer processes are not known to experience pain, and don't have faces).
Posted by michelle at April 4, 2006 12:44 PM
