A Material Computation Perspective on Audio Mosaicing and Gestural Conditioning

This paper discusses an approach to instrument conception that is based on a careful consideration of the coupling of tactile and sonic gestural action across the layers of physical and computational material in coordinated dynamical variation. To this end we propose a design approach that not only considers the materiality of the instrument, but leverages it as a central part of the conception of the sonic quality, the control structure, and what generally falls under the umbrella of ”mapping”. This extended computational matter perspective scaffolds a holistic approach to understanding an ”instrument” as gestural engagement through physical material, sonic variation, and somatic activity. We present some concrete musical and installation performances that have benefited from this approach to instrument design.