Shinkansen Suite comprise generative meditations on technology and progress (philosophically and literally on Shinkansen routes). The soundtrack for passing rail-side scenery is generated algorithmically via various methods, which in turn influences the visuals recorded in the video feed.
Retracing Basho
Retracing Basho’s first leg of his “Narrow Road to the Deep North” (which has been completely paved and developed) on Shinkansen and using selections of his haiku written during that journey to generate musical composition / soundtrack alongside the passing scenery via text-to-music algorithms. The tint colors and crop positions of the video feed are synced to changes in the generated musi.
CREATED BY: Stephen Chen | COMPLETED: 10/30/2023
Atomic Links
Moving between atomic bomb sites on Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Nagasaki (comprising 3 segments). Shamisen music generated by particle collisions as hadrons traverse along a grid, while piano music is generated by collision of atoms between walls. The video feed is modified by the xy intersection of bouncing particles in a box, which in turn affects the velocity and volume of hadron particles used to generate the shamisen music, as well as the atoms colliding between walls used to generate the piano music.
