Twice-told tales
Nicholas Economos >

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A diaristic and "open" composition comprised of sound bits culled from various recordings. The notion of "frozen sounds" cited in Noise Water Meat, A History of Sound in the Arts by Douglas Kahn (MIT Press, 2001) served as inspiration, specifically the references to a peculiar storyline in which sounds were somehow material and silenced when frozen by extreme cold. Upon thawing the sounds could be heard again but were no longer held to their original temporal sequences.

In twice-told tales, various times and places mix via altered field recordings and re-recorded broadcast media. The sparse interface allows for a random combination of up to seven loops to sound together.

Adjustments to the composition are made by dragging and releasing the circular graphic elements. Vertical positioning sets the volume and horizontal positioning sets the pan of each loop in the composition set. Clicking the "++" resets the screen.

Nicholas Economos is a digital media artist and educator living in rural Western New York. His art practice involves work in interactive media, sound, video, animation and prints. His work is in the archives at Soundtoys and Rhizome where he is also a SuperUser, editing content for the front page of the web site and the rhizome Rare email list. An excerpt of his sound work, "daybreak" is featured online in DRUNKEN BOAT #4.

He has recently exhibited at Art in General in New York City, diSTILLation at Fylkingen in Stockholm, Chiangmai First New Media Art Festival in Thailand, DigiFest DXNet in Toronto, the Cyberarts Festival in Boston and Net_Working in Bristol and London. He is a frequent artist-in-residence at the Experimental Television Center in Owego, New York and is a visiting professor with the Electronic Intermedia Arts Division at the SUNY School of Art and Design in Alfred, New York.