Brutal delusions

Context

This project is an immersive VJ performance that combines gloomy, dreamy music with visually fitting, dynamic visuals. The performance aims to evoke a sense of nostalgia and obscurity, using black and white, sharp, and architectural photographs paired with trippy, distorted visuals. The overall aesthetic is built around creating a dreamlike atmosphere with visuals that react to the rhythm of snares, kicks, and varying frequencies in the music.

The performance involves seamless integration of multiple mediums and technologies: computer, projector, speakers, and mixing software like Virtual DJ or Mixxx to control the audio, while TouchDesigner is used to generate real-time visuals. The visuals evolve to become more colorful, liquid-like, and bright, complementing the shifting mood of the music. The visuals interact with the audience, becoming more distorted and trippy as the performance progresses. The goal is to create a cohesive, immersive experience where both the sound and visuals work together to enhance the emotional depth of the performance.

Challenges

Several challenges arose during the project:

• Audio-Visual Synchronization: Maintaining real-time synchronization between the audio and visuals, ensuring that each visual reacts accurately to the correct frequency, beat, or movement.
• Complexity of Interactivity: Balancing the interactive nature of visuals (reacting to both audio and motion) with the need for seamless transitions between different visual states.
• Camera Motion Detection: Accurately detecting camera input and mapping it to the correct visual reactions, such as the movement of squares or the generation of white blocks around a person’s silhouette.
• Dynamic Control Management: Managing multiple controls (sliders, main switch, alpha fade, etc.) effectively during a live performance, ensuring smooth transitions and intuitive operation.
• Network Latency for OSC Communication: Minimizing the potential lag or delay in OSC communication between the mobile app and TouchDesigner, ensuring real-time responsiveness to user input.

Research

For the visual and auditory inspiration for the performance, I turned to several sources that matched the aesthetic and mood I wanted to evoke in the piece. Some of the most important references include:

Visual References

• "Aphex Twin Live Visuals" by Weirdcore – A highly influential visual artist whose work has shaped my approach to creating sharp, architectural, and black-and-white visuals. Watch here
• Sharp, Architectural, Black & White Aesthetic – An aesthetic that I wanted to incorporate in my visuals. The combination of bold contrasts and geometric forms enhances the feeling of surrealism. Watch here

Music References

The music was a major influence in setting the tone of the project, and I curated a playlist of tracks that captured the desired vibe of dreamy, melancholy, and atmospheric sounds:

1. Molchat Doma – Я Не Коммунист
2. Molchat Doma – Sudno
3. Молчат Дома– Volny
4. Mareux - The Perfect Girl
5. Boy Harsher - Give Me a Reason
6. New Order - Blue Monday
7. Molchat Doma – Sudno (repeat)

Visual Reactions to Audio

1. First Visual (Building Reacts to Overall Sound Input): The building’s form reacts to the frequency spectrum, driving a fluid, immersive visual transformation.
2. Second Visual (White Squares Reacting to Camera Input): White squares react to camera input, moving based on detected motion and synchronizing with low frequencies.
3. Third Visual (Big Black and White Cube): The cube rotates and zooms based on audience movement and music rhythm.
4. Fourth Visual (Black and White People – Movement and Feedback): White blocks grow out of a person’s silhouette, creating continuous interaction.
5. Fifth Visual (Black and White Bright Blur): The blur effect pulses in sync with high-frequency beats.
6. Sixth Visual (Grains and Feathers – Kick and Rhythm Snares): Grainy textures react to kick drums and snares, adding an organic, rhythmic visual texture.
7. Seventh Visual (Colorful Liquid – Kick, Snares, Medium Frequencies): Liquid-like visuals respond to kick drums, snares, and medium frequencies, creating fluid, colorful animations.

Controls within TouchDesigner

1. Offset (1st Visual): Controls waveform offset, affecting visual evolution.
2. Scale (1st Visual): Adjusts line thickness in the building structure.
3. Light Size (5th Visual): Controls the size of the rhythmic blur effect.
4. Grains (6th Visual): Adjusts the graininess in the feather visual based on rhythm.
5. Liquid Size (7th Visual): Alters the size of liquid waves for dynamic movement.
6. Main Switch: Toggles between visual effects, enabling overlapping visuals.
7. Alpha: Fade-in and fade-out slider for smooth visual transitions.

OSC Controls via Mobile Device

The mobile app, OSC Controller for Android, is used to control the second visual (white squares) in real-time:

1. Slider 1 (Resolution Control): Controls the number of squares, enhancing visual detail.
2. Slider 2 (Interaction Control): Alters the interaction between the squares and the subject’s movement or silhouette mapping.