Information:

Interactive computer music improvisation duo "interface" creates sonic textures ranging from delicate imperceptible noise to a high energy wall of sound. They have extended, surrounded, and obscured their electric stringed instruments with a variety of technologies, creating an organic, gesturally powerful computer music. Curtis plays the SBass, a 5-string "vertical bass" (like an acoustic bass with no body) fitted with electrical pickups, motion, touch and pressure sensors which allow him to "drive" his computer during performance. Dan plays a 6-string electric violin and an electric bow of his own design; the RBow is a normal violin bow covered with motion and pressure sensors that send performance information to Dan's computer performance system.

Their instruments are dynamic, changing constantly from performance to performance and within performances. Recently, they have begun to integrate spherical speaker arrays, which radiate sound in all directions, into their performance set-up. Interface has a commitment to free-improvisation and electronic music composition. They create real-time sonic environments in performance which combine pre-composed electronic sounds with real-time digital signal processing, synthesis, algorithmic composition, and sampling.

Dan and Curtis are joined by dancer Tomie Hahn on shakuhachi, and performing interactive dance/electronic music compositions such as "Streams," and "Pikapika" done in collaboration with Curtis Bahn. Hahn is a musician and dancer trained in Japanese traditional dance (Nihon Buyo) and contemporary performance.

Other collaborators with interface include Pauline Oliveros on accordian with the Expanded Instrument System (EIS), Perry Cook on "DigitalDoo," Monica Mugan Wacom Tablet Performer, Luke DuBois and Mark McNamara video performance artists.

Interface has performed throughout the Northeast and abroad, recently appearing at Engine 27, Tonic, the New York Interactive Music Festival at the Kitchen sponsored by Columbia University, the International Computer Music Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece, SEAMUS, and the International Society of Bassists World Convention. They have given lectures and concerts at major academic institutions including Brown, UMBC, Princeton, Peabody, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the MIT Media Lab, and the Computer Music Center of Columbia University and they have presented their novel approaches to sonic display and gestural musical control at ICMC, NIME, CHI2001, SEAMUS and the ASA national conference.

Review of Columbia Interactive Festival Performance

Princeton Packet feature

Mobius Newsletter March 2000

Array Review of ICMC 1997 performance at Mylos Jazz bar in thessoloniki Greece.