The Spinning Earth Shall Spread Before You for networked circuit-bent CD players (2018)

Inspired by the work of composer/hardware hacker Nick Collins, this piece explores the process of composing music through real-time performance of music playback devices. Both CD players have been modified, allowing for networked control of their play/pause, seek, and stop controls. Additional modifications made to the anti-skip memory and data-muting chips of each player result in the creation of rhythmic loops when each CD player is paused, and heavily distorted, delayed audio fragments when connecting pins on the anti-skip memory chip. Each CD contains material written by the composer.

Each CD player is connected through Bendit_I/O, a new hardware/software system that allows for networked performance with circuit-bent devices and web-enabled interfaces. Through this system, the performer and the CD players can share data between each other, allowing for machine-to-machine and human-to-machine interaction. The CD players can also modify and trigger audio playback through audience mobile devices that are logged onto the network. More information on Bendit_I/O can be found at www.benditio.com.