Device – Physical Editions

Experiencing the sounds of 1-Bit Music is not a recent subject for Tristan Perich. Indeed, as early as 2004, the multi-media artist and composer implemented an electronic suite in five movements on a single microchip. As with the previous releases, in his latest work, there are no recordings in the traditional sense we are accustomed to. Instead the electronic circuits perform minimal tracks “live” when operated and powered by a battery. Even if the artist himself focuses more on other concepts such as randomness and order when talking about his research, emphasising the “machinic” nature of his work, a reflection on formats and reflexivity is an inevitable aspect of Perich’s Noise Patterns. In short, it’s the same electricity – the sonic medium, which happens “here and now”; there is no a musical selection; there is no post-production or mastering. It seems intentional that everything is enclosed in a CD jewel case where several other more elegant, futuristic or design-orientated solutions could be adopted. An on-off button opens the circuits and, using another stud, the listener can switch between the settings drawn up. Sounds come to us directly with a headphone connected by a mini-jack or with a mixer supported by a sound-system: from the same device you can also adjust the volume using a small wheel barely smaller than the lithium battery cell positioned a few centimetres away. The electrical oscillations are raw but very reactive and well-organized – absolutely pure digital noise – effective even if we imagine them in front of a crowd on a dance floor.

 

Tristan Perich – Noise Patterns