What it means to be post-human

Andrew Watts

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

‘What it means to be post-human’, explores the intersection of technology and human performance. Drawing inspiration from ‘A Dialogue, In Absentia’, this work advances the concept of integrating human performers with digital sound processing in a futuristic, collective context. The composition utilizes purpose built, original Bluetooth speakers and headset devices to direct processed sounds into performers' mouths, enabling them to modulate audio output through physical movements. This innovative approach transforms performers into live acoustical filters, adding human texture to digital sounds, and challenges traditional distinctions between musicians and instruments. The compositional framework employs a hocket technique to create a cohesive auditory experience from individual inputs, embodying the NIME 2024 theme ‘Tactility in a hybrid world‘. This piece exemplifies the fusion of tactile human interaction and digital technology in music, highlighting sustainability and adaptability in post-pandemic performance contexts. ‘What it means to be post-human‘ contributes to the discourse on new musical interfaces by redefining the role of the human body in musical expression and demonstrating the enhanced possibilities when merging human and technological elements. The composition invites reevaluation of musical performance boundaries and exemplifies the potential of technology in expanding the capabilities of human artistic expression. This work not only adds to the field of musical technology but also provokes thought about the future of human and digital collaboration in art.

Citation

Andrew Watts. 2024. What it means to be post-human. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15028181

BibTeX Entry

@article{nime2024_music_39,
 abstract = {‘What it means to be post-human’, explores the intersection of technology and human performance. Drawing inspiration from ‘A Dialogue, In Absentia’, this work advances the concept of integrating human performers with digital sound processing in a futuristic, collective context. The composition utilizes purpose built, original Bluetooth speakers and headset devices to direct processed sounds into performers' mouths, enabling them to modulate audio output through physical movements. This innovative approach transforms performers into live acoustical filters, adding human texture to digital sounds, and challenges traditional distinctions between musicians and instruments. The compositional framework employs a hocket technique to create a cohesive auditory experience from individual inputs, embodying the NIME 2024 theme ‘Tactility in a hybrid world‘. This piece exemplifies the fusion of tactile human interaction and digital technology in music, highlighting sustainability and adaptability in post-pandemic performance contexts. ‘What it means to be post-human‘ contributes to the discourse on new musical interfaces by redefining the role of the human body in musical expression and demonstrating the enhanced possibilities when merging human and technological elements. The composition invites reevaluation of musical performance boundaries and exemplifies the potential of technology in expanding the capabilities of human artistic expression. This work not only adds to the field of musical technology but also provokes thought about the future of human and digital collaboration in art.},
 address = {Utrecht, Netherlands},
 articleno = {39},
 author = {Andrew Watts},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.15028181},
 editor = {Laurel Smith Pardue and Palle Dahlstedt},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {September},
 numpages = {4},
 pages = {138--141},
 presentation-video = {},
 title = {What it means to be post-human},
 track = {Music},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2024/nime2024_music_39.pdf},
 year = {2024}
}