Ad Libitum by Alessandro Capozzo

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Alessandro Capozzo
Alessandro Capozzo is a media designer and software artist. He was born in 1970 and lives and works in Milan, Italy. Capozzo studied musicology at University and also pursued his own interest in composition and electronic music on a less formal basis. His personal research currently is focused on developing generative or interactive aesthetic programs using the software system, Processing , as main tool. Recently some of his works have been selected for international festivals and exhibitions, such as Entermultimediale in Pragueand WRO05, the Wroclaw new media art festival in Poland. Capozzo is also co-founder of ghostagency.net, an open network for communication between new media professionals.

Ad Libitum

Development Date: 2004
Tips: Play sound compositions by clicking on the little red buttons to activate or de-activate each module

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Of all the pieces in Dots & Lines , Ad Libitum is perhaps the most literal translation of the exhibition's title. The project is an online sound environment which uses a series of visual patterns - dots and lines - to represent, or notate, an automated music composition. Ad Libitum consists of three modules, which contain small circular 'cells' which move along a horizontal line. When the circular cells reach a certain point on the line, they trigger a sound sample. While Ad Libitum is primarily an automated system, it also invited interaction.Users can switch modules on and off to achieve "thicker" or "lighter" sonic textures. Ad Libitum utilises the artist's acute understanding of formal musicological processes. Samples are divided into three pentatonic sets, with each cell employing a different timbre. Using pentatonic modes allows for consonant harmonic and melodic intervals. The resulting soundscape is thus euphonic and pleasurable to listen to.