The project is entitled “Ambii” (short for ‘ambient instrumentals’) and is an entertaining self-created music and image application that uses everyday non-musical sounds in a tuneful manner. The purpose of the application is to exercise user-creativity and provide an experience similar to playing a computer game.
The application is built on Actionscript, an object oriented programme, using touch-screen technology to interactively engage the user. In order to create music, the user chooses a coloured icon button (which represents a particular ‘domestic’ item sub-category) – each button is given a relevant ambient sound associated with its normal domestic use (e.g. blender, fat-fryer, fridge-door, etc.). Users can make ’soundtracks’ by choosing a random sequence of the buttons enhanced with an underlying continuous looping beat track (also an ambient sound).
Each sampled sound has an individual still image associated with the domestic implement that produced it. When the composed track is completed on the grid, it can be played back in real-time to produce a unique mix of images and musical sounds. The application requires physical interaction between the screen and the user and engages several senses; touch, sight and hearing.
- Tom Coffey
