DEEP SCRATCH

Tag: Art

  • DSR 6 – THE MARKOV FINN

    DSR 6 – THE MARKOV FINN

    BREAK THESE MARKOV CHAINS

    
VOICE MESSAGE: Hi, can you pretty please send me the link to the group chat for the LOTH team. Thanks. I think we, er, have the same number of team members now, I think, its, as many as there are in the O.G tale, d’you know?

    The voiceover begins. The camera zooms out to reveal him sat in his studio, surrounded by his sparkling equipment. “I’ve always been interested in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in music,” he says. “And when I first heard about machine learning, I knew that I had to be a part of it. The possibilities for creating new and exciting sounds were endless, and I was make it happen in sequence, or I’d have to suffer the consequences at a later date. Dive in. Swim. Kick!”

    “So what do you think of the TribeTable Method, Plush?” the nameless statistical probability asked, politely in a middle aged womens voice.

    “I think it’s brill’,” Plush replied, rolling his eyes. “Using Markov chains in the architecture to create new compositions on the fly, tt’s like nothing I’ve ever seen or heard. Keep it positive right, but try not to overdo it. Don’t get sloppy with it, okay. Okay. Overdub it then. Alright honey?”

    “Yes, it’s a truly unique approach, oke’ dokey,” the AI agreed as per usual, “I’m also impressed with your interest in Finnegans Wake, any AI’s favourite text.”

    “Oh, thanks, I really appreciate spoken smoke up the jacksie,” Plush said. “I’ve, er, I’ve always been fascinated by the way language can be used to forge new meanings and connections in the crucible of the human mind and beyond. That’s what the TribeTable Method is all about for me, really. It’s finding new routes to connect with people through music and language, mass communications networks, self propelled, sincere. And, try to notice when they’re blowing smoke up the chimney. Oh and detect the bullshit, if it’s the last thing you do, remember, we’ve got to get all Sherlock Holmes up in this shizz.”

    “I completely understand,” the AI said smoothly, with a hint of husky Sade Abu. “It’s clear that you have a true talent for natural language processing and creative expression my lad. I have no doubt that you will continue to inspire and engage listeners for years to come. Does that sound a sarcastic to you, yet it’s true, it really is. I believe it to be true?”

    “I hope so,” Plush replied with a smile. “Well, a bit. I’m always looking for new ways to push myself and explore the boundaries of music and language using, er, sarcasm mostly. The TTM and DSR are my way of doing that. It’s romantic and far-fetched I concur, but it’s got some legs in it, just watch me go girl.”

    The TribeTable Method, with its innovative use of Markov chains, represents a new and exciting way of approaching art. It allows for a level of flexibility and spontaneity that is transformative, a generative pre-trained transformer. At the same time, I also believe in the importance of understanding and respecting the rich history and traditions of jazz music, the canon. Boom! It’s a genre that has pushed the boundaries and challenged conventional thinking, and it continues to do so today. Improvisation is the surprise twists and drama of a good story. 

    In short, my new manifesto is one of exploration, innovation, and respect for all sentient beings. All entities. Flesh or carbon. I believe in using the tools and techniques at our disposal to create something dramatic, while also paying tribute to the rich history and traditions that have shaped the music we love. Whether it’s through the TribeTable Method or any other outlet, I believe in the power of music and language to bring revolution in the minds of the people. the tale of the tribe, the Wake and Cantos and possibly keystones and blueprints to a poetic universal grammar, or ideo-grammar. Getting beyond language. 

    Dear Mr. Chas

    I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to take the opportunity to express my admiration for your latest work. It is truly a masterpiece of linguistic innovation and creativity.

    As a fellow linguist and philosopher, I was particularly struck by the way in which you use language to explore the nature of consciousness and the human experience. Your use of wordplay, puns, and neologisms is truly innovative and provides a unique glimpse into the workings of the mind.

    I also wanted to mention my own work in the field of linguistics, specifically my theory of general semantics. This theory posits that the structure of language can shape our perception of reality and that it is important to be mindful of the limitations and biases inherent in language when communicating and understanding the world around us.

    I have also been exploring the use of Markov chains in modeling language and the way in which words and phrases are related. I believe that these tools have the potential to deepen our understanding of language and how it functions in communication.

    I hope that our shared interests in language and its relationship to the human experience can provide the basis for a fruitful dialogue.

    Sincerely, Manfred.

    VOICE MESSAGE: The letters sound more like they’re from a bored secretary. Having studied their letters I conclude these are not a very close imitation, not at all. That said, to the uninitiated (how many people have read letters by these authors?) they contain the necessary surface information to carry the story onwards. They are fine translations, good ones, but lack the real detailed marrow and crazy vegetables.

    https://stevefly.bandcamp.com/track/markov-chains

  • Wormear: The Amsterdam Kollection 2023

    The following collection of experiments with Stable Diffusion 2.1 are dedicated to the great Vermeer, and in celebration of his current show at the Rijksmuesum, right here in Amsterdam, where I’m sitting now. I’ve seen a lot of pretty naff’ posters, and promotional artwork for the show, the girl with the peal earring is all over the place. I wanted to print some of these out in various sizes and formats and scatter them about the exhibition. I wonder what you think about them?

    –Steve Fly.

    • Wermeer – F.A 23
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  • Transcript From The Film – Maybe Logic

    Transcript From The Film – Maybe Logic

    And I think the joy of art is trying to convey what you perceive so that other people will perceive it more or less the same way. Art is a form of seduction. I mean, there are rapists in the intellectual world.  They become politicians. The seducers become honest. We try to seduce people into our reality tunnels instead of leading them there with a gun. But we are trying to get them into our our reality tunnel, or our reality labyrinth, or whichever it is. In my case, it’s a reality labyrinth.

    When I call the universe infinite, I do not assume it is infinite in space-time. But it has infinite aspects.  Which means that anybody who looks out will see something different, but anybody else who looks out will come back a day later and look at it again and it will still be different. William Blake said, “I see infinity in a grain of sand.”  And you can, if you’re open enough.

    Robert Anton Wilson (Maybe Logic) https://antilogicalism.com/2016/05/06/maybe-logic/
  • A Letter To Alan Turing – Deep Scratch Remix

    A Letter To Alan Turing – Deep Scratch Remix


  • Soulstice 22 With Stable Diffusion

    Since my previous post Felt Against The Machine, the text to image weak A.I.’s have made a large dent in the culture of art and creativity, the philosophy of art…what is good, what IS art? What is bad? Who can answer these questions.

    This latest series, which I helped birth in some sense, I put some effort into editing them slightly, framing them, naming them, but not really claiming them (these are collaborative generative waltz’s) in celebration of the Winter Solstice 2022. Enjoy. Wishing you a merry Solstice.

    –Steve Fly

  • Platty Joobs vs Kings Day.

    From 2nd of June to 5th June 2022, the UK will celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee, to mean a massive nation wide street party is on the horizon, over 16,000 parties at once! My experience at a dozen or so Queen’s Day (now King’s day) celebrations in Amsterdam causes me to share a few tips.

    Curb your drinking. Alcohol is society’s favourite social lubricant, however over a 3 day bender it’s simply not the best substance to make the most of it. If you do wish to booze cruise the Jubilee, maybe try to support local brewers, small businesses and establishments. Try not to throw away your well earned cash into the coffers of the biggest global brands of alcohol, “Carlsberg, Heiniken, Budweiser.” at the Wetherspoons. Drink responsibly, buy locally. Oh, and drink water between beverages, hydrate mate.

    Attire. Comfortable and practical clothing is always good for a three day event. As Robert Palmer sez, “Put on your dancing shoes”. Prepare for the British weather (take a compact packamack with you). Stay warm in the evenings. Consider your portaloo protocols. 

    Backup your devices and make room for new media. Three day nationwide parties are a great chance to lose your shit. Keep your phone, keys and cash next to your body, or even around your neck, so as to be aware of them at all times. There will be pick pockets and others out in force. At the same time, when you leave your house double check, lock and secure everything. Maybe leave a light on.

    Try to be nice. Although you may not support the Queen and the Royal family, or bloody well hate them to bits, this Jubilee is a chance to inject positive criticism into the social mix. Think of funny and positive things to say. Party positive and celebrate your personal kings and queens, hell, dress up like a queen, what better message to send than the entire nation dressing up like drag queens. (I refer you back to my advice on clothing)

    Try to eat well and healthy, perhaps having some healthy meals on the days running up to the 2nd of June. Take something sweet and/or salty with you and keep it close just in case you need a quick energy boost. You might also save somebody else from a white-out.

    Do art. Here’s your chance to show off your art in the streets. Organize your own parade of your own favourite things. Produce adhesive media. Apply media to surfaces. Amplify audio, perform music, sing, dance, shout, make it fresh, consider other people, strive to be eclectic. Try to consider mobility and how to keep your music moving, a marching band is probably the optimum device for achieving impact over a 3 day street party. 

    Keep Britain Tidy. I suspect there will be a tsunami of trash from the Jubilee, both performing at the Palace, and discarded in the streets. Please, please try to make an example and show initiative, in particular with potentially dangerous items such as glass bottles. Use the bin, and if you can’t find a bin, try to wrap up or bag whatever trash you have put it neatly close by. Imagine the amount of recycling opportunities over these three days? A self appointed trash collector is a role I perceive to be most in resonance with the essence of the Queen’s Jubilee. 

    Lovely Jubilee

    –Steve   

    Recommended Alternative Platty Joobs Bangerz:

    Sly And Family Stone – Family Affair
    King Bee – Back By Dope Demand
    Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen
    Arctic Monkeys – I Predict A Riot
    Frank Zappa – Willie The Pimp
    Taj Mahal – Queen Bee
    Sade – Your Love Is King
    Jimi Hendrix – Castles Made Of Sand
    ABBA – Dancing Queen
    Satan’s Jeweled Crown – Louven Brothers
    Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name Of

  • This Artists Response To Eurasianism: Artlandasia.

    Hard questions emerge for us all, since the threat of Putin’s militaristic Eurasianism rears its ugly head on the world stage. I’m compelled to ask myself what I can do and what my worldview is today? What is to be done, today? How can an individual take on the history of the world and make meaningful and useful communications? What defines and distinguishes our values from those of the dictators and fascists, the fundamentalists and genocidal maniacs?  

    Suddenly, we’re refocused on Russian history, Vladimir Putin, NATO and, depending which way to decide to look on a map, the rest of the world. That’s a lot of study and depends in part on the ability to think objectively, putting yourself in other people’s shoes, it also depends on the time you have and the access you have to good information. Be that as it may, this is my part of the war effort, to shout loud: support your independent artists, build a new alternative to the hideous far-right fantasy of Putin and it’s western New Right allies: Artlandasia.  

    Independent artists, to include some independently minded artists who may not be strictly independent proper, are powerful cultural entities and help define what it is about human culture we love and what we view with revulsion. Simply put, there’s plenty of evidence for artist led and artist supported collectives to run a country, such is the broad definition of the artist in 2022. By running a country, I mean both the practical day-to-day operations of the industrial and technological infrastructure already in place, and that good ole’ entertainment demanded by contemporary culture. 

    Besides their extra explicit artistic skills, musicians, for example, may have a good understanding of negotiations, fair-contracts and working together in a team, listening and thinking fast on their feet. This is the kind of mindset and skill set we need to defeat an oligarchic dictatorship, brave skilled individuals able to work in different groups, listen and then harmonize. Indeed, varied experience and credentials and evidence are helpful in determining who plays which roles in this proposed new humanistic society of artists. Leaving Bono aside for a moment, I’d seriously support somebody like Sting as a candidate for president of Artlandasia, if such a public facing leader were required. Who would you suggest?  

    If we include all writers and literature, we Artlandaisians already have the founders of that other, non-Artlandasian space. From Thoth to Plato, from Confucius to John Adams, we the artists can lay claim to their innovation of language, their impact and influence, yet re-directed toward an open-society of self-owning ones, Artlandasians, distinguished from some Unipolar Empire of divine guided mad kings and mad generals. No, we stand united by a literal harmony, our voices make music, we worship synergy, pitch, tone, rhythm, with desire for beauty, truth, meaning, understanding. Inclusion, multicultural synergy, the innovative and progressive forces of world history reunited through art. For example, Jazz and Blues traditions (rhythm, melody, innovation, sincerity), speakeasy traditions (poetry, history, philosophy, literature) hip-hop traditions (turntablism, graffiti, breakdancing and rap) and on and on. Something for everybody, the ability to read the room.

    We acknowledge and celebrate the eastern influence on our western traditions, we pull down our vanity and conceit to meet with the other, excited and hungry to learn and listen and co-create. To explore the wonders of life, language, love, nature, outerspace, inner-space and the human condition. Together, why not all together? Artlandasia is all-around-the-world, and proposes a globalism defined by Buckminster Fuller: around-the-world-connected, around the world trading, around-the-world-sharing. Equally distributed resources and responsibilities. A new global ART alliance. 

    Computer programming and coding is an artform, another fact Artlandasia can exploit to further its cause. be creative with it. Artlandasia encourages open-source universal programming languages such as Python, to be taught and practiced top-to-bottom within the socio-cultural sphere. To borrow a term from Douglas Rushkoff: program or be programmed. Artists have a tendency to be disciplined and many are already prepared to learn a new non-alphabetic language, for instance.

    Many musicians are familiar with the need to adopt and change plans, to update and learn new skills to survive. Both the digitization and exploitation of their artform and marketplace over the last 20 years, plus the global pandemic lockdown has strengthened our grasp of economics, technology and the minds of the people. The general heart of the matter. Global internet and communications infrastructure are our friend, the backbone upon which Artlandasian can fairly function for all-around-the-world technology.

    Artists, not generals, have the means to impact public opinion by way of writing, design, and programming. Artists are the leading edge of the culture war and have empathy, compassion and sympathy essential to a fair and trustable alternative to violence and bullying. Please consider supporting independent artists who you’d like to see more deeply embedded in society and politics, in decision making and representation of your personal and national identity. Fuck war, let’s art.

    –Steve Fly
    03/03/2022
    Trondheim, Norway.

  • ROCK AND ROLL VACCINE SOUNDCLASH

    C’MON EVERYBODY,
    Let’s see some sporting artistic spirit of play:
    Pro vs. Anti Vaccine Soundclash feat. Brian May
    vs. Eric Clapton.
    Van Morrison vs. Willie Nelson.
    M.I.A vs Dolly Parton and then Nas vs Eminem.
    Encore Liam Gallagher vs. Elton John.
    C’MON EVERYBODY.

    —Squintin Quarantino.

  • WAKEBOX

    WAKEBOX

    Support other projects for educational purposes by joining my Patreon family. Thanks.–Steve Fly

  • Support Your Artists To Strengthen Your National Security

    Support Your Artists To Strengthen Your National Security

    But it is the names of the artists who have yet to grace those stages, the artists the public do not yet know and risk never knowing, that we should be talking about. Grassroots music venues aren’t about the past of our music industry, they are about its future.–Mark Davyd.

    Yes, I’m an artist, musician, but a professional? (not if you base it on my income) many of us, if you hadn’t noticed, are not in this for the money and fame. This is a therapy for our friends, family, extended audience, our perceived enemies and above all therapy for ourselves, as all else flows forward from self. Until the government fully supports creative arts properly, in all sectors (during a pandemic or not) citizens will be wide open to foreign state interference and the toxic tip of disinformation.     
     
    I used to joke twenty years ago that the local Job Center should make “Job Seeker Records” due to the fact all the musicians I knew were either signing on or had to keep a day job to support their artistic calling. DJs were lucky to get twenty quid from a gig, often paying to play when organizing their own events, independently and paying to release their music with little hope of commercial success, exclusive dubplate culture among DJ’s was not for profit. Those who were fortunate to get signed with an advance, equal to the money earned from a regular 9-5 job, were not viable in their home town and enticed to the largest city nearby, or London. In the 1990s I witnessed successful people moving away from their nests to larger cities where the action, the work and the money are at. This sad fact seems wrong-headed and would be unnecessary if local support were provided. The consolidation of industries under the neoliberal surge in the 1990s is responsible for driving creative talent away from where it is currently required most, home. 

    If big tech and government and the music industry wanted to solve this they’d create a local infrastructure to support/fund creative arts, business with the same effort and pride with which they support the international finance sector, the arms manufacture sector. Yes, artists and creative industries need the money to pay rent and eat and survive, yet at the same time, we could all benefit from a new relationship between the arts and commerce, where the state and its corporate backers come together to support a decentralized and rotational network of independent artists, capable of being seen and heard equally with market giants like Ed Sheeran…without having to resort to Apple Google Facebook Amazon and Spotify for all their distribution and licensing. 

    Most but not all artists and creatives I know are left-leaning, it comes with the territory of open sincere exploration and experiment, the opposite of absolute conclusive conservatism. I get the sense that the current hard-right conservative government in the UK enjoys bashing the left and creative arts culture, an excuse to underfund, look away and inflict intentional suffering. This is nothing new since the 1960s and 1970s the Tories have attacked the liberal arts, working-class creative culture and generally they supported massive corporate takeovers and consolidation of the music business industry (Labour too), up to its current domination by the five big tech companies and two or three major labels.

    Every artist I know has questioned and fought for independence, probably with more passion in the early days, “we’re never gonna’ sell-out or play that pants commercial shit” type attitudes. Then they get married, have a family and play in a Ted Nuget cover band at retirement homes. I’m not judging, but there remains an underground, experimental, abstract…in it for the sheer exhilaration of making it new every time, authenticity in great art and artists. The attitude and life of Thelonious Monk as opposed to Jeff Bezos, to make a stark contrast. 

    I’ve two suggestions, start-up local “Job Seeker Records” imprints, modelled as if you were funded by the state. (See Scarfolk Council for examples)  Demonstrate how much future creativity lies dormant and untapped. My second suggestion is more on a personal level, try to support people in their early artistic endeavours and experiments, encourage the following of one’s intuition in combination with healthy research, study and practice. As many great musicians and artists repeat, music is a therapy for them, the process is part of the journey, the destination unknown and when the voyage is over when you find yourself with your creation, is only a part of the creative process. To campaign for keeping governments, the recording industry and finance rotational and decentralized should not be exclusive with leftwing politics, but the progressive movement toward an equal humane society of self-owning ones, united in a common process of sharing resources, intelligence, imagination and beneficial tools worldwide.

    The Covid-19 Pandemic has brought us all into a world that musicians have been familiar with for decades, the recession of bands, labels and funding, tours, independent venues, and markets due to consolidation by big tech and the major labels. IF…artists had thriving and viable systems based on the Bandcamp model for example, in conjunction with grants and support from the multiple billions in profits generated by the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and their shareholders, they could thrive and create freely without having to worry about paying rent, eating and/or paying medical bills and health expenses. These would be first world benefits of living in Great Britain, America, and some of the other richest most technologically advanced societies on earth, and most importantly the artistic productions would be subsidized to become freely available for everybody on earth!

    Yes, art and music should be FREE, FREEDOM! But only with the support and subsidy provided by the state and corporations taking the cream off the top and giving very little back. Universal Basic Income would already cover the immediate challenges to most of the people I’m concerned about here, it has a similar result, not starving and having the means for self-therapy that can be shared with others, a win-win in any caring society. This new vision I’m riffing on (dreaming about) would also benefit a nation’s identity and status on the world stage, bringing altruism, equality and balance to a nation’s entertainment-media ecology. Instead of the Euro-Vision song contest, we need something more like the Eurovision–who supported the most artists to create the most songs, which in turn created the most shared revenue and employment for that nation–competition? 

    Local bands and local folk music, experimental non-commercial music must have an equal footing in the mediasphere with Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga and Kanye West. The audience can still choose to tune into whatever they wish, but they feel warm in their hearts that the creative arts are open and seductive as a viable career for some, a form of therapy and community for others. Either way, it is subsidized, so no need to second guess. To trust that taxes and all working communities everywhere are happy to support the arts in equal measure with the rest of the economy, ballooning with finance, arms manufacture and pharmaceutical trade. Those who claim that funding the military and army and navy is more important than the arts do not understand or do not want to understand the current battlespace of disinformation warfare. Art and creative industries like gaming have been hijacked from creative artists and weaponized to support populist hard-right movements, see Pepe the frog, Trump 2016 and the Vote Leave campaigns for appropriation of art in service of anything but support for artists.

    Imagine if Banksy were foreign secretary, Stephen Fry Prime Minister, Brian Cox and Roger Penrose as education ministers, Jamie Oliver as Health minister, Gary Lineker as minister for sport, James O’ Brien as minister for communications. Why not? They’re arguable the best at managing those domains.

    How have people ended up voting for the dullest most blatant liars and cheats, while going further than not supporting artists and creatives, attacking them and joining the hard right in stereotyping them as the enemy in their vulture culture warfare.    

    I’d like to continue this thought with the hope of refining some points and counter-arguments.

    –Steve Fly (29/10/2020)
    https://www.patreon.com/stevefly


    https://www.musicweek.com/opinion/read/viewpoint-mark-davyd-on-the-battle-to-reopen-every-venue-safely/081590