MEMBRAIN S // SO SAMPLE SOUND SNIPER :: english

VIRTUAL PLATAFORM FOR INTERACTIVE SOUND BANKS
// SOUND CARTOGRAPHIES IN VIRTUAL SPACE


INTRO

MEMBRAIN is the younger brother of the MYCELIUM Project – a virtual platform developed by Kosmic D-Vision team as a final project of Pedro Pinto in the Sound and Image degree at Universidade Católica of Oporto, Portugal.

From the 2D environment of MYCELIUM, with MEMBRAIN we move a step further to a 3D virtual environment, which function is to host interactive sound banks: basing its philosophy in audio samples sharing projects like FREESOUND, MEMBRAIN allows its users to upload and/or download audio samples, comment them, and organize them using tags.


TAGS AND SPACIALITY

Just like MYCELIUM, the distribution of the objects [web pages in the former case, audio simples in the present case] through the virtual space is directly related to the tag system. The distance between these sounds will be determined by the similitude and differences between their respective tags: this attraction/repulsion engine is based in the physical phenomenon of springs.


INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENT

Developed in ActionScript3, MEMBRAIN is simultaneously a Net.art project and a tool for sharing and creation: its goal is to use the available technology to give birth to a communitarian environment in which the virtual experience opens the way for new possibilities and new forms of interaction and artistic generation.


S // SO SAMPLE SOUND SNIPER

SO SAMPLE SOUND SNIPER is the first body of contents, created specifically for this Project, and that Hill give life to MEMBRAIN’s engine. It consists of a coherent and consequent recollection of audio samples that, despite presenting very diverse forms and origins, nevertheless share their common goal: to lend a first soul to the MEMBRAIN project.


JUMPING BORDERS

SO SAMPLE SOUND SNIPER is a cartography that goes far beyond institutional cartographies, jumping physical, political and cultural borders – imaginary lines that one draws around countries and individuals – through the union of sounds which are characteristic of determined places and moments, and their fusion in a virtual space that consequently turns into social space.

The process of sound recollection will take place between August and October 2007 in cities and regions that are emotionally and operatically connected to the origin and objectives of the project – Alentejo, Algarve, Asturias, Azores, Cataluña, Douro, Euskadi, Galizia, Gerês, Lisbon, Oporto, Sintra and Viseu – through the digital stereo recording of audio samples - natural and urban sounds, musicians, poets and random people - in an intent of capturing the sound essence of each place in a determined moment.


TEAM

MEMBRAIN S is to be presented as Hugo Branco’s final project for his Master in Digital Arts at the Audiovisual Institute of the Pompeu Fabra University, in Barcelona, Spain, in December 2007.

The team includes programmer Tiago Abelha, sound technician Lucas Palmeira and all other interested in collaborating with this work in progress. Ideas and revolutions are welcome, as are programmers, designers and sound people who wish to join us in this quest.