ASCII threads/ recontextualises the history of technoculture by emphasizing womens' role in its development: the relationship between weaving (the first automated machine), typing (the language of shorthand), and coding. inspired by the international phonetic alphabet, ASCII threads/ proposes sounds for ASCII characters. each letter on a keyboard is mapped to audio samples of factories, weaving and sewing machines, interwoven with voices speaking of the hidden relationships between the making and the tool. if as Jacques Attali says "any organisation of sounds is then a tool for the creation or consolidation of a community..." then ASCII threads/ seeks to imbue ASCII's history with the consolidation of women working the factories, the switchboards, the keyboards and the looms.
*Jacques Attali in Noise: the Political Economy of Music
PEDAL:
a sewing machine pedal - modified (by Rene Wassenburg), to produce a
range of values according to how much you press down on it (potentiometer trickily fastened to axis of 'pedal lever').
this is now hooked up to my junXion box which will in turn modify what the 'user' hears when typing/playing the keyboard
in the installation... (Rene is an amazing electronic engineer! -if you need any funky electronic work done...)
SPEAKER BOX:
a speaker made from a second hand sewing table.
-binary oscilatted K : i am in the process of creating audio alphabet. for this i am using PD. i use the binary representation of each letter's ASCII code, the 8 bits connected to a different frequency.
-phone talk : recorded by placing a 'telephone pick-up' onto my phone right before receiving a call, which went unanswered...
RADIO:
a radio, whose 'volume knob' turns out to act like an oscillator of sorts... make from some pretty
funky sound possibilities which can be listened to here:
JUNXION BOARD:
my very own junXion board! so much more special when you build 'em yourself...
SWITCHER:
first go at soldering - behold the 'switcher' simple yet powerful concept - i.e. human chains