http://work.chenalexander.com Alexander Chen Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:52:45 +0000 http://work.chenalexander.com en http://work.chenalexander.com/Les-Paul-Google-Doodle http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Les-Paul-Google-Doodle Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:52:45 +0000 Alexander Chen 1577101 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1577101/lespaul_01.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1577101/lespaul_01_o.jpg" data-mid="7723431" border="0" align="left"/>One of the first ideas I had when I joined Google Creative Lab was a simple one: What if the Google logo became a musical instrument? Doodle team lead Ryan Germick presented the perfect opportunity, a tribute to Les Paul. Ryan and I collaborated closely on various designs and string configurations. I built a functional prototype in Javascript and HTML5, sampling my own Les Paul guitar in my home studio. I then teamed up with engineers Kristopher Hom and Joey Hurst, who took my prototype to the end stage, building key sharing and playback functionality. The doodle launched around the world on June 9th, 2011. Due to massive user response, it became the first Google Doodle to live for an extra 24 hours. View in Google Doodle archive http://work.chenalexander.com/Studio-Masters http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Studio-Masters Mon, 30 May 2011 14:45:15 +0000 Alexander Chen 1460521 At a steady pace over the course of 6 months, I composed and produced 46 instrumental pieces for Studio Masters, an ambitious art collaboration with Brindalyn Webster. Individual interviews with 46 San Francisco artists were conducted and dissected. I then composed a new song based on each person. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460521/studiomasters_400px.jpg" width="400" height="199" width_o="400" height_o="199" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460521/studiomasters_400px_o.jpg" data-mid="7422369" border="0" align="left"/> The diverse set of songs covers a breadth of genres, with inspirations from classical to ambient soundscapes, modern electronic to minimal viola performances. All 46 songs can be heard at the Studio Masters site. Selected samples: &#9835; maja-ruznic.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/maja-ruznic.mp3 Composed a cello-piano duet for Maja Ruznic. A 5/4 time signature was chosen for a sense of disorientation, "movement, gravity, speed, space." &#9835; liesa-lietzke.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/liesa-lietzke.mp3 Choir samples sing over samples of percussive torn vegetables on Liesa Lietzke's song, set to the structure of 50's doo-wop. &#9835; conrad-ruiz.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/conrad-ruiz.mp3 The soundtrack for Conrad Ruiz is meant to feel like adolescence. Playful 8-bit sounds are layered with unsettling samples. What initially resembles a surreal, crowded arcade culminates in double-kick drum and synth lead riffs. &#9835; ellen-black.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/ellen-black.mp3 For Ellen Black, whose work involves the virtual world of Second Life, the composition draws from Romantic classical music, but is performed by Moog synthesizers. &#9835; joshua-martinez.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/joshua-martinez.mp3 For Josh Martinez's piece, the simple, tiny sounds of a toy ukelele were manipulated to create a vast, otherworldly soundscape. &#9835; anna-simson.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/anna-simson.mp3 Anna Simson's was the first of the 46 songs produced. A harp duet plays over a vintage drum machine's 6/8 loop. &#9835; queena-hernandez.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/queena-hernandez.mp3 For Queena Hernandez, whose quirky work involves fantasy worlds and creatures, a piece was produced from skittery electronic percussion, Japanese drum samples, and odd chord progressions. &#9835; julia-goodman.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/julia-goodman.mp3 I performed Julia Goodman's piece, with gradually shifting layers of viola. &#9835; raphael-noz.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/studio-masters/raphael-noz.mp3 An upbeat number for Raphael Noz full of Mellotron samples, analogue drum machines, and live drum breaks. Listen to all 46 songs at the Studio Masters site. http://work.chenalexander.com/Newstoday http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Newstoday Fri, 20 May 2011 23:14:40 +0000 Alexander Chen 1476681 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1476681/newstoday_01.jpg" width="640" height="240" width_o="640" height_o="240" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1476681/newstoday_01_o.jpg" data-mid="7375417" border="0" align="left"/> &#9835; newstoday.mp3 http://view.presentcompany.tv/cargo/audio/newstoday/newstoday.mp3 In 2001, I created the audio brand for the web design community site Newstoday.com. The site founders Folkert Gorter and Jason Kristofer asked for a jingle with a “corporate wink.” The final version was selected out of the first batch of options with no revisions. During the dot-com boom, Newstoday.com became hugely popular among graphic and web designers, creating a niche, addicted community that visited daily. Gorter and Kristofer insisted that the audio play upon every visit, and never created cookies or a mute function. Despite protests, they were confident that it was an essential part of the experience. One person recounted hearing other people humming the melody on the MUNI in San Francisco, acting like a calling card for web designers. Other people told embarrassing stories of the jingle inadvertently revealing their surfing habits at the office. This fan-made tribute video was recently discovered on Youtube. Composed and produced by Alexander Chen. Voice: Nina Song. http://work.chenalexander.com/Crayong http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Crayong Wed, 18 May 2011 22:22:13 +0000 Alexander Chen 1466262 Crayong was born from an unexpected meeting with David Lu. Over a napkin and marker, we talked about a simple idea: What if you could draw a line, then instantly pluck it like a string? I built this idea over following months in both Flash and HTML5/Javascript. The engine driving the string physics and grabbing interaction led to MTA.ME. More information about the prototype is at this blog post. http://work.chenalexander.com/Toy-Baby-Grand http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Toy-Baby-Grand Tue, 17 May 2011 23:50:41 +0000 Alexander Chen 1460507 The music video for Boy In Static's "Toy Baby Grand" is a lo-fi effort, built using TextEdit and animated GIF's collected from free clip art sites. Footage for the video was captured like a performance, copying and pasting in Textedit in sync with the music. The end result draws equally from the days of early 90's "Web Art" as well as 70's Op Art. During its first week of release, the music video was featured by popular sites Offworld, Nerdcore, and Boing Boing. Many other magazines and blogs such as IdN and Theme followed. Directors: Alexander Chen and Philip Stockton, April 2009. http://work.chenalexander.com/Young-San-Francisco http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Young-San-Francisco Tue, 17 May 2011 23:50:39 +0000 Alexander Chen 1460513 A labor of love, the footage for Boy in Static's "Young San Francisco" spans from summer to winter, Westport MA to Berkeley CA, beaches to BART stations. Going for a low-budget, home-video feel, footage was captured on a still camera in 20-second bursts. It features the charming talents of Levi Parker and Mayah Chen. Featured at SF Weekly, VIRB, Earfarm, and more. Directors: Alexander Chen & Brindalyn Webster Principal Talent: Levi Parker & Mayah Chen http://work.chenalexander.com/Getty-Memory http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Getty-Memory Tue, 17 May 2011 23:50:36 +0000 Alexander Chen 1460519 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_01.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_01_o.jpg" data-mid="7339655" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_02.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_02_o.jpg" data-mid="7339660" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_03.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_03_o.jpg" data-mid="7339670" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_04.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_04_o.jpg" data-mid="7339672" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_05.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_05_o.jpg" data-mid="7340058" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_06.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_06_o.jpg" data-mid="7340061" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_07.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460519/getty_memory_07_o.jpg" data-mid="7340062" border="0" align="left"/>This was a project I concepted and executed while I was at Barbarian Group in 2005. Getty Images recruited various designers and artists to create interactive experiences using any images from their collection. Each group was assigned to interpret a single word, in this case “memory.” The project invites the user to draw on top of the image. As the pen's ink drains, the image fades away, leaving the user literally drawing from their own memory. Users are able to save their drawings and play back other users' drawings, resulting in an overlayed collective memory of a photograph. http://work.chenalexander.com/Sonata-for-the-Unaware http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Sonata-for-the-Unaware Tue, 17 May 2011 23:50:35 +0000 Alexander Chen 1460524 <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_01.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_01_o.jpg" data-mid="7374520" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_02.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_02_o.jpg" data-mid="7374481" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_03.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_03_o.jpg" data-mid="7374482" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_04.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_04_o.jpg" data-mid="7374483" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_05.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_05_o.jpg" data-mid="7374484" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_06.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_06_o.jpg" data-mid="7374485" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_07.jpg" width="640" height="480" width_o="640" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/2/82587/1460524/sonata_07_o.jpg" data-mid="7374486" border="0" align="left"/>In 2002's Sonata for the Unaware, commuters were filmed in Philadelphia subway and train stations. Body positions were then tracked and used as musical triggers in three simultaneously playing videos. One performs as a plucked upright bass, another as a drum kit, and one as a theremin-like synthesizer. Described by The Guardian: "In The Fisher King], director Terry Gilliam transformed a throng of rush-hour commuters in New York’s Grand Central Station into a huge arrangement of ballroom dancers. Finding beauty in such maddening situations is also the work of Alexander Chen … His latest work, Sonata of the Unaware, is composed of [video] from inside Philadelphia’s railway station. The feed is converted into data, which is used to generate music.” (The Guardian, Jan 2004) Also exhibited at the Museum of the Moving Image (NY), Electronic Orphanage (LA), and a winner in "Art" category at 2004 Flash Forward Conference. www.sonatafortheunaware.com http://work.chenalexander.com/Stringer http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Stringer Tue, 17 May 2011 23:48:05 +0000 Alexander Chen 1460506 Stringer is a virtual string instrument played with a Kinect 3d camera. A person can draw strings in the air using gestures. Multiple people can play at once, through separate hand-tracking. Strings can be set to morph as people interact, with length determining pitch, creating a constantly changing melody. This project was a collaborative effort built by myself, Tyler Williams, and Aidan Feldman as part of NYC Music Hackday 2011. Stringer won third place out of 50+ competitors, and was written up by Create Digital Music and Tech Crunch.We open-sourced Stringer, with the code available at Aidan's Github. More making-of information at this blog post. http://work.chenalexander.com/Mta-me http://work.chenalexander.com/following/work.chenalexander.com/Mta-me Tue, 17 May 2011 14:21:06 +0000 Alexander Chen 1457194 At www.mta.me, Conductor turns the New York subway system into an interactive string instrument. Using the MTA's actual subway schedule, the piece begins in realtime by spawning trains which departed in the last minute, then continues accelerating through a 24 hour loop. The visuals are based on Massimo Vignelli's 1972 diagram. (More info at this blog post.) In its first week of launch, mta.me was picked up by The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Engadget, Gizmodo, Mashable, Creativity, Fast Company, Gawker, and more.