We are very pleased to be able to post this new release today the new album My Daughter the Spider by the project vegetable.machine.animal – an interspecies trio [non-human(of fungal and photosynthesizing variation), modular synth, human] creating

My Daughter the Spider contains 11 tracks – 9 tracks collected over the last 6 months- then an imaginary cassette version, and then a remix of the imaginary cassette version conducted by Plant!

vegetable.machine.animal : an interspecies trio of non-human, technological and human collaboration developing generative and engaging sonics at this meeting point of three worlds. 

Via mycelium, wires and neurones signals are made, sent, received and interpreted in ways that make sense to each from its own perspective 

non-human/machine: 
The non-human is connected to the machine via a biofeedback module which converts living electrical signals into ‘data’/machine-processable information – these signals moves through the network of the various modules of the synth altering parameters such as pitch, time, volume, sensitivity. 

machine/human: 
Aesthetic Synth sounds to the human ear are identified by manipulation of the parameters of oscillators, sequencers, EQ’s’ and settled on once the general ‘voice’ being produced seems ‘right’ for the moment. 

human/non-human: 
When the drumming/recording starts no further human manipulation is made to the synth. 

The only physical interaction happens once playing commences is between the non-human/human – this may be touch, talking, spraying water, making shade etc – these interactions also appear to have an affect on the incoming/outgoing signal of the synth. It also seems that the plant appears to responds to the volume of sound of the drums/speakers, further changing the dynamics of the audible sound. 

The 9 tracks recorded at various locations, home studio, live [Pyramid Club] and at the Audio Foundation- Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland – many thanks to AF!! 

Track 10 is an edited compilation for a 20 minute imaginary cassette. 

Track 11 is track 10 that has been played back into the synth with the plan to develop a ‘Remix’ via a Sarracenia Pitcher Plant. 

The biofeedback signals of the plant influenced various gates and effects of the synth. The sensitivity/intensity of these signals determined the parameters of the audio output. For example A looping module would collect a snapshot of audio depending on the signal received. The duration of this playback was held until a new signal directed the machine to discard the sample and collect a new soundbite to loop/process for a plant-determined time, until the next signal arrived. 

Once recording started the human interacted only with the non-human. 
These interactions in turn affected the outcome from the synth which generated this essentially plant-based remix. 

The concept of the plant remix is the topic of the next post

Album available from Bandcamp