Marcelo Armani defines his sound experiments as “investigative and audiovisual music.” No matter which project he's involved in, he never limits his music to simple compositions played by instruments.After working toward a music degree and taking part in several bands as a drummer and percussionist, Armani turned completely to improvisation in 2008, and now he presents his music alongside visual arts and video. His creations provide inspiration for paintings like the Human Feedback project, created through a collaboration with visual artist and cartoonist Fabiano Gummo. Armani’s visual works serve as starting points for his broader compositions, such as his latest work, Instante Co-habitável. In Instante, Armani develops a “sound texture” to pair with the projection of a previously-released video. The video is composed of excerpts from images the artist shot on trips throughout Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.Watch one of the performances of Instante Co-habitável below:We spoke with Marcelo about his projects and about what differentiates a sound artist from your everyday musician.The Creators Project: When you captured images of your travels through Latin America, were you already thinking about developing this project? What inspired you to work on Instante Co-habitável?
Marcelo Armani: I started working on producing soundtracks for some artists' video art and independent short films. This sparked an interest in how to produce video, but I never thought I would capture images that would become this audiovisual project. At first, I simply pointed the camera and captured these scenes. After some time, I started to use a more targeted focus, but the majority of it was through experimentation and exploration of these places I went to. As I was editing the material, I realized how much the question of chance and improvisation was related to my work.Can we compare the Instante project to a live soundtrack?
That's exactly what it is! The moment that the projection is turned on, I work on composing the soundtrack. Each instrument and object that I use are recorded one by one in real-time, and processed through specific equipment and interfaces. This technique has a very particular relationship between two spheres of musical production. One of them is the soundtrack, which would be the last step of a composition, and the other is the “sound texture,” which is related to the composition of smaller elements, and the sound sensations they transmit to the listener. It’s like giving our sense of touch to the ear.When an image editor chooses music for a film or video soundtrack, they are often influenced by the music's mood as they edit. How does this process work in your case, since you react to the images in real time? Can the same video cause completely different ‘sound reactions’ from one presentation to another?
Certainly, yes. With each new presentation I rediscover new parts and paths. There are images that yesterday sent me back to dark places, and maybe something today or tomorrow might represent another sensation. This has much to do with how I relate to the work at the present moment, and with people who are there.What distinguishes the musician from the sound artist?
Basically, the difference is in the way each one explores the poetic in their work, the techniques each uses, and especially, the concerns and approaches addressed in the work. I see the sound artist’s works as more focused on sound issues. What are the possibilities and ways to manipulate it in order to restructure, and maybe re-use, the sound as another outfit? There's the construction of a sound sculpture, an installation where the artist can make use of an object, and thereafter develop the poetics of this material. As for the musician, sound has a different approach that has rested on specific regulations and standards for many centuries. Not that being a musician is something ancient or backward; it's just a different view on the same subject. To find other sources, and transgress these concepts, is a very particular option. I actually finished part of a music degree, and what made me abandon the program was this more classical view on how you see and define what music is, and what “noise” is. I feel much more happy now with this so-called “sound art.”“Instante Co-habitável” will be presented on May 24 at the opening of Casa M, as part of the pedagogical project of the 8th edition of Bienal Mercosul in Porto Alegre (RS). In June, Marcelo will perform in Chile.
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Marcelo Armani: I started working on producing soundtracks for some artists' video art and independent short films. This sparked an interest in how to produce video, but I never thought I would capture images that would become this audiovisual project. At first, I simply pointed the camera and captured these scenes. After some time, I started to use a more targeted focus, but the majority of it was through experimentation and exploration of these places I went to. As I was editing the material, I realized how much the question of chance and improvisation was related to my work.Can we compare the Instante project to a live soundtrack?
That's exactly what it is! The moment that the projection is turned on, I work on composing the soundtrack. Each instrument and object that I use are recorded one by one in real-time, and processed through specific equipment and interfaces. This technique has a very particular relationship between two spheres of musical production. One of them is the soundtrack, which would be the last step of a composition, and the other is the “sound texture,” which is related to the composition of smaller elements, and the sound sensations they transmit to the listener. It’s like giving our sense of touch to the ear.When an image editor chooses music for a film or video soundtrack, they are often influenced by the music's mood as they edit. How does this process work in your case, since you react to the images in real time? Can the same video cause completely different ‘sound reactions’ from one presentation to another?
Certainly, yes. With each new presentation I rediscover new parts and paths. There are images that yesterday sent me back to dark places, and maybe something today or tomorrow might represent another sensation. This has much to do with how I relate to the work at the present moment, and with people who are there.What distinguishes the musician from the sound artist?
Basically, the difference is in the way each one explores the poetic in their work, the techniques each uses, and especially, the concerns and approaches addressed in the work. I see the sound artist’s works as more focused on sound issues. What are the possibilities and ways to manipulate it in order to restructure, and maybe re-use, the sound as another outfit? There's the construction of a sound sculpture, an installation where the artist can make use of an object, and thereafter develop the poetics of this material. As for the musician, sound has a different approach that has rested on specific regulations and standards for many centuries. Not that being a musician is something ancient or backward; it's just a different view on the same subject. To find other sources, and transgress these concepts, is a very particular option. I actually finished part of a music degree, and what made me abandon the program was this more classical view on how you see and define what music is, and what “noise” is. I feel much more happy now with this so-called “sound art.”“Instante Co-habitável” will be presented on May 24 at the opening of Casa M, as part of the pedagogical project of the 8th edition of Bienal Mercosul in Porto Alegre (RS). In June, Marcelo will perform in Chile.