sound drifter algorythmics winfried ritsch hochschule für musik, graz, institute for elektronic music (iem) http://iem.mhsg.ac.at/ritsch/ ritsch@iem.mhsg.ac.at

Sound objects in the form of sound files, microcompositions and live-signals drift independently through a distributed installation.This material is rendered to different interpretations in different locations. Static sounds are of equal value to live-signals and real-time-computer-compositions. Three basic types of rendering are being developed for the 'site-specific' interpretations of the material: Roomdrifter, a highly dynamic 3D-spatialisation for N-loudspeakers for contained spaces; RoamingDrifter a surface-spatialisation for several loudspeakers in open, highly frequented spaces StreamDrifter, for the interpretation and production of live-streams, radio-broadcasts, etc. with according dynamics and stereo/mono interpretation.

The System: Sounds, which ideally would be representative of the respective space of origin (environmental sounds or fragments of languages) and microcompositions (small CSound-compositions) are situated inside a network. Simultaneously, live-streams integrated into the system open as "windows" of equal status with any other objects. (A differentiation between ''ambient-streams'' and ''main-streams'' might be applicable). At the Institute of Electronic Music (IEM) in Graz specific programmes are developed. They are supposed to take care of the drifting of sounds, compositions and streams as data-exchanges as well as of the dynamic routing of live-streams.

SOUND DRIFTER is a programme, which offers a sphere of live to these sources - and controls it. To the user this programme represents a window into the virtual sound-world. As a software it functions as the interface to the real world. The user is at any time able to find out, which sounds are still there and which new ones have arrived/been generated. A very special sociology of sound-objects subject to predefined laws emerges, reducing the human being to the role of a recipient of this world. One could compare the situation to an aquarium with many different kinds of fish; to a contained environment to be enjoyed almost from the outside: the human being as keeper and beholder.