David Tudor’s Rainforest IV is a playful exploration of the sounds of the objects which populate our world. FaMLE’s interpretation of this piece embeds the resonant objects found in Tudor’s original into an environment made up of audio and network feedback. Audio feedback is prevalent in much of Tudor’s other electronic work, and is a visceral reminder of the complexity and instability of acoustic environments. Our implementation of network feedback builds on FaMLE’s practice of sharing musical and gestural cues between performers.

The combination of all of these elements create an experience which is dynamic, unpredictable, and constantly surprising.

The MIT Laptop Ensemble (MLE) is a living laboratory examining how new digital technologies are shaping musical performance. Using laptop computers as our /primary/ canvas, we look into how our digital lives suggest new opportunities for musical collaboration and exploration. Musically omnivorous, MLE can sound like electronic Debussy, Romulan synthpop, a luminous treefrog city, or anything in-between. Using new digital musical instruments and unorthodox performance techniques, an MLE concert provides a window into the future of live music.

FaMLE: The MIT Laptop Ensemble Jerry Zhang Josh Verdejo Nikhil Singh Christopher Lock Yueyang Richard Fan Ian Clester

FaMLE is directed by Ian Hattwick