Meditation. Dystopia. is an improvisatory set of intercontinental live coding. During the performance, Benjamin engages in live coding within the SuperCollider programming language, while Melody controls her sonic output through a GUI she constructed in Max/MSP. As the title implies, the soundscape that Null-state evokes in this performance is one of an ominous, and at times eerily tranquil, dystopian future.
In their intercontinental live coding performances, Benjamin codes from Tampa, Florida, while Melody performs from Zürich, Switzerland. Thanks to Null-state’s custom remote server implementation in SuperCollider, every instruction interpreted on one computer is relayed and executed on the other as well. As the only data being streamed is bytes of text instead of megabytes of audio, latency is minimal and there is no reduction in sound quality; the sound is reproduced equally on both computers. This has allowed for simultaneous performances in concert halls in North America and in Europe.
Null-state, Inc. is a non-profit music technology organization co-founded by Melody Chua and Benjamin D. Whiting. This enterprise focuses on the research and development of the sensor-augmented electroacoustic flute (Chaosflöte) and making it accessible to both experienced performers and those with less familiarity with electronics. Null-state also functions as a live-electronics and live-coding ensemble and believes that interactive programming is an equally integral component of new music research. As part of a desire to share the joy of working with electronics, Null-state teaches seminars on incorporating electronics in instrumental composition/performance, as well as live coding.