Network Music Festival

Sound without Borders // 15-18th July 2020

Go to Online Exhibition

Society for Nontrivial Pursuits // HyperDisCo

HyperDisCo is an improvised audiovisual performance by a large networked group – the current members of the Society for Nontrivial Pursuits Berlin. We all write and re-write code at the same time, and all code gets shared between all players. While we love to play in the same physical space, the corona pandemic rules make that impossible, which poses interesting constraints on playing together, and generally for exploring artistic uses of programming via live coding. In the ongoing online semester at UdK Berlin (where we teach and study), we are continuously developing a network setup in SuperCollider where all code runs simultaneously on all internet-connected nodes, so every node renders a complete, streamable realisation of the piece. By sticking with just-in-time programming style, we know that all running synced code is accessible and thus changeable for everyone, and all changes will go into the globally synced state which each local code mirrors. The jointly created sound and graphics processes embody the flow of ideas in the group; with text chatting and visual shouting mechanism allowing for more and less discreet ways of developing the piece by verbal discussion.


Complex behaviors in feedback systems, chaotic circuits, social systems or computer programs are fascinating objects of study. The Society for Nontrivial Pursuits Berlin S4NTP (students, alumni/ae and friends of the class for Generative Art / Computational Art at UdK Berlin, Alberto de Campo und Hannes Hoelzl) explores the possibility spaces of such systems for experimental performance. We design, build and program our own audio/visual/other performance systems based on a variety of devices, sensors, analog electronics, and software synthesis. We deploy them in extremely diverse projects crossing installation, performance and experiment.

Alberto de Campo and Hannes Hoelzl teach the class for Generative / Computational Arts at University of the Arts Berlin (UdK), with Bruno Gola as tutor for creative coding.