Improvisation for Computer, Networked Instruments, and Multichannel Sound Diffusion

Canning's live sets incorporate elements of dark ambient, noise, free improvisation, drone, and contemporary classical music, often in durational settings. He interweaves improvisation and stochastic processes with formal deterministic structures in constantly evolving immersive sonic landscapes that oscillate between abrasiveness and harmony. For MFRU 2023, Canning will present an improvisational performance on the augmented and experimental instruments he is currently developing.

The Tetractys is a tactile capacitive touch instrument assembled from junk, an open-hardware ESP32 microcontroller (OSC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi) and Supercollider, a powerful open-source programming language for audio production. In addition, he plays a similarly modified electric guitar equipped with a 3-axis accelerometer for motion detection and capacitive touch controls, a custom live sampling software instrument. These instruments and interfaces attempt to bring some kinaesthetic awareness into the realm of electronic music performance. Canning's self-made instruments are often combined with miscellaneous sonic oddities and collaborators, resulting in a multichannel spatial sound diffusion.