Terumi Narushima

Oculog: playing with eye movements

In this paper, we describe the musical development of a new system for performing electronic music where a video-based eye movement recording system, known as Oculog, is used to control sound. Its development is discussed against a background that includes a brief history of biologically based interfaces for performing music, together with a survey of various recording systems currently in use for monitoring eye movement in clinical applications. Oculog is discussed with specific reference to its implementation as a performance interface for electronic music. A new work features algorithms driven by eye movement response and allows the user to interact with audio synthesis and introduces new possibilities for microtonal performance. Discussion reflects an earlier technological paradigm and concludes by reviewing possibilities for future development.

Metris: a game environment for music performance

Metris is a version of the Tetris game that uses a players musical response to control game performance. The game is driven by two factors: traditional game design and the players individual sense of music and sound. Metris uses tuning principles to determine relationships between pitch and the timbre of the sounds produced. These relationships are represented as bells synchronised with significant events in the game. Key elements of the game design control a musical environment based on just intonation tuning. This presents a scenario where the game design is enhanced by a users sense of sound and music. Conventional art music is subverted by responses to simple design elements in a popular game.