Insider: The Spectrality of Sound in Live Coding Performance

This article explores Insider, a live deconstructed performance that revisits previous sound works through the lens of
hauntology. A successor to earlier research, Insider is a new artistic venture at the intersection of live coding audio
improvisation and emotionless performance narration. The work examines philosophical, creative, and technical as-
pects of the performance, seeking to disrupt conventional perceptions of time and explore the spectral dimensions of
sound. By employing Derrida’s concept of hauntology, Insider navigates temporal modalities, evoking unease and a
sense of disconnection from the present. The performance employs the open-source software SuperCollider, allowing
for real-time mixing and spontaneous improvisation of deconstructed sound works. These sound works, previously cre-
ated for various installations, films, and multimedia performances, are reinterpreted in real time, producing a fluid and
ever-changing auditory landscape. The integration of live narration, extracted from Bret Easton Ellis’s The Informers
(Ellis 1994) and delivered in a detached and emotionless manner, acts as a grounding force amid the abstract audio im-
provisation, introducing a contrasting element that enriches the sonic texture and invites the audience into an altered
auditory experience. Moreover, the adaptation of Insider to include generative AI is being explored. The AI model,
trained on the performer’s historical recordings, generates imperfect, spectral memories of the past. During live per-
formances, the model is prompted with live audio to produce these hazy spectres, which are then integrated back into
the performance using the live-coding platform. The juxtaposition of transformed sound and rigid narration, enhanced
by a powerful sound system, aims to create an immersive, unsettling atmosphere. Insider aspires to build a listening
community, exploring the relationship between sound art and hauntology. The article suggests future iterations involv-
ing multi-channel expansion, distinct narration styles, and enhanced audience participation to enrich the immersive
experience and investigate the interplay between abstraction and specificity in auditory culture.