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Composition


From observation to manipulation

The body of The dark side of the cell is comprised of five separate movements. The composition of the piece reflects the general scientific process: from discovery through experimentation to control. To learn, one must first observe, and then begin to conceive in a contextualized manner. Further, one explores reactions through efforts to bend the cell's inherent nature into one's own synthetic order. To better reflect the range of reactions that these cells emote, it was necessary to subject them to a variety of circumstances. The resulting songs must be appreciated as the undiluted result of the cells, unmodified by sound effects.

The audio excerpts below are stereo mixdowns of the original multi-channel sound.

 

 
Part I
OBSERVATION

Audio: clear pitched sounds from observing the motion of unpertubed Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast).
Audio samples session: Sep. 09, 2002 | Jan. 20, 2004
Video: AFM images of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells.

Part I

 

Part II
TAMING

Audio: sounds from observing mutated Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and fluctuating sounds derived from manipulating these cells with the AFM tip.
Audio samples session: April 28, 2003 | Oct. 28, 2003
Video: AFM images of yeast cells. The amber coloring is analogues to the natural tint of these cells.

Part II

 

Part III
SUBJUGATION

Audio: sounds from U2OS Osteocarcoma cells (human bone cancer), and sounds from manipulating yeast cells with the AFM tip.
Audio samples session: Dec. 13, 2003 | April 26, 2004
Video: AFM images of Osteocarcoma layered with flickers of blue and green cell sound sonograms. Video footage of experiments with NIH3T3 Fibroblast cells. These cells were exposed to an anti-cytoskeletal drug (Jasplakinolide).
Part III

 

Part IV
CALMING

Audio: sounds derived from observing the motion of bud scars of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells with the AFM tip.
Audio samples session: Sept. 11, 2003
Video: video footage of the current sonic waveforms mixed with still images of cell sound sonograms.

Part IV

 

Part V
MANIPULATION

Audio: sounds derived from manipulating yeast cells through temperature changes, exposure to chemicals (Isopropanol, Sodium Azide) and force changes of the AFM tip.
Audio samples session: Oct. 10, 28, Nov. 19, 2002 | June 21, Sept. 11, 15, 2003 | Jan. 20, April 26, 2004
Video: images of yeast cells and video footage recorded from an optical microscope observing the AFM tip destroying Fibroblast cells.

Part V

 

All music © Niemetz/Pelling 2004