Max Schweder

Einklang — ARD Kultur

Conception, coordination and development of audio-reactive visuals with real-time fluid simulation for LED screen for ARD Kultur.

The result was sold as NFT, the profit was donated to victims of the war against Ukraine.

The documentation of this production is available at Einklang. Music X Digital Art in the ARD media library: LINK

Einklang Project Overview

Short Description

For the Einklang project, the co-production laboratory team developed an interactive real-time visualization for the piece No! by the band Bukahara. The piece was recorded by the Cologne amateur choir d’accord in an arrangement by choir director Niklas Genschel in the large hall of the PACT Zollverein in Essen for the ARD Mediathek. The choir stood in front of the 7m x 4m LED screen. Additionally, a half-hour documentary was filmed about the development of the project and the individual project partners involved and published in the ARD Mediathek.

The documentation is available here until May 25, 2023. Alternatively, search for “Einklang” in the ARD Mediathek.

How Did the Project Come About?

The project originated from a request by Clara Schmieder (Load!) to the Academy for Theater and Digitality. This request was initially forwarded privately to Max Schweder, the programmer of the co-production laboratory. On Schweder’s initiative, the project was then presented to the co-production consortium.

Project Participants and Their Roles
Max Schweder

Artistic Direction and Programming

  • Artistic direction and development of the interactive visualization.
  • Involved in communication and production processes, coordinating the entire production from image to sound.
  • Featured as an independent artist; the interactive visualization was sold as an NFT through misa.art, with profits going to those affected by the Ukraine war.
Niklas Genschel

Arrangement, Choir & Band Direction

  • Composed the arrangement for the choir version of No!.
  • Directed the amateur choir d’accord and the accompanying band.
Chor d’accord

Performance

  • The 15-member amateur choir rehearsed and performed Genschel’s arrangement of No! for the recording.
David Bruchmann

Music Video Direction

  • Directed the video shoot and was involved in developing the real-time visualization.
Sebastian Pieper

Music Production

  • Assisted with sound engineering and final music mix, managing the challenge of recording live in a high-noise environment.
Accompanying Band

Live Performance

  • Performed live for the recording.
  • E-drums, Live Electronica, Pre-production: Tarek Zarroug
  • Cello: Beate Wolff
  • Guitar: Hartmut Frost
Digital Co-production Laboratory Dortmund
  • Developed 3D visualizations of the setup.
  • Managed contract negotiations (Daria Jaranowskaja), narrative level development (Laurin Bürmann), and sound recording (Kai Czerwonka).
Load!

Production Coordination

  • Coordinated production and communication with ARD and misa.art.
  • Managed the budget and acted as the client.
  • Project Management: Clara Schmieder
  • Producer: Daniel Jacobs
  • Production Assistant: Jonatan Geller-Hartung
Academy for Theater and Digitality
  • Provided camera, lighting, and sound technology.
  • Technical Management: Mario Simon
  • LED Wall: Hendrik Fellerhoff
Dortmunder U
  • Provided premises for the co-production laboratory and legal support.
Theater Dortmund
  • Provided the theater’s LED screen.
StoryLab kiu
  • Provided rendering computers for production.
Project Goals

The goals of this large-scale co-production included:

  • Achieving a balanced collaboration among project partners: the Academy for Theater and Digitality, Story Lab kiu, and Dortmunder U.
  • Exploring the implementation of highly complex production processes.
  • Introducing real interactivity during recording, unlike traditional TV productions.
  • Demonstrating live interaction and its impact on the final product.
  • Presenting Dortmund as a digital art location and educating the public on complex projects and NFTs.
Artistic Intention

Max Schweder:

“For me, the goal of Einklang is to create the most direct translation possible from sound to image. The choir sings and an image emerges. Microphones record the singers, and I analyze the sound image or frequency spectrum of the various signals on stage. The data controls a fluid simulation, with tones acting like colors on a canvas.

This process, based on the Navier-Stokes equation from 1845, allows small changes in sound to produce significant visual changes. The visualization retains the emotional impact of the music, even when the sound has faded. Real-time optimization ensures minimal delay between sound generation and visualization.

I choose colors, shapes, and perspectives based on my perception, not leaving these decisions to the computer yet. This visualization represents my interpretation of the emotion I feel when hearing No! by Bukahara. The choir, through the computer and my program, paints the picture.”