Could you come up with a definition of "soundtoys"

The act of working dough into sharp shapes, and baking until all the rattles are gone.

Or something like force.

What is your project and your work about?

I wanted to find a new way to organize a hypermedia poem. I hoping the sound/voices direct the reader to the order of the poem. Each corresponds to a number in some odd way or another.

How long have you been working in this area?

About a year ...a month and ... a few days.

Were you an artist/ musician first who got into using computers/the net or did you respond to the net in an artistic way?

A poet who saw limitations in the written word, who wanted to incorporate sound, and visual elements to more fully recreate experience

What/ who has influenced you in your work? (themes, other artists etc)

Once upon a forest by Maruto scares me in such a good way. Sadly there are few poets or fiction writers doing much of anything interesting using technology.

Are there any other artists covering the same field as you?

Again, not many writers.

Do you see this work as art?

Art is so broadly defined that I'd say a certain type of walk is art. I'm guessing we need to come up with more specific words to relay our understanding or feeling about artistic creations. Otherwise everything is lumped under one ratty tarp.

With regard to 'soundtoys' especially, why do you think the audio visual metaphor is so key to the net?

Most of the information on the web is merely a hyperized copy of other forms of media. The web offers a unique environment where the reader can interact/recreate with a piece of text. Besides soundtoys has a wonderful sexual pull to it. Something you could invite back home on late Wednesday jaunts.

What defines the aesthetics of new interactive music.?

Um.......I wish I knew....and hope nobody else ever knows. In fact isn't it impossible to truly/literally define an aesthetic.

How important is the visual aspect in the 'new' relationship of the audio visual.?

With my work I see it as 48.4% text.....36% sound....73% visual.... which adds up when you factor in the links and mhzes...

Do you think there is a history to audio visual work?

Sure...some cultures used to fire dance, screaming/singing when they were accidentally burned. Still earlier cultures would use the surrounding landscapes (boxed-in valleys, paths through heavy forests, lake inlets) to interact with and create unique sounds and music.

Would you describe yourself as a multimedia artist, a net.artist, programmer, or none of the above?

I'm a poet who stumbled on some interesting way to create new types of texts....way to explore the inherent visual, vocal/audio and non-linearity of my work. Maybe I'm more of a jealous lover of technology.

What software do you use most and why?

Flash, Soundedit....because they were the only programs I could copy with the few coins hidden in my pants. Any and all donations of software are welcome. Even old Colecovision cartridges.

On a more personal level why do you make this work?

I'm not sure what else to do. I wish I had more of a choice. But everything seems so tasty.

Can you recommend three urls to soundtoys?

www.heliozoa.com

www.once-upon-a-forest.com

www.nasa.gov

they have some of the best sounds.....translated from light waves.... that is truly interactive

Jason Nelson
jnelson@bgnet.bgsu.edu

www.heliozoa.com
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