Yoshi Sodeoka is art director of art and design collective, C404.

How do you define "soundtoys" ?

It's something for your senses.

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

I always have loved making sounds. so, this is sort of my fantasy to to make my own noise making gadget which is pretty unpractical in a way.


What is you project and your work about?

I'm interested in making unpleasant noise which is under appreciated in way.. we are constantly surrounded by some kind of noise, especially if you live in a city. I think people have their own ways to cope with it. So, I make this machine to emphasize that concept of it. In this piece you have to manipulate the noise. To see if you get a different experience out of it.

How long have you been working in this area?

More than 10 years.


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

Yes, started to play guitar when I was 12. painted from 7 years old. transition to net and digital medium was pretty natural. Net is just a medium of this generation.

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

DADAism, punk rock.

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

I'm sure there are tons. I actually tend not to pay attention to it. It's not like I'm being ignorant though, i just don't want to get influenced by the others too much.

Do you see this work as art?

Yes, i have a clear idea for this. and I don't mean this to communicate with people commercially. I would like people to question this piece. I would want people hate it or like it. That does sound like art, isn't it?

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

The technology of sound for the net isn't quite there yet. but there are so much to explore. I'm trying to take advantage of the short looped sounds with minimal graphic to express some kind of chaos.

What defines the aesthetics of new interactive music and art?

I guess it's the interaction. you can make the sound you would never hear again with a combination of things your do with piece.

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

that all depends on the piece. in this piece, the visual is just an aid to give you some sense of what's going on with the piece. That's why I piecked this fake machine look. people are familiar with nobs and screens and all that.

Does the net promote visual awareness that is unique to it?

Yeah, information and space.

How novel do you feel generative music and interactivity is?

Honestly, not so much as a matter of fact if you talk about music. I enjoy sitting down and listen to music. generative music and interactivity is more like conceptual art to me, rather than traditional art.

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

Yes definitely. one is the concept of seeing music performance is. I count it as one of the audio visual works.

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

None of the above, I guess. I don't like categorization. that just exists for business purpose in a lot of ways. I don't have to define myself.

What software do you use most and why?

Director for visual and interaction part because it's commonly accepted on the net. I use Logic Audio for sound which gives me the greater amount of control.

Can you recommend three urls to soundtoys?

http://www.day-dream.com
http://jodi.org
http://acg.media.mit.edu

yoshi sodeoka y@c404.com

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