9th Nov 2002, Festpsielhaus Hellerau, Dresden, CYNETart-Festival

GRANULAR=SYNTHESIS Kurt Hentschläger, Ulf Langheinrich
Torso in version one originally performed by: Michael Ashcroft Software development VARP9: Dirk Langheinrich

In contrast to any other of GRANULAR=SYNTHESIS' live performances, AREAL is a several hours long and improvisational show, a laboratory. Since its first version in 1997, AREAL has been hosting almost totally different shows rather than one composition in updated versions. It has been featuring various audiovisual material, both figurative and abstract. It is a surround environment with multi-screen projection, a spatial sound set-up and substantial sub-bass.
AREAL was in its first version based on our experiences with X-tended Thrill, a collaboration with "Sensorband" at the ICC, Tokyo, in 1997 and led to AREAL-A at the "Steirischer Herbst" Festival in 1997 and to AREAL-V at the "Vergessen" Festival (both in Austria). At that time, AREAL was featuring images and sounds of a human torso instead of a human head, material which was originally recorded and edited for another collaborative project called "We want God Now". This raw-material was later also used in our productions SINKEN and FORM.
In the early AREAL shows, the images were transformed in various zoom and in focus/out of focus states, creating a more abstract and dynamic setting. The set-up included arrays stroboscopes to enhance the flicker quality of the video.
AREAL was presented at the Musiques en Scènes festival, Lyon, France and at the Elektra Festival, Montreal, both in 2000. Abstract material replaced all but a tiny section of figurative video material. The stroboscopic effect, thanks to more powerful video projectors, comes exclusively from the video screens.