::vtol:: volnovod

::vtol:: volnovod from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"I’ve came up with the idea of this device during a long flight, when my iPod earbuds (the standard white ones) got caught up yet again. The wires of this manufacturer are covered with special rubber that grants the earbuds a unique feature: they do not fracture or bend; they just intertwine endlessly, which prolongs their lifespan and prevents contact damage. Therefore, in a typical coincidence, my wire intertwined many times and I noticed that it resembled a complex multidimensional wave. The concept of the machine came across my mind at once: a machine that would deliberately intertwine this kind of wire in different ways, then a camera would digitize it and a special algorithm would transform the result in a parametric graph controlling different parameters of sound synthesis.

The device ‘Volnovod’ is a result. I think of this device as a hybrid machine, which combines a kinetic sound sculpture and a unique controller/tool. It bases on the concept of some small phenomenon being adapted, raised and automatized. Thus, a very peculiar for me combination of a tangible wave and depending on it soundwaves worked out.

The device operates in automatic mode, semi-automatic mode or manual mode. Two stepper motors constantly turn and intertwine the wire, moulding different types of waves. Motors operate in accordance with the random numbers-based program and randomly change the direction. Still they rotate within the preset number of steps range to prevent the wire from over-intertwining. The camera shoots a wire in front of a black background, which makes possible to achieve the highest picture contrast. Nine wave pictures are saved. Later they can be updated in automatic mode or refiled manually in semi-automatic mode or manual mode. These nine shots then morph into graphic tables with resolution of 270 x 240 points. The tables are the base to control sound synthesis options. The program can generate parameters in any suitable format: MIDI, OSC, CV. It allows to use it freely as within the system as with external devices. Graphs reading can be written down automatically or manually, with different velocity in many directions. The wave form can also put to use as a harmonic oscillator wave (akin to wavetable synthesis).

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/volnovod"

software:

- pure data
- max/smp

hardware:

- stepper motors
- 2 channel sound system
- arduino uno
- lcd monitor
- iPhone / iPod headphones wire

CLICK FOR MORE »

::vtol:: pzr-10

::vtol:: pzr-10 from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Interactive installation, robot.

A wheeled remote-controlled robot roams around the horizontal black-striped canvas. These stripes are nothing else than audiocassette tapes. The robot is equipped with two tape heads to read off the magnetic tape. When the sound head crosses the tape or moves along it, it reads off the sound and forwards it over the radio to the computer and to the small loudspeaker placed on the robot. A customized remote control is used to operate the robot. A joystick is installed on the remote control to guide the robot; there are also buttons to manipulate the sound. This device can create music loops out of the sounds captured, control the sound processing and set up different parameters. Robot and sound transmission are controlled via Bluetooth.

Some of the tapes have several records of audiobooks by Stanislaw Lem. Others carry random records of unknown origin.

more information: http://vtol.cc/filter/works/pzr-10"

hard:
- arduino uno
- 2 dc motors
- hc-06 bluetooth serial module
- sony bluetooth sound module
- 1 channel sound system
- 2 tape heads with amps
- remote controller with arduino nano, buttons and 2 axis joystic

soft:
- pure data

Moscow, 2015.

sp. thanks: BEREG district

::vtol:: orbitalochka

::vtol:: orbitalochka from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Kinetic sound object. Model of artificial satellite of the Earth / inhabited sound art space station. The apparatus is a system for a research of sound swirling of anthroposphere. The device works in autonomous and extremely abstract way. Featuring a built-in radio FM transmitter, it transmits radio signals at frequency 99mHz being available for all inhabitants of the Earth.

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/orbitalochka"

"The sound signals are based on the generative sound processes created with Patchblocks synthesis systems and light sensor which reacts to change in position of the satellite in space following the relocation of the mass caused by change of solar cell position. The solar cells function as sensors and provide CV (control voltage) for changing the parameters of the sound program. The station also process and transmits a pre-recorded lecture by Sergey Kasich - 'Sound art community in the context of development of modern technologies'.

hard:

- fm radio transmitter
- arduino nano
- 4 servo motors
- patchblocks sound module
- motion sensor
- 4 solar panles
- fm radio
- 1 channel sound system"

::vtol:: collector

::vtol:: collector from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"more about - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/collector

The object records sounds from the surrounding space, selecting only the loudest ones (those which exceed a certain level). Then, the machine puts together a composition consisting of these sounds organised in the order they were recorded. In fact, the object excludes the silence and composes the music from the surrounding sounds, while compressing the time. The voices, music, city sounds and other random noise are shaped into complex algorithmic compositions, which can be played after it has collected enough of them. It is a kind of reality re-mixer - by simply removing the silence and pauses between loud sounds and words, it creates the sense of very rhythmical and organised aural experience, which sounds very musical to me."

CLICK FOR MORE »

::vtol:: 2ch

::vtol:: 2ch from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

Interactive object.

The project is an instrument for communication between two people by means of visualising the electroencephalograms of two members, which are translated into sound, mechanical motion, and video images. Two participants should try to synchronize their minds, guided by the pitch of the tone, visualisation and movements of mechanical parts.

more - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/2ch


"hard:

- servo motors with hall sensor and magnet
- 2 channel sound system
- NeuroSky EEG interfaces x2
- arduino
- video system

soft:

- pure data
- max/msp

Commission for the Sirius educational center, Sochi, 2016."

CLICK FOR MORE »

::vtol:: divider

::vtol:: divider from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

via vtol

"This project is an autonomous light-music installation. The main element of the piece is the construction fixed on the wall, with 7 powerful red lasers which send light horizontally. The laser rays pass through several fans rotating on high speed, placed along whole length of the installation. The fans serve as dividers-modulators which turn the ray into rhythmic impulses instead of the permanent ray. The frame opposite from the emitters has photo sensors which register the presence or absence of the ray. Thus, the system has 7 independent binary variables which become the basis for creation of sound composition. The speed of the each of fans is variable which leads to constant shift of modulation phases of the light rays.

The central idea of the project “Divider” lies in an abstract artistic interpretation of the wave-particle duality concept that every physical object may be described mathematically in terms of wave quotations, as well as from a formalist point of view that conceives object as a particle or a particle system. As a textbook example of that duality, we can think of light as a particle (photon) flux, which works like an electromagnetic wave in various physical experiments. In the artwork, the rays are interrupted repeatedly and constantly, but not simultaneously – as to create a polyphase source of uncertain events.

The uncertainty relation sets the lower limit for the product of the paired observables standard deviations. The principle of uncertainty discovered by Werner Heisenberg in 1927 is one of the milestones of quantum mechanics, and is a corollary of the wave-particle duality principle. Eventually, the divided and unstable system transforms into a set of binary states, which make light into a discrete message matrix, which, in turn, generates sound waves (a musical composition). Thus, the work attempts to use the experimental language of art to bring up and describe the global issues – is the universe discrete? can we describe the universe with the language of energy, frequency, and vibration – in accordance with the testament of Nikola Tesla?

This work is a dedication to and is inspired by Rhythmicon, the world's first rhythm-machine created by Léon Theremin in 1931. Rhythmicon used the same principle, it featured rotating discs to interrupt the light rays, and optical sensors to detect passage of light through apertures, which was influencing how the rhythms were produced.

soft:

- pure data

hard:

- arduino mega x4
- fans x42
- lasers x7
- mono sound system

Commission for the Earth Lab, joint project of the Polytechnic Museum Moscow and Ars Electronica Linz, 2016"

CLICK FOR MORE »

::vtol:: red

::vtol:: red from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

A new creation from ::vtol:: based on the concepts and ideas of light-sound objects from 60-80s

See http://vtol.cc/red for the inspiration behind this project and additional details. The following is a short excerpt on the functional aspects.

"The object works autonomously, by algorithm with many accidental events tied to feedback, with sensors defining the position of various mechanical elements in relation to the range of their movement. The sound part has up to 4 voices which depend on the activity of various elements. The sound is also in direct interaction with actual position of those elements, and basically is voicing the process of movement, brightness of light, and intensity of the piece.

hard:

- 3 servo motors
- DC motor
- stepper motor
- 2 channel sound system
- arduino
- raspberry pi 2

soft:

- pure data
- python scripts

Moscow/Trondheim, 2016"

CLICK FOR MORE »

::vtol:: wave is my nature

::vtol:: wave is my nature from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Interactive kinetic audiovisual installation

The main idea of the installation is the reference to the Wave as the basis of all audiovisual art. The project draws from the theory of Wave–particle duality which considers the light to be a particle and a wave at the same time. In this case, the notion of the 'wave” is uniform for the sound wave, light wave and a 'tangible” kinetic wave with wide amplitude, physically presented in the space as stretched cables moved by a system of motors. The piece also refers to the topic of physical modeling of the wave processes which take place in various media and materials: 'string”, 'data flow”, 'visualisation of sound”, 'sonification of light” etc. In general, the installation can be viewed as a kinetic spacial light installation which reacts to the presence of audience and creates an autonomous sound and light composition.

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/wave-is-my-nature"

hard:

- 4 spi led strips
- 4 servo motors
- 2 channel sound system
- arduino mega
- ir motion sensors

soft:

- pure data

Moscow, MARS Center, 2015

::vtol:: prankophone

::vtol:: prankophone from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Prankophone is a sound object being a hybrid of synthesizer, telephone and logic module. The main principle of the object’s functioning is as follows: depending on the current mode, the apparatus calls to random or pre-defined recipients and plays them algorithmic melodies created from their phone numbers. The speakers transmit both the synthesized sounds and the sound from answering person. The common sound layer is involving a random recipient who doesn’t suspect anything. The person who answers the phone can’t hear any other sounds except for the synthesized ones.

more info and images"

CLICK FOR MORE »

::vtol:: Ra

::vtol:: Ra from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Ra is a sound object / synthesizer which uses laser for scanning the irregularities of the surface of the pyrite disc and further transforms this data to produce sound. Pyrite disc is a rare form of pyrite which is crystallised in radial shape (as unusual disc spherulites) which also was named ‘pyrite suns’ or ‘pyrite dollars’. The only deposit where pyrites of such morphology are found is in Illinois state (USA). Pyrite suns were formed around 300 million years ago.

more information and images - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/Ra"

"This project originated as a result of an interesting set of circumstances – a pyrite disc was given to me as a gift by a mineral seller in Boulder city (USA). Upon hearing about my works, she asked to do something with such crystal, and refused to take payment for getting it. In the same period, I was reading articles on various ways of archiving and preservation of sounds from the first, historical sources of the recorded sound – wax discs and other fragile carriers. All technologies were based on the usage of lasers. Inspired by these projects, I set out to create a self-made laser sound reader which would be able to produce sound from various uneven surfaces, using minimal resources to achive it. Thus emerged the idea to construct an instrument using the pyrite disc and a self-made laser sound reader.

The realisation of the object became possible thanks to the commission of the Sound Museum in St.-Petersburg which has it in its collection now.

I consider this object to be a landmark for me, as it united several practices and technical skills which I was working on in the last years - as well as the new resources and ideas which I approach for the first time. I.e. – creation of the synthesizers and sound objects, collecting minerals, topic of rotation, Pure Data programming, Arduino and Python, working with servo and stepper motors, raspberry pi and lasers, etc.

What is also important for me in this project is adressing the topic of occult futurology as a concept which corresponds in the best way my own artistic practices. In the first place, it can be seen in how Ra works with the perception of time – having pre-historic 'unearthly' mineral as its base, it adresses medieval times through the notion of alchemy; it also carries Bach organ motives, further bringing us to the echoes of the electronic instruments of middle of the 20th century, underlining all of this with lasers, code, noise and autonomy, all brought up in handicraft conditions."

See previous posts featuring vtol's works here on MATRIXSYNTH.

hardware:

- raspberry pi (with pure data)
- arduino nano
- diy laser pickup
- spin fv-1 dsp
- stepper motor
- servo motor
- 3W mono sound system

specification:

- line audio output
- 9 control switchers
- 10 control knobs (including envelope, filter, processors parameters and modulations)
- disk speed and direction control (via control knob)
- pickup position control
- 16 dsp fx programs

::vtol:: silk - crypto currency tracking string music instrument

::vtol:: silk from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"The installation is tracking the real time changes in the market activities related to cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Litecoin – independent and uncontrolled by any state peer-to-peer payment systems. Constantly changing currency rate of of Bitcoin against major world currencies is influencing the strain of strings in installation and the way the picks are hitting them. The robotic system of the artwork is directed by a computer algorithm: influenced by dynamic changes of data, the installation sounds like a complex sound instrument.

Technically, the installation consists of two poles of 2 meters height. Each stand sprouts 5 diagonal strings which correspond to 5 currencies (US dollar, Yuan, Euro, Canadian dollar and Russian ruble). These strings are pulled on special automatic tuners moved by stepper motors directed by computer algorithm. Each motor features high precision of movement, which allows very precise tuning of string even with quite insignificant changes of parameters.

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/silk

the project is co-commissioned by Laboratoria Art&Science Space and Lykke AG

Moscow, 2015"

CLICK FOR MORE »

::vtol:: rav

::vtol:: rav from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"interactive audio-visual installation

There exists ambivalent attitude towards amber from the point of view of electronics – on one side, it’s an ideal dielectric, from another side, it gave the name to all 'electricity'. The main idea of the project is to use amber at the same time as decoration and as non-standard conductor of data, which so to say implements the poetic 'amberization' of information and as a result, of the visitors’ portraits.

The visitor makes a self-portrait which is transformed into the data flow represented by flashes which are transmitted through large pieces of amber. Every portrait is transformed into a low-resolution picture, where every pixel has 256 gradations of brightness. The information about pixels’ brightness is further transferred as flashes of light through the pieces of amber and is perceived by a photoresistor. A special screen is showing the image appearing pixel by pixel; this image is later printed on a photo printer. The speakers which supplement the installation emit sounds which correspond to the brightness of each pixel.

Made for an exhibition 'Russian Amber', Museum of Moscow, 2015.

more information and images - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/rav"

hard:

- arduino
- servo motors
- opto pair
- 2 channel sound system

soft:

- max/msp
- pure data

CLICK FOR MORE »

::vtol:: kalculator

::vtol:: kalculator from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"interactive installation

By pressing a button, the visitor is selecting one of 18 names from the top charts of young perspective Russian artists, according to the Art Newspaper Russia.

Within several moments the program is requesting the Google search and returns the number of times this name was mentioned in the Internet.

A special algorhythm further transforms this number into a sound composition played through the speakers. Complexity and length of this composition depends on the number previously received

Thus the object is using other people’s fame as the input for creating electronic music.

special for 'Why Can't You Divide By Zero?' exhibition, Museum and Exhibition Center "Worker and Kolkhoz Woman" Moscow, 2015

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/kalculator"

"hard:

- arduino
- 2 channel sound system
- android tablet

soft:

- max/msp"

::vtol:: gbg-8 [Synth Meets Gun]

::vtol:: gbg-8 from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"8-bit instant photo gun

more - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/gbg-8"

And then there was this.

"8-bit instant photo gun

- game boy
- arduino
- camera
- thermal printer"

CLICK FOR MORE »

R x2 by ::vtol:: and anastasiya alekhina

R x2 by ::vtol:: and anastasiya alekhina from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Kinetic sound installation.

Computer algorithm collects from Internet the data on power and depth of shocks in planet's crust and captures all the earthquakes above 0.1 (Richter magnitude scale). On an average day there are up to 200 of such shocks. This data is converted into signals that control the motors which are attached to Thunder Drum acoustic drums.

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/r-x2

authors:

anastasia alekhina
::vtol::

Mars Gallery, Moscow, 2015"

the finger

the finger from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Performance for touch and sound.

Sonohaptic (by Jakub Koźniewski) is a machine that links tactile sensations with sound by moving the robotic head equipped with piezo sensor along the arm of the person, picking up tiny vibrations translating them to audio. One-finger (by ::vtol::) is a wireless controller allows to produce sound by using just one finger equipped with various sensors. The two combined allow to control the sonohaptic movements with movement of the finger of the performer - who touches another person trough a machine thus producing „sonohaptical' experience.

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/the-finger

Authors:

::vtol:: [RU]
Jakub Kozniewski (member of panGenerator) [PL]

CTM festival MusicMakers Hacklab, Berlin 2015"

software:

Processing, PureData, Arduino, Nord Modular

hardware:

sonohaptic - 3-axis machine, piezo disc

arduino one-finger - bend sensor, sonar, tilt sensors, pulse-sensor, bluetooth module, Nord Modular

Authors:

::vtol:: [RU]
Jakub Kozniewski (member of panGenerator) [PL]

CTM festival MusicMakers Hacklab, Berlin 2015

::vtol:: oil

::vtol:: oil from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Interactive sound installation

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/oil

The main idea of this project is to present exhibition visitors with the chance to destroy any object that might happen to be on their person, in order to transform it into a unique sound production. The installation consists of five hydraulic presses, capable of crushing practically any object (a mobile telephone, pair of glasses, headphones or whatever). In the process of destruction, a special microphone records the sounds made as the object undergoes deformation, and in just a few minutes, a computer algorithm transforms them into a 20 minutes album.

The project is intended to provoke visitors into spontaneously ridding themselves of material consumer objects for the sake of creating their own individual work of art via deprivation, divestment and destruction. Sound has been taken as the chief medium here with good reason, since sound art is perhaps the least material and most abstract of all genres in art. The technological aesthetic involved constitutes an ironic attempt to make the process of art production into a technological process, but the result, unlike that of mass production, demonstrates a contrary phenomenon – this is a work involving programming and code in the context of generative art, with the potential to broaden the range of instruments at art’s disposal. At the end of the process, the sound production is automatically recorded onto an audio CD and handed over to the participant, completing the process of exchange.

video: Nikolai Zheludovich"

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::vtol:: nayral-ro

::vtol:: nayral-ro from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"Interactive robot orchestra

more info and images - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/nayral-ro

The orchestra consists of 12 robotic manipulators of various designs, each of which is equipped with a sound-transmitting speaker. The manipulators, combined together, form a single multi-channel electronic sound orchestra. Due to constant displacement speakers in space, changing direction of the sound and the algorithms for generating compositions, the orchestra creates a dynamic soundscape. In order to interact with the orchestra, controller Leap Motion is used, that allows to control robots and sound by simple hands gestures in the air - similarly to conducting an orchestra.

The project is based on the idea of a combination of modern music, computer, interactive and robotic concepts and approaches for the creation of works of art. In many ways, it is inspired by well-known works that were presented in the recent past, such as Pendulum Choir (2011) and Mendelssohn Effektorium (2013). However, Nayral Ro is different from these projects in many ways. Its algorithmic system, in which sound and musical composition are being produced, is real time, and the acoustic environment also changes simultaneously with the process of creating the musical piece. Also, the whole process is completely subordinated by the 'conductor', so this a role is similar to such of a composer, performer and operator at the same time.

Creation of more sophisticated versions, more subtly revealing the potential of Leap Motion for tuning to the movement and changes in sound, is being planned for the future development.

video by Nikolai Zheludovich"

hard:

- arduino mega
- modified OWI-535
- servo motors + actuators
- 12 channel sound system
- leap motion

soft:

- ManosOSC
- Pure Data

Commission by Garage Museum of Contemporary Art & Geek Picnic Festival, Moscow - St.-Petersburg, 2014.

sp. thanks: Violet Postnova

::vtol:: metaphase sound machine (video 2)

::vtol:: metaphase sound machine (video 2) from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"The Metaphase Sound Machine is a kind of homage to the ideas of the American physicist Nick Herbert who in the 1970s has created both Metaphase Typewriter and Quantum Metaphone (a speech synthesizer). These were some of the first attempts to put the phenomenon of quantum entanglement in practice and one of the first steps towards the creation of a quantum computer. The experimental devices, however, had not confirmed theoretical research, and Herbert’s obsession with metaphysics resulted in the publication of several of his works on the metaphysical in quantum physics, that have led to a serious loss of interest to the ideas of quantum communication. One day, in a course of his experiments, Herbert has hacked into an university computer trying to establish a contact with the spirit of illusionist Harry Houdini at the day of the centenary of his birth.

In his device Herbert in order to achieve a quantum entangled state used as a source radioactive thallium, which was controlled by the Geiger radiation counter. The time interval between pulses was chosen as conversion code. Several psychics had participated in the experiments. They tried to influence the endless stream of random anagrams arising from a typewriter or cause "the ghost voice" to be heard out of metaphone. Scientists also have conducted sessions to bring about the "spirit" of a colleague who had recently died, and who knew about this typewriter. In 1985 Herbert wrote a book about metaphysical in physics. In general, his invention and articles quite severely compromised the ideas of quantum communication in the eyes of potential researchers and by the end of the XX century no any substantial progress in this direction was observed.

The Metaphase Sound Machine is an object with 6 rotating disks. Each of the discs is equipped with acoustic sound source (a speaker) and a microphone. Each of the microphones is connected via computer and the rotary axis to the speakers on the disks. Also in the center of installation a Geiger-Mueller counter is set, that detects ionizing radiation in the surrounding area. The intervals between these particles influence rotation velocity of each of the disks. Essentially the object is an audio- and kinetic installation in which a sound is synthesized based on feedbacks, produced by microphones and speakers on rotating discs. Feedback whistles are used as triggers for more complex sound synthesis. Additional harmonic signal processing, as well as the volatility of the dynamic system, lead to the endless variations of sound. The form of the object refers to the generally accepted symbolic notation of quantum entanglement as a biphoton - crossing discs of the orbits.

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/metaphase-sound-machine"

::vtol:: metaphase sound machine

::vtol:: metaphase sound machine from ::vtol:: on Vimeo.

"The Metaphase Sound Machine is a kind of homage to the ideas of the American physicist Nick Herbert who in the 1970s has created both Metaphase Typewriter and Quantum Metaphone (a speech synthesizer). These were some of the first attempts to put the phenomenon of quantum entanglement in practice and one of the first steps towards the creation of a quantum computer. The experimental devices, however, had not confirmed theoretical research, and Herbert’s obsession with metaphysics resulted in the publication of several of his works on the metaphysical in quantum physics, that have led to a serious loss of interest to the ideas of quantum communication. One day, in a course of his experiments, Herbert has hacked into an university computer trying to establish a contact with the spirit of illusionist Harry Houdini at the day of the centenary of his birth.

In his device Herbert in order to achieve a quantum entangled state used as a source radioactive thallium, which was controlled by the Geiger radiation counter. The time interval between pulses was chosen as conversion code. Several psychics had participated in the experiments. They tried to influence the endless stream of random anagrams arising from a typewriter or cause "the ghost voice" to be heard out of metaphone. Scientists also have conducted sessions to bring about the "spirit" of a colleague who had recently died, and who knew about this typewriter. In 1985 Herbert wrote a book about metaphysical in physics. In general, his invention and articles quite severely compromised the ideas of quantum communication in the eyes of potential researchers and by the end of the XX century no any substantial progress in this direction was observed.

The Metaphase Sound Machine is an object with 6 rotating disks. Each of the discs is equipped with acoustic sound source (a speaker) and a microphone. Each of the microphones is connected via computer and the rotary axis to the speakers on the disks. Also in the center of installation a Geiger-Mueller counter is set, that detects ionizing radiation in the surrounding area. The intervals between these particles influence rotation velocity of each of the disks. Essentially the object is an audio- and kinetic installation in which a sound is synthesized based on feedbacks, produced by microphones and speakers on rotating discs. Feedback whistles are used as triggers for more complex sound synthesis. Additional harmonic signal processing, as well as the volatility of the dynamic system, lead to the endless variations of sound. The form of the object refers to the generally accepted symbolic notation of quantum entanglement as a biphoton - crossing discs of the orbits.

more info - http://vtol.cc/filter/works/metaphase-sound-machine"