Open Source: the wulf.’s electronic music series

For years, the wulf. has been at the forefront of experimentation and innovation. In a typical season, we already dedicate much of our programming towards electronic music. Open Source aims to formalize this focus through a series of events occurring on the first Saturday of every month dedicated to composers and works using technologies in novel and innovative ways.

the wulf.’s curatorial policies encourage rapid presentation. Events are generally planned anywhere from a month to the day before they occur thus giving artists the opportunity to demonstrate works shortly after or even during creation. This is a unique facet of our model distinguishing us from organizations that require more advanced scheduling and thus longer wait times for presentation. It also mirrors the iterative process of technological evolution in other domains, where the immediate accessibility of new ideas accelerates the pace of innovation. the wulf.’s laboratory-like environment promotes an open, free exchange of ideas and information in a manner similar to the namesake of the series: the open source software movement.

Because we place such high importance on rapid presentation, the artist roster for the proposed series is intentionally not entirely determined. However, for the first and final events of the 2016 portion of the series, we have already invited Stephanie Cheng Smith and Ulrich Krieger, respectively. Their work explores the yet-unimagined potentialities of various technologies through sound. For  the other events, the Directors of Open Source and the wulf.’s Artistic Advisory Board are collaborating closely with the Dog Star Orchestra and the Experimental Music Yearbook to identify artists whose work is at the forefront of technological advancement in music. For years, both these organizations have co-organized events with the wulf. where emerging composers are paired with internationally renowned artists in a way that demonstrates both the genesis and trajectory of music and music-related technologies.

All the events will be free to the public, streamed-live, and then archived afterwards for continued public access. We envision Open Source as a live working process, where the critical components of the project—the focus on new technologies, accessibility, and collaboration—will ultimately inspire new ideas and new works.