Tristan Perich: 1-Bit Symphony

Here is something that should call into question ever getting obsessed over finding an ultra limited vinyl, cassette, or CD-R again. 

After all, those are only copies. 

Tristan Perich's 1-Bit Symphony, on the other hand, is a not a recording for you to listen to. This release, which comes in a CD jewel case and is described as "juxtaposing the grand form of a classical symphony with the minimal nature of 1-bit circuitry," actually "performs" its music live when turned on.

How many of those 7" singles you got on Record Store Day can do that?

It can perform, instead of play, because 1-Bit Symphony is a complete electronic circuit—programmed by the artist and assembled by hand—and you can hear the circuit perform though a headphone jack mounted into the case itself. 

According to Perich's website, "1-Bit Symphony utilizes on and off electrical pulses, synthesized by assembly code and routed from microchip to speaker, to manifest data as sound. The device treats electricity as a sonic medium, making an intimate connection between the materiality of hardware and the abstract logic of software."

Confused? Watch this video below.

Tristan Perich: 1-Bit Symphony (Part 1: Overview) from Tristan Perich on Vimeo.

Despite the elementary design, 1-Bit Symphony is not lined up for mass production. An artist's edition of the project is limited to 50 copies. Each one is signed and numbered and includes silkscreen print of source code and schematic. Buy it for 150 bones HERE. Or pick up the regular edition for $30.

Thanks to Ethan Becker for passing this along. See you Wednesday night fool!