circuit-bending and diy culture

7/23/2019 Circuit-Bending and DIY Culture

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Circuit-Bending and DIY Culture

Alexandre Marino Fernandez and Fernando Iazzetta

Universidade de São Paulo - Brasil

This work was supported b the !uSo" - #esear$h %entre on Sonolo&'

Abstract: This arti$le analses %ir$uit-Bendin& and its relation to the (o-it-

oursel) *(I+, $ulture' %ir$uit-bendin& is an experi"ental "usi$ pra$ti$e whi$h

$onsists o) openin& up low volta&e *batter powered, ele$troni$ devi$es *"usi$al

tos radio devi$es $d plaers et$' . "ostl te$hnolo&i$al waste, and o) $han&in&

*bend, the wa ele$tri$it )lows throu&h their $ir$uits in order to a$hieve an

/interestin&0 result' A)ter presentin& the work o) so"e artists who "ake use o) this

"ethodolo& we introdu$e the $on$ept o) proletarianisation b philosopher

Bernard Stie&ler and how su$h "ethodolo&ies $an a$t as de-proletarianisationta$ti$s' Then we present the (o-it-to&ether *(IT, or (o-it-with-others *(I12,

dis$ussion to brin& into s$ene the notion o) #elational Aestheti$s'

Keywords: %ir$uit-Bendin&3 (e-proletarianisation3 (I+ %ulture3 #elational

Aestheti$

Introduction

This arti$le relates %ir$uit-Bendin& to (I+ $ulture )o$usin& on the anti-$onsu"erist rebellious

and $reative aspe$ts o) this experi"ental pra$ti$e' 4enerall speakin& $ir$uit-bendin& $onsists

o) openin& up batter powered ele$troni$ devi$es and o) $han&in& *bend, the wa ele$tri$it

)lows throu&h their $ir$uits in order to a$hieve an /interestin&0 result'

2ne tpi$all pra$ti$es $ir$uit-bendin& b re"ovin& and5or addin& ele$troni$ $o"ponents

$onne$tin& di))erent $ir$uits or even addin& or&ani$ ele"ents to the $ir$uit *bender0s bod or

even )ruits and ve&etables,' The next step usuall $alls )or solderin& the $o"ponents into the

$ir$uit or "arkin& spe$i)i$ pla$es to be tou$hed' Finall so"eti"es a $ase is desi&ned )or

a$$o""odatin& this newl $reated instru"ent'



The te$hni6ue was na"ed in 7889 b :ubais #eed 4hazala in a series o) arti$les he wrote )or

Experimental Music Instrument "a&azine' ;e dis$overed this "ethod in 78<= when he

a$$identall let a s$rewdriver &et into $onta$t with the $ir$uitr o) a batter-powered a"pli)ier

produ$in& a short $ir$uit that sounded rather /interestin&0 as he puts it>

If this can happen to an amp, not supposed to make a sound on its own, what might

happen if one were to short out circuits that already make a sound, such as keyboards

and radios and toys? *4hazala 9??@ p'8=,

Another ke plaer in the s$ene is !i$olas %ollins who developed the $on$ept o) Hardware

Hacking a ver si"ilar approa$h to buildin& experi"ental instru"ents' In so"e sense $ir$uit-

bendin& has "ore rando"ness in its pro$edures as the rules o) hardware ha$kin& *%ollins

9??< p' =-C, are so"ehow "ore $onservative than $ir$uit-bendin&' In pra$ti$e it is ver

di))i$ult to di))erentiate the" and it is ver a$$eptable to sa that $ir$uit-bendin& is ins$ribed in

hardware ha$kin&'

As part o) the experi"ental "usi$ tradition $ir$uit-bendin& )ollows the paths o) su$h innovators

as Alvin Du$ier (avid Tudor 4ordon Mu""a and Eohn %a&e who pushed "usi$ )rontiers

)orward and also o) Free Eazz Punk and Industrial Musi$ "ove"ents pioneers in the (I+

approa$h in "usi$' These "ove"ents )o$us on i"provisation3 the value the i""edia$ and

liveness as well as the present ti"e in opposition to the per)e$tion and $leanliness o) the

re$ordin&'

As 4hazala puts it over the last several ears experi"entalis" has dropped out o) a$ade"i$

environ"ents and we $an see that $ir$uit-bendin& has taken )li&ht and $an be heard within "an



popular &enres'7 4hazala ar&ues that $ir$uit-benders are at the ver )ore)ront o) this experien$e

o) new experi"entalis" $onstantl pushin& "usi$ )orward with ori&inal dis$overies' *4hazala

9?? p'9G,

The possibilit o) os$illatin& )ro" inside and outside the institutional )ra"ework is $ertainl one

o) the re"arkable $hara$teristi$s o) $ir$uit-bendin&' Man o) its pra$titioners re$o&nize the

)eature o) $o"binin& hi&h and low $ulture &a"e and art' Bein& a $ir$uit-bender and a trained

"usi$ian hi"sel) north-a"eri$an Casper Electronics2 notes that even thou&h the pra$ti$e is

relativel si"ple its appeal is )ar rea$hin&' The novelt o) produ$in& sounds without the aid o)

sophisti$ated apparatuses and b usin& re&ular devi$es "odi)ied b the bender brin&s a $reative

perspe$tive to bender a$tivit> Fro" the viewpoint o) the bender one enHos the liberation )ound

in "odi)in& "ass produ$ed ele$troni$s and "akin& the" ones own'

%asper is also an a$ade"i$3 he states that bendin& as an a$ade"i$ resear$h )ield $an be

appre$iated )or its inventive approa$h to ele$tri$al en&ineerin& the en$oura&e"ent it &ives to

6uestion the $on$ept o) obsoles$en$e the re$$lin& o) dis$arded te$hnolo&ies' For hi" the

"ost pro)ound issue brou&ht to sur)a$e b bendin& $ir$uits $o"es )ro" &rantin& the bender si&ht

into the world that exists below our )a"iliar world )or $ir$uit-bendin& "ost o)ten tar&ets

$hildren0s tos as $reative )odder' ;e keeps on ar&uin& that the tos benders use are usuall the

one0s the have &rown with havin& a deep $onne$tion with the"' This brin&s benders a

Jper$eptual shi)tJ re&ardin& the world around the" and en$oura&es people to explore thin&s

1 For "ore on that "atter see the posts 1ho uses $ir$uitbendersK %ir$uit bent devi$es used b popular

"usi$ians5bandsK, at http>55$ir$uitbenders'$o'uk the entr http>55www'&etlo)i'$o"5KpL@G and also *Tad&h 9?7?

p'9?,'

2 http>55$asperele$troni$s'$o"



"ore $losel and Jto 6uestion what is shown versus what is possible' ;e )inishes his state"ent

$allin& $ir$uit-bendin& a $reative approa$h rather than a te$hni$al pro$ess and sain& that it

"a not be too dra"ati$ to $all it a philosoph' A kind o) philosoph that is able to en$oura&e

a deeper $onsideration and personal re$la"ation o) a world whi$h is )ast losin& its uni6ueness

and )indin& in its pla$e )a$eless produ$ts and "anu)a$tured identit'G

Examles o! met"odology

Besides the exa"ples o) the )athers o) the "ethodolo& #eed 4hazala and !i$olas %ollins and

the above-"entioned %asper le$troni$s there are so"e other proHe$ts worth pointin& out'

The )ren$h duo #$Konekt@ *whi$h in )ren$h sounds like (is$onne$t, )or exa"ple is a )ree

i"provisation &roup )or"ed in 9??= b Eean %hristophe %o$hard and %ril Alexandre whi$h has

the )ollowin& "otto> The )irst re$orded sound is alwas &oodN 1ith "ore than 7C releases

available in the internet b di))erent labels the have a ver nois soundin& with a pin$h o)

punk attitude'

The work o) the Dirty Electronics Ensemble an artisti$ &roup $reated b British Eohn

#i$hards based on the $reation o) per)or"an$es that results )ro" workshops' #i$hards $alls

$ir$uit-bendin& "ethodolo& Dirty Electronics or Punktronics, "akin& $lear the $onne$tion to

the !oise and Punk s$enes' ;is ense"ble has alread plaed with ke artists and bands su$h as

Merzbow and Throbbin& 4ristle'

3 http>55$asperele$troni$s'$o"5$ir$uit-bendin&5

4 http>557?konekt'blo&spot')r

5 http>55dirtele$troni$s'or&



(ut$h artist %i&s %ieskes< shares the sa"e line o) work but also in$ludin& an audiovisual

approa$h' In 4ieskes0 website it is possible to see a lot o) his (I+ instru"ents and observe the

aestheti$ result o) his $reations' A ni$e exa"ple is the audiovisual installation #eFun$t Media

O= *done in $ollaboration with the benders BenHa"i" 4aulon arl lo"p e To" Qerbru&&en,

exposed at the Trans"idiale 9?7G when the artists $onne$ted a series o) dis$arded audiovisual

apparatuses to $reate a reall interestin& nois $o"position'

!rgmnt'org is a Bar$elona based $olle$tive o) artists' Their work relates dire$tl to the Eapanese

noise "usi$ s$ene and lo-)i aestheti$s' Their website presents a series o) texts dis$ussin& subHe$ts

like Deices and Control and 6uotin& authors su$h as (eleuze and 4uattari' The $ondu$t

workshops artisti$ presentations and talks' Most o) their work is )reel available throu&h the

Internet'

Kokeellisen elektroniikan seura( *Asso$iation o) xperi"ental le$troni$s, is an i"portant

$olle$tive o) bricoleurs with a reall stron& a$tuation in the !ordi$ bendin& s$ene' In the

do$u"entar oelse8 it is possible to &et in tou$h with a lot o) their ideas and their wa o)

workin&'

In Brazil a ri$h s$ene related to %ir$uit Bendin& pra$ti$es has developed over the past de$ades'

A"on& the "ost a$tive &roups it is noteworth the work o) the $olle$tive %ambiologia7? that

6 http>55&ieskes'nl5

7 http>55www're$$lis"'$o"5re)un$t"ediaRv'php

8 http>55kokeellisenelektroniikanseura'blo&spot'$o"'br

9 http>55koelsedo$'wordpress'$o"5en&5

10 http>55www'&a"biolo&ia'net - the na"e 4a"biolo&ia "akes re)eren$e to a brazilian slan&> 4a"biarra whi$h is

used to re)er to thin&s done without proper tools or "aterials usuall due to la$k o) these'



establishes reall stron& $onne$tions with open sour$e and (I+ $ultures besides its stron&

relation to ha$ker $ulture'

All o) the artists "entioned above exhibit a $onne$tion with punk noise and industrial "usi$

s$enes with a "ore in)or"al approa$h to the $reative pro$ess eviden$in& a noisier aestheti$ that

is $loser to )ree i"provisation than to ele$troni$ "usi$'

Another approa$h is e"bra$ed b su$h artists as the Spanish )la! *adousse77 the !orth-

A"eri$an +im Kaiser79 and the Brazilian ,anetone#' All o) the" have a "ore $are)ul work in

desi&nin& the instru"ents and a "ore $ontrolled aestheti$ $loser to ele$troni$ "usi$ even in

so"e $ases approa$hin& ele$troni$ dan$e "usi$ s$ene7@'

Circuit-Bending and DIY Culture

B openin& their ele$troni$ devi$es and $han&in& the )low o) ele$tri$it benders $reate new uses

and possibilities )or the devi$es in their hands thus establishin& a stron& $onne$tion between

$ir$uit-bendin& and the (I+ $ulture' 4hazala expli$itl states this relationship in the )ollowin&

6uotation>

My aim, more than a decade ago when I began to write about the DI! of circuit"bending,

was to launch new, uni#ue instruments by means of explaining only the general discoery process of circuit"bending instead of using the more standard $this wire goes here%

dialogue & a dialogue that usually results in exact duplications of a target instrument'

*4hazala 9?? p'xiii,

11 http>55www'ola)ladousse'$o"

12 http>55ti"-kaiser'or&5

13 http>55panetone'net

14 This list $ould $arr on enor"ousl but it is not the intention o) this arti$le )or a lon&er and "ore $o"plete list

see *Fernandez 9?7G,



(I+ pheno"enon is $learl nothin& new' ri$ Paulos and Sta$e uznetsov in (ise of the

Expert )mateur* DI! Pro+ects, Communities, and Cultures pose a $on$ise and pertinent

de)inition )or (I+>

'''- any creation, modification or repair of ob+ects without the aid of paid professionals'

.e use the term $amateur% not as a reflection on a hobbyists/ skills, which are often

#uite adanced, but rather, to emphasi0e that most of DI! culture is not motiated bycommercial purposes' *uznetsov and Paulos 9?7? p'?7,

(I+ is a pra$ti$e dire$tl related to the rise o) Industrial #evolution &enerall taken as a

rea$tion to its "assive "ode o) produ$tion' It is noteworth how this "ove"ent "ani)ests itsel)

durin& the "odern era' The end o) the nineteenth $entur and the be&innin& o) the twentieth

*with its )lourishin& appeal o) s$ien$e and te$hnolo&, presented a )irst &li"pse o) rebellion

a&ainst the "ass produ$tion appeal and led to a boo" o) inventors and hobbist a$tivities

*to&ether with the aant"garde "ove"ents like futurism, cubism, dadaism, and so on,'

Model buildin& photo&raph hi&h-)idelit audio all $reated a vast "ultitude o) te$hni$al

hobbists who &athered around spe$i)i$ interests' The )ra&"entation o) the produ$tion $hain and

the alienation o) the individual brou&ht about b "ass produ$tion sparked new interest in "anual

and $ra)t a$tivities' ;obbists0 a$tivities plaed an i"portant so$ial role as the allowed la"en

to ta$kle $o"plex s$ien$e and te$hnolo&i$al topi$s whi$h were shapin& the ver idea o)

"odernit'

Su$h a$tivities were or&anized throu&h "a&azines books $lubs and suppliers' The also

entailed $onne$tin& hobbists to a spe$i)i$ so$ial network that helped de)ine their identi)i$ation

with an in$reasin&l ho"o&enized "assive so$ial $ondition' A re"arkable $ase in whi$h audio



te$hnolo& attra$ted the attention o) hobbists was the radio that was sold in kits )or ho"e

asse"bl in the 789?s and G?s'

;owever the Se$ond 1orld 1ar and the &lobalized $onsu"erist "odel weakened this hobbist

and a"ateurist "ove"ent )or a period o) ti"e i"posin& a "ass $onsu"ption "entalit

throu&hout "ost o) the western world' This &radual valorization and establish"ent o) "ass-

produ$tion led to the $onsu"erist hper-industrial so$iet in whi$h we $urrentl )ind ourselves'

In hper-industrial so$iet pro)essionals and spe$ialists $an be hired to build $reate de$orate or

repair anthin& a$$ordin& to "arket de"and' Its lo&i$ i"plies that an produ$t or servi$e "i&ht

be available at a nearb "e&a-store leavin& us ti"e to work on our spe$ialized pro)essional

$areers and earn "one to bu an kind o) &oods or solutions to our de"ands'

In "usi$ an initial rea$tion to su$h standardizin& appears in the Free Eazz "ove"ent o) the

78<?s with its )o$us on unrestrained i"provisation and the produ$tion o) re$ords outside the

industrial $hain b su$h asso$iations as AA%M *Asso$iation )or the Advan$e"ent o) %reative

Musi$ians, and %andid #e$ords' In the 78=?s the Punk "ove"ent also e"er&ed as a rebellion

a&ainst this he&e"oni$ order brin&in& (I+ to the s$ene' For these punk artists ineptitude was

seen as virtue> the $reativit that $o"es )ro" a la$k o) pre$on$eptions and willin&ness to tr out

anthin& even i) badl *;e&art 9??C p'C8,' Si"ilar to Free Eazz punk artists su$h as %rass

)or exa"ple also Hoined )or$es to release their re$ords bpassin& the re$ord industr and

$riti$izin& the "usi$al "arketpla$e )ro" a (I+ perspe$tive'



In the 788?s the (I+ "ove"ent be$a"e stron&er due to the rave $ulture and the be&innin& o)

the netlabel "ove"ent both )o$usin& on independent produ$tion *o) venues and re$ords,' And

in the twent-)irst $entur with the Internet be$o"in& a vast network o) in)or"ation ex$han&e

the (I+ "ove"ent expanded in$reasin& the a"ount o) adherents in several )ields> )ro" &rowin&

herbs indoors to produ$in& textiles knittin& and $ro$hetin& to workin& on di))erent kinds o)

ele$troni$ proHe$ts'

Euan I&n$io 4alle&o Perez in the arti$le D1 I2 !13(4E56* Cultura y 2ecnologia, ar&ues that

this )or" o) produ$tion allows an person to $reate distribute and pro"ote a produ$t

en$roa$hin& upon the basi$ rules o) $apitalist so$iet' *Perez 9??8 p'9=8, ;e shows that the

(I+ $ulture i"plies three states> an ideolo&i$al5politi$al one rebellin& a&ainst the he&e"oni$

"arketin& order3 an industrial one sear$hin& )or new was o) produ$tion outside o) "ass

$ulture3 and an aestheti$ one pursuin& sin&ular )or"s o) expression' A$$ordin& to Perez one o)

(I+0s "ain &oals is to abolish spe$ialization and one o) its $hara$teristi$s is the breakdown o)

the lines that separated worker and $reator alon& with the possibilit that anone $ould be a

$reator re&ardless o) ori&in or ba$k&round' A thinkin& based on the subversion o) the a&e-old

idea o) look be)ore ou leap rather than an attitude based on a$tion -- )irst a$t then think --

whi$h he $o"pares to "ove"ents like Situationis"7' ;e )ollows b ar&uin& that the (I+

"ove"ent $han&es so$ial relations $reatin& a $o""unit )eelin& independent )ro" industr

whi$h seeks to $han&e ordinar "er$antile relationships *Perez 9??8 p'9C?,' ;en$e the so$ial

order we have Hust pointed out "erits )urther in6uir'

15 Situationis" or Situationist International re)ers to an internationalist &roup o) revolutionaries based "ostl in

urope' Their "ost pro"inent theoreti$al work is 4u (ebord0s 2he 4ociety of the 4pectacle'



%eneral ,roletarianisation

2ne ke aspe$t o) this so$ial $ontext is what Fren$h philosopher Bernard Stie&ler $alls %eneral

,roletarianisation where hu"an knowled&e is short-$ir$uited as a result o) its te$hnolo&i$al

reprodu$tion and i"ple"entation' Su$h "ove"ent is a"pli)ied b the &lobalization o) the

$onsu"erist "odel in whi$h not onl the know-how * saoir"faire, o) workers be$o"es obsolete

but "ainl their knowled&e o) how to live * saoir"ire,' That wa $itizens be$o"e as su$h

"ere $onsu"ers> a &ood $onsu"er is both utterl passive and irresponsible' *Stie&ler 9?7?a

p'77,

Stie&ler uses the word proletariat in its ori&inal "eanin& re)errin& to the loss o) knowled&e o)

so"e kind su$h as that su))ered b )a$tor workers in Marx0s ti"e as a result o) their hi&hl

spe$ialized )un$tions *$ondition satirized b %harlie %haplin in his "asterpie$e Modern 2imes,'

The 6uestion o) proletariat thou&h has ver old roots' A$$ordin& to Stie&ler this pro$ess did not

start with the Industrial #evolution but at the be&innin& o) "ankind and it was alread noted )or

exa"ple b &reek philosopher Plato>

'''- the process of proletariani0ation marks the beginning of humankind' '''- It is first of

all the exteriori0ation of knowledge in technics' It begins with technics' 7ow the problemis, what is the gain of the process of exteriori0ation for humanity? Is it creating

heteronomy or autonomy? *Stie&ler 9?77 p'G=,

vokin& ant Stie&ler does the )ollowin& re)le$tion>

'''- if you are reading my books in order to aoid thinking for yourself, out of la0iness for instance, you are proletariani0ing yourself' '''- (eading books without reflecting

upon them and critically engaging with them leads to minority, not maturity' *Stie&ler

9?77 p'G=,



;e ar&ues that the 6uestion o) proletarianisation is at the ori&in o) philosoph bein& essentiall

a 6uestion o) autono" versus heterono"' It is i"portant to $lari) that )or Stie&ler pure

autono" does not exist> there is no autono" without so"e level o) heterono"'

Besides the re"ote ori&ins o) the $on$ept the pro$ess o) proletarianisation is &estated in the

"idst o) the nineteenth $entur with the $reation o) "odern advertise"ents and be$o"es

ende"i$ and &lobal a)ter the be&innin& o) the hper-industrial so$iet' Another ke )a$tor in this

pro$ess o$$urs in the be&innin& o) the twentieth $entur when Freud0s nephew dward Bernas

invented the basi$s o) "arketin& b or&anizin& the $aptivation o) the $onsu"ers0 attention and

thus o) the libidinal ener& that "arketin& "ust seek to redire$t )ro" the $onsu"ers0 pri"ordial

obHe$ts towards the $o""odities' *Stie&ler 9??= p'GG-G=,'

The $onsu"erist "odel he sas appears as was o) solvin& an e))i$ien$ $risis in the $apitalist

order and was an i"portant step towards hper-industrial a&e' The proble" is that this "odel

leads to another $risis that o) libidinal energy7<' To $aptivate this ener& sour$e people are

enti$ed b "arketin& strate&ies to $onsu"e - in order to $reate a $hain o) produ$tion and

$onsu"ption' The side e))e$t is that these "arketin& strate&ies end up prevailin& thereb

destroin& sin&ularit - to&ether with the will to live *the libido,' This $ontext obstru$ts the

pro$ess o) individuation7= resultin& in a pro$ess he $alls disindiiduation* a pro$ess that

16 industrial li)e tends to $hannel individuals0 libidinal potential that is their desires be$ause in order )or people

to $onsu"e obHe$ts it is "andator that the )irst want the"' But this $aptivation is destructie it is a destru$tive$ontrol as also said in "e$hani$al &enialit "eanin& that what is sub"itted to $ontrol ends up bein& destroed b

what it $ontrols' And i) we believe like I do that we live in the era o) the $apitalist order that exploits libidinal

ener& *as it previousl exploited )ossil )uels natural resour$es et$', then hper-industrial $apitalis" is on the

ver&e o) a serious $risis' *Stie&ler 9??= p'9<,

17 To individuate onesel) is to learn to experi"ent to be$o"e what one is b "akin& the passa&e to the a$t o) a

potential that lies within ever noeti$ soul' *Stie&ler 9?7?a p'7<, and also> Si"ondon sas that i) ou want to

understand the individual ou need to ins$ribe the individual in a pro$ess o) whi$h he is onl a phase' As su$h the

individual has no interests' The individual is onl an aspe$t or phase o) a pro$ess but the pro$ess is what is

i"portant' So what is this pro$essK It is the pro$ess o) individuation that is o) trans)or"ation and )or Si"ondon



destros the $olle$tive and destros $ulture' And this disindividuation is also a kind o)

proletarianisation' *Stie&ler 9?7?a p'7=,

DIY as de-roletarianisation tactics

Bernard Stie&ler sees the pro$esses o) de-pro)essionalization o) the $onte"porar era as a

possible "eans o) es$ape )ro" this situation' For hi" the revalorization o) the amateur "ade

possible b di&ital te$hnolo& and stren&thened b the Internet $an $reate a new aant"garde and

)or" new audien$es' !evertheless he ar&ues that in order )or this pro$ess o) subvertin& the

$onsu"erist "indset to happen users have to be$o"e $reators the"selves $ease to be si"pl

passive $onsu"ers produ$e knowled&e and shake the &rounds o) the $apitalist stru$ture'

%ir$uit-bendin& *as "ost (I+ $ulture strate&ies, en$oura&es amateurs to leave the status o)

passive $onsu"ers and so it $an be seen as a de-proletarianisation ta$ti$s as it $alls )or a )ar-

rea$hin& pro$ess o) de-proletarianisation that is the re$over o) knowled&e o) all kinds

*Stie&ler 9?7?a p'77,'

Seen b this pris" $ir$uit-bendin& *where one $an learn how to solder explore the di))erent

ele$troni$ $o"ponents experi"ent with ele$tro"a&netis" et$', $an appear as a $ra$kle in the

$onsu"erist so$iet sin$e the "ethodolo& is based on an experi"ental approa$h a trial-and-

error attitude that rebels a&ainst buin& new hi-te$h tools' The &oal is the unexpe$ted neither the

per)e$tion nor the e))i$a$ that hper-industrial so$iet de"ands )ro" its pro$esses' Benders

seek within this unexpe$tedness a &enuine learnin& experien$e> $reation and dis$over' 1hen

everthin& is $au&ht up in and brou&ht into a pro$ess o) individuation' For exa"ple the passa&es o) li)e are a

pro$ess o) individuation but /te$hni$s0 are also pro$esses o) individuations' *Stie&ler 9?7?b p'G,



pra$ti$in& $ir$uit-bendin& the pri"ordial ai" is not to pla the latest hi-te$h tool workin& onl

with inputs and outputs in a si"plisti$ wa but rather to experi"ent to $reate so"ethin& uni6ue'

%ir$uit-bendin& then is an interdis$iplinar artisti$ "ethodolo& a "ixture o) ele$tri$

en&ineerin& and "usi$ but also so"e a"ount o) desi&n sound art and per)or"an$e' "phasis

lies in its pro$edural $hara$ter and its )o$us on the $on$ept' As Eohn %a&e sas> the utilit o) the

useless is &ood news )or the artists' For art does not have a "aterial obHe$tive' ;as to do with

$han&in& o) "inds and spirits' *as $ited in %a"pos 788C p'7G?,

The toni$ note o) $ir$uit-bendin& is trans)or"in& the useless and the expendable into raw

"aterial )or $reation and produ$tion $reatin& sin&ular and uni6ue "usi$al instru"ents out o) the

standardization pro$ess o) the hper-industrial so$iet'

.cattering/ Distraction/ Di0ersion

Another ke aspe$t o) the so$ial $ontext we believe to be worth dis$ussin& here is that o)

scattering'

A$$ordin& to Qil" Flusser

2echnical images are at the center of society' 8ut because they are so penetrating,

people don/t crowd around them9 rather they draw back, each into his corner' )

technical image radiates, and at the tip of each ray sits a receier, on his own' In this

way, technical images disperse society into corners' '''- Media form bundles that radiate from the centers, the senders' 8undles in 5atin is fasces' 2he structure of a society

goerned by technical images is therefore fascist, not for any ideological reason but for

technical reasons' )s technical images presently function, they lead on their own to a fascistic society '*Flusser 9?77 p' <7,



An i"portant issue to the %ze$h-Brazilian philosopher relatin& the so$ial s$atter provoked b the

supre"a$ o) the apparatus is the dissolution o) the )a"il' As he puts it> $hildren who sit in

isolation at their $o"puter ter"inals with their ba$ks to one another have no so$ial awareness'

The belon& to no )a"il and identi) with neither nationalit nor $lass'' *Flusser 9?77 p'<G,

Su$h tenden$ is even "ore evident in our a&e o) s"artphones and tablets with even )riendlier

inter)a$es easil "astered b $hildren' %hildren0s attention in that $ontext is no lon&er in the

exterior world pla$e )or real *as opposed to virtual, so$ial intera$tions resultin& in the lost o)

their abilities to pla with one another an essential pro$ess in a$6uirin& so$ial skills leadin& to a

&reat level o) s$atterin&'

Flusser does not see this pro$ess as a verti$al i"position *top to botto", but as a spontaneous

pro$ess in "odern so$ieties' ;e states that people want to be s$attered b the i"a&es so that

the don0t have to $olle$t and asse"ble the"selves as the would i) there were in )a$t a

dialo&ue' *Flusser 9?77 p' <,

(rawin& )ro" ;e&el he ar&ues that $o""unal &roups like )a"il and $o""unities possess a

$lear distin$tion between the private *in-&roup, and the publi$ *out-&roup,' Su$h &roups su))er

what ;e&el $alled unhapp $ons$iousness as the are alwas aware o) losin& so"ethin&

dependin& on their $hoi$es *i) I &o out into the world I lose "sel) in it and i) I &o into "sel)

to $olle$t "sel) then I a" lost to the world,' That is wh people $hoose to be s$attered

diverted in sear$h )or a &eneralized happiness a sear$h that over$o"es an unhapp

$ons$iousness' B breakin& the notions o) publi$ and private the s$attered individual believes to

soothe his $ons$iousness there)ore the will to be entertained and the re)use to $on$entrate and



)o$us' ver dialo&ue is dan&erous be$ause it $ould awaken the unhapp $ons$iousness )ro" its

sleep' *9?77 p' <, Flusser then des$ribes the $onsu"erist so$iet we live in>

Psychoanalysis describes this happiness as the oral:anal phase9 cultural analysis calls

this happiness ;mass culture'; It is happiness at the leel of the nursery, intellectually aswell as morally and aesthetically' 2he present dispersal of society can be seen as a moe

toward this happy twilight condition' *Flusser 9?77 p'<<,

1e ar&ue that "ethodolo&ies su$h as $ir$uit bendin& *as "ost o) the experi"ental tenden$ies in

the arts o) the late twentieth and be&innin& o) the twent-)irst $enturies, $an a$t as alternatives to

this s$atterin& zo"bie-state tenden$' For that to happen it is "andator )or the bender to be

$ons$ious that his a$tuation in the apparatus world alwas o$$urs in the )or" o) a &a"e but that

this &a"e $an be plaed a$$ordin& to the intentions and rules o) the he&e"oni$

"etapro&ra""in& or that these rules $an be broken and a new set o) rules $an rise seekin& to

over$o"e that he&e"on' 1ithout su$h a $ons$iousness benders tend to loose the experi"ental

attitude asso$iatin& the"selves with $o""er$e and $apital losin& a &reat deal o) autono" in a

pro$ess o) proletarianization and desindividuation as dis$ussed earlier' That risk is not onl

present in $ir$uit-bendin& "ethodolo& but also in all (I+ s$enes happenin& in the last 9? ears

or so'

DI+ - 1elational Aest"etics

The s$atterin& pro$ess is probabl the "ain reason wh in re$ent ears we $an observe a

tenden$ in (I+ "ove"ents> )ro" (o-It-+oursel) to (o-It-To&ether *(IT, or (o-It-1ith-

2thers *(I12,'

The issue is that there $an be no individuation in the real" o) the individual' A pro$ess o)

transindividuation *a wider and "ore pro)ound pro$ess that o$$urs between distin$t individuals,



is alwas ne$essar )or real individuation to happen' As Fren$h art $urator and $riti$ !i$olas

Bourriaud puts it> the essen$e o) hu"ankind is purel trans-individual "ade up o) bonds that

link individuals to&ether in so$ial )or"s whi$h are invariabl histori$al *Marx> the hu"an

essen$e is the set o) so$ial relations,' *Bourriaud 9??8 p'9,

Stie&ler sas that the pro$ess o) transindividuation depends on the $reation o) $ir$uits whi$h

starts as si"ple pro$esses o) $o-individuation *a si"ple $onversation )or instan$e where both

interlo$utors are reall interested in the subHe$t and produ$e a sin$ere ex$han&e o) ideas where

both their repertoires are au&"ented b the dialo&ue,'

;e ar&ues that what )or&es a &reat artist a &reat philosopher a &reat person is the )a$t that su$h a

person is so"ebod reall spe$i)i$ sin&ularso"ebod who is re$o&nized as a sin&ularit who

has $reated a new tpe o) $ir$uit on whi$h other people $an $o"e and $ontinue the $ir$uits'

*Stie&ler 9?7?b p'@,

That is the i"portan$e o) this new tenden$ where artists be&in to work in a "ore

interdis$iplinar wa with the $ollaboration o) other individuals "ainl throu&h network

te$hnolo&ies' In su$h $ollaborative proHe$ts there is an intense ex$han&e o) in)or"ation buildin&

plat)or"s )or the $reation o) new was o) doin& stu))' A$$ordin& to Eohn (i"atos $ollaborative

proHe$ts re6uire a level o) hu"ilit and understandin& o) the ulti"ate "ission' 2nl then do the

have the abilit to be trul trans)or"ative'7C

18http>55www'ps)k'$o"59?7?5?@5diwo-as-the-new-di-ps)k-$on)eren$e-&ood-ideas-on-$han&e"akin&'ht"lONEvl=o



Qil" Flusser see"s to be des$ribin& the tenden$ towards (IT and (I12 "ove"ents when he

"akes the )ollowin& state"ent>

2his, I beliee, is the pro+ect of the new reolutionaries' It is an opposition to the present

society, controlled as it is by discursiely ordered images' 8ut it is not an attempt toreconstruct any social configuration from the past' Contemporary dispersal cannot be

reersed' 1n the contrary, it re#uires a new form of assembly' It is high time that our

receied, consecrated groups fell apart' 2hey were pernicious, ideologically grounded,misery"making groups' 7ow that they are about to disintegrate completely, new groups

can be formed' 2hey can be ;informed'; 2he task is to reintegrate a society that has

disintegrated into the infinitesimal' 4uch formulations of contemporary actiism are

intended to show how firmly contemporary reolutionaries are rooted in thedimensionless unierse, on the grounds of hallucinatory, image"producing abstractions'

*Flusser 9?77 p'<C,

Su$h a tenden$ o) doin& it to&ether appears in the $ir$uit-bendin& s$ene in two was> )irst at

$on$erts usuall per)or"ed as a $olle$tive )ree i"provisation3 and se$ond throu&h workshops

whi$h are ver i"portant to "ost bendin& &roups *both 4hazala and %ollins )or instan$e are

ver a$tive instru$tors,'

About the )irst aspe$t the $on$erts it is revealin& to hear !i$olas %ollins point o) view

$aptured in an interview re$orded in São Paulo Hust be)ore a presentation o) one o) his latest

per)or"an$es> 4alage' 1hen 6uestioned about his "ain interests as a $o"poser he &ave the

)ollowin& answer>

I/m interested in those types of chaotic situations and I/m ery interested in collectiemusic making' I really like the idea of haing twenty or thirty people making music

together' 8ut i/m not particularly interested in listening to them play notes on their

instruments' '''-' 4o I/m interested in merging this semi"chaotic electronic world with

groups of players to create a kind of an improised electronic ensemble, that has thishigh degree of chaos and unpredictability in it' )nd then figuring out ways to sort of

shape the performance to gie it some kind of form' )nd that/s what this little piece does'

*Fernandez V Di"a in press,

In this 6uotation it is possible to note his interest in the $olle$tive aspe$t we0ve been dis$ussin&>

seekin& to &et awa )ro" the individualisti$ tenden$ ele$troni$ "usi$ has &otten into



*espe$iall when we deal with laptop "usi$ or (Ein&, workin& in a $olle$tive environ"ent o)

"usi$al produ$tion "akin& it possible )or transindividuation $ir$uits to rise'

Another noteworth exa"ple o) (IT $an be )ound in the Dirty Electronics Ensemble'

A$$ordin& to #i$hards in (irt le$troni$s the ethos is not onl (I+ but also (IT' ;is "ain

&oal is to &et awa )ro" the idea o) the solo ele$troni$ "usi$ian and work in a "ore )luid and

$olle$tive wa' That wa he be$a"e less bothered b his own sste" and be&an to think how

a lar&e &roup $ould per)or" a new ele$troni$ "usi$ repertoire' *#i$hards 9?77 p'9G,

In the do$u"entar C"arge2Disc"arge78 dire$ted b Andrew ;ill this (IT attitude is "ade

visible' Another ke aspe$t )or #i$hards is that the per)or"an$e not onl o$$urs in the "o"ent

o) the publi$ presentation o) the work but is alread happenin& durin& the workshop when the

devi$es are bein& $onstru$ted b the parti$ipants' ;e avoids talkin& about the workshop and the

per)or"an$e as two separate "o"ents sin$e buildin& so"ethin& in a workshop and plain& in a

$on$ert are not ne$essaril separate a$tivities' A$$ordin& to hi" in the lo&i$ o) (irt le$troni$s

*his wa o) $allin& his bent or ha$ked devi$es, per)or"an$e and workshop are part o) a holisti$

event'

1elational Aest"etics

That aspe$t $alls )or our )inal topi$> the dis$ussion o) 1elational Aest"etics' The ter" appeared

in art $riti$is" in the last ears o) the 788?s and as Ea$6ues #an$iWre su&&ests is $hara$terized

as an art $reatin& no "ore works or obHe$ts but ephe"eral situations pro"ptin& new )or"s o)

relationships'9? For !i$olas Bourriaud relational aestheti$s takes as its theoreti$al horizon the

19 http>55vi"eo'$o"5@=@7GG

20 http>55roundtable'kein'or&5node5@<G



real" o) hu"an intera$tions and its so$ial $ontext rather than the assertion o) an independent

and private s"boli$ spa$e' *Bourriaud 9??8 p'78,

Artists involved in relational aestheti$s $onstitute a &roup o) artists who )or the )irst ti"e sin$e

the e"er&en$e o) $on$eptual art in the "id-78<?s si"pl do not take as their startin& point so"e

aestheti$ "ove"ent )ro" the past' *Bourriaud 9??8 p'<7,

It is i"portant to noti$e that )or Bourriaud art has alwas been in one wa or another relational'

The sin&ularit o) relational aestheti$s $onsists o) puttin& the relational 6uestion in )irst pla$e and

seekin& relationships between art and extra-artisti$ universes' This kind o) strate& has been

around sin$e the 78<?s and has been resu"ed b artists in the late 788?s

'''- but the definition of art, which was central to the <=>s and <=@s, was no longer anissue' 2he problem was no longer the expansion of the limits of art, but testing art/s

capacity for resistance within the social field as a whole' *Bourriaud 9??8 p'@G,

These artists do not $onsider intersubHe$tivit and interpersonal intera$tions onl as )ashionable

theoreti$al &ad&ets nor as te$hni$al pretexts to an art pra$ti$e' The $onsider these ele"ents

that allude to the interpersonal relationship at on$e a startin& point and a point o) arrival or in

short the "ain the"es that in)or" their work' 1hat is produ$ed b the" are relational sace-

times whi$h seek to a$$o"plish interhu"an experien$es that tr to shake o)) the $onstraints o)

the ideolo& o) "ass $o""uni$ations where alternative )or"s o) so$iabilit $riti$al "odels

and "o"ents o) $onstru$ted $onvivialit are developed' *Bourriaud 9??8 p'<9,

This kind o) artisti$ pra$ti$e represents a trans)or"ation in $olle$tive sensibilit> )ro" the 788?s

on the &roup is thrown a&ainst the "ass nei&hbourhood a&ainst advertisin& low-te$h a&ainst



hi&h-te$h the ta$tile a&ainst the visual' *Bourriaud 9??8 p'<, But the "ain $han&e o$$urred

with the end o) the "odern distin$tions between popular $ulture and hi&h $ulture'

That been said we believe it is possible to ins$ribe so"e $ir$uit-bendin& and hardware ha$kin&

$on$erts and workshops as exa"ples o) this relational spa$e-ti"es' A)ter a $ollaborative and

passionate $onta$t with di))erent devi$es and their pro&ra""ations *and all the learnin& that is

possible to obtain throu&h the", there is the potential $reation o) $ir$uits o) transindividuation

a"on& the parti$ipants as "ost o) these $on$erts and workshops happen in a reall loose

"anner in$itin& people to $ollaborate and pla to&ether and not onl to do their own devi$e in

an isolated wa'

As 4hazala puts it> that0s the beaut o) $ir$uit-bendin&3 anone $an do it' +ou don0t need to be

an ele$troni$s &uru or a shop &enius' All ou need is the abilit to solder and to think outside the

box' *X, That0s prett i""ediateN *4hazala 9?? p'G-@,

Fren$h philosopher Ea$6ues #an$iWre ar&ues that the ordinar be$o"es beauti)ul as a tra$e o)

the true i) it is torn )ro" its obviousness in order to be$o"e a hiero&lph a "tholo&i$al or

phantas"a&ori$ )i&ure' *#an$iWre 9??8 p'G@, 1e ar&ue that $ir$uit-benders do exa$tl that>

trans)or" an ordinar ele$troni$ devi$e into a sin&ular "usi$al instru"ent a trul alien

instru"ent'*''', A)ter all now in hand is an instru"ent that exists nowhere else in the universe

and that presents sounds no one else has et heard' *4hazala 9??@ p'88,

1e!erences

Bourriaud !' *9??8,' EstAtica (elacional' São Paulo> ed' Martins Fontes'



%a"pos A' *788C,' MBsica de Ineno' São Paulo> ed' Perspe$tiva'

%ollins !' *9??<, andmade Electronic Music' !ew +ork> ed' #outled&e'

Fernandez A' M' *9?7G, Circuito )lterado em 2rFs )tos* )brir, 2atear e Multiplicar'

*Unpublished "asterYs thesis,' s$ola de %o"uni$aZão e Artes Universidade de São Paulo São

Paulo'

Fernandez A' M' V Di"a E' 4' A' *in press, 4oundcheck with 7icolas Collins' Audio available

at> http>55alreves'or&5alreves5trans)er5eue5entrevista-$ollins'"pG

Flusser Q' *9?77, Into the unierse of technical images' Minneapolis5Dondon> Universit o)

Minnesota Press'

4hazala :' #' *9??@, The Folk Musi$ o) %han$e le$troni$s> %ir$uit-Bendin& the "odern

$o$onut' 5eonardo Music Gournal' v'7@' San Fran$is$o'

4hazala :' #' *9??, Circuit"8ending* 8uild !our 1wn )lien Instruments' Indianapolis> 1ile

Publishin& In$'

;e&art P' *9??C, 7oiseHMusic* ) istory' !ew +ork Dondon> %ontinuu"'

uznetsov S' V Paulos ' *9?7?, (ise of the Expert )mateur* DI! Pro+ects, Communities, and

Cultures' #etrieved )ro"> http>55www'sta$ek'or&5h$i5uznetsov(I+'pd)

Perez E' I' 4' *9??8, (2 IT +2U#SDF> %ultura Te$nolo&ia' (eista Icono 7@ n[7G 9=C-

987 Madrid'

#an$iWre E' *9??8, 2he Politics of )esthetics' !ew +ork> d' %ontinuu"'

#i$hards E' *9?77, Dead V S$he"as' (oland, 2he IC)/s Maga0ine' Dondon> v' 8 p' 9G-9'

#etrieved )ro"> http>55www'dirtele$troni$s'or&5do$s5I%AR#olandR?8'pd)

Tadh& %' *9?7?, Bendin& %ir$uits and Makin& Musi$> Teen Te$h 1eek in Minneapolis' !oung

)dult 5ibrary 4erices !)54-' Minneapolis> v' C n' 9 p' 9?.99'



Stie&ler B' *9??=, (eflexes no- ContemporJneas' %hape$\> ed' Ar&os'

Stie&ler B' *9?7?a, The A&e o) (e-proletarianisation> Art and Tea$hin& Art in Post-$onsu"erist

%ulture' In> %or$oran ' V (el)os %' *ed',' )rt6utures Current Issues in igher )rts

Education' A"sterda"> DIA 7?.78'

Stie&ler B' *9?7?b, Transindividuation' Interview b #o&o)) I' E"flux Gournal' !ew +ork> v'

7@' #etrieved )ro"> http>55www'e-)lux'$o"5Hournal5transindividuation'

Stie&ler B' *9?77, This Sste" (oes !ot Produ$e Pleasure An"ore an Interview with Bernard

Stie&ler' Interview b De""ens P' Krisis* Gournal for contemporary philosophy' A"sterda"> v'

7 p' GG-@7' #etrieved )ro"> http>55www'krisis'eu5$ontent59?77-75krisis-9?77-7-?-le""ens'pd)

circuit-bending and diy culture

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