The body of The dark side of the cell is comprised of five separate
movements. The composition of the piece reflects the general scientific
process: from discovery through experimentation to control. To learn,
one must first observe, and then begin to conceive in a contextualized
manner. Further, one explores reactions through efforts to bend the cell's
inherent nature into one's own synthetic order. To better reflect the
range of reactions that these cells emote, it was necessary to subject
them to a variety of circumstances. The resulting songs must be appreciated
as the undiluted result of the cells, unmodified by sound effects.
The audio excerpts below are stereo mixdowns of the original multi-channel sound.
Part I
OBSERVATION
Audio: clear pitched sounds from observing
the motion of unpertubed Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast).
Audio samples session: Sep. 09, 2002 | Jan. 20, 2004
Video: AFM images of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells.
Part I
Part II
TAMING
Audio: sounds from observing mutated
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and fluctuating sounds derived from manipulating
these cells with the AFM tip.
Audio samples session: April 28, 2003 | Oct. 28, 2003
Video: AFM images of yeast cells. The amber coloring is analogues
to the natural tint of these cells.
Part II
Part III
SUBJUGATION
Audio: sounds from U2OS Osteocarcoma cells
(human bone cancer), and sounds from manipulating yeast cells with
the AFM tip.
Audio samples session: Dec. 13, 2003 | April 26, 2004
Video: AFM images of Osteocarcoma layered with flickers of blue
and green cell sound sonograms. Video footage of experiments with
NIH3T3 Fibroblast cells. These cells were exposed to an anti-cytoskeletal
drug (Jasplakinolide). Part III
Part IV
CALMING
Audio: sounds derived from observing
the motion of bud scars of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells with the
AFM tip.
Audio samples session: Sept. 11, 2003
Video: video footage of the current sonic waveforms mixed with still
images of cell sound sonograms.
Part IV
Part V
MANIPULATION
Audio: sounds
derived from manipulating yeast cells through temperature changes,
exposure to chemicals (Isopropanol, Sodium Azide) and force changes
of the AFM tip. Audio samples session: Oct. 10, 28,
Nov. 19, 2002 | June 21, Sept. 11, 15, 2003 | Jan. 20, April 26,
2004
Video: images of yeast cells and video footage recorded from an
optical microscope observing the AFM tip destroying Fibroblast cells.
