Kristen Roos is an interdisciplinary artist and educator whose practice includes a wide range of mediums including electronic music composition, sound design, sound installation, radio and transmission art, animation, printmaking, textiles, and media archaeology.His creative exploration weaves a narrative that extends from the loom to the screen, culminating in a captivating fusion of sound and visual work. His artistic practice has drawn inspiration from the environment, with a deep-seated interest in the unique sonic qualities of different landscapes. His sound installations and radio transmission art utilize sound as a medium to spark contemplation, inviting viewers and listeners to explore the overlooked auditory dimensions of their surroundings.The intellectual process behind his most recent work is rooted in media archaeology and the history of computers, examining the moments when computers were first employed for creative purposes. This can be seen in his textile work, which emphasizes the significance of the long history of abstract and pictorial weaving, its connection to the history of computers and the Jacquard loom, drawing further parallels to early paint software, pixel art, and early video computer systems. This cross-pollination of art forms is reflected in his most recent music project - Universal Synthesizer Interface, composed using early algorithmic MIDI sequencing software, a testament to the changing connotations of the word "algorithm" over the years. Roos's approach to music is driven by a combination of conceptual ideas, research, and experimentation. Universal Synthesizer Interface Volumes I and II reflect this approach as he delves into the limitations of vintage algorithmic MIDI sequencing software from the '80s and '90s. Roos's music-making process is not just about creation; it's a dialogue with technology, a symbiotic relationship where he sets parameters for the software and the software, in turn, shapes his musical output.
Reviews of Universal Synthesizer Interface:
“Two of the most beguiling electronic albums of recent years.” (The Wire issue 472)
“At times, these pointillistic loops grow into lush ephemeral textures. At others, they dress in elliptical steel pan-like expressions, appearing and disappearing in the gestures of Balearic loveliness.” (The Wire, 474)
We're grateful to collaborate and produce on the shared, stolen, unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of Penelakut, Lamalcha, Hwitslum and other Hul’qumi’num speaking peoples, as well as the ceded territories of Tsawwassen First Nation, on what is now known as Galiano Island, British Columbia. We recognize the complex impacts that hosting settlers and non-settlers has on the Indigenous land and peoples of this area, and we aim to be responsible and accountable for these impacts and our footprint—whether cultural, environmental or social.
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