vekoN.manifesto

- vekoN is first and foremost about the sounds of the subconscious. The sights and sensations of daily life processed and warped by the workings of the brain and the mind. The manner in which familiar experiences appear in novel forms in dreams and hallucinations. The transience of memories, the origins of nostalgia. The idiosyncrasies of the human mind.

- The secondary aspect of vekoN is the relationship between humans and computers, as well as the possibilities and limitations of digital computation. Errors, glitches, datamoshing, corruption, failures, UX, programming. How do all of these things impact our relationship with the machine? How does the machine shape us?

- Explore and exploit the intersection of popular music and "art" music. Make the most cerebral and obscure danceable and familiar, make the most beloved and mass-appealing downright alien.

- Embrace surrealism, dream logic, the wilds of reason and logical progression, lateral thought.

- Break free of the confines of Western musical convention, but also acknowledge its familiarity and augment it. Tempo changes, odd time signatures, progressive song structure, xenharmonics/microtonality. However, don't just use these for their own sake, use them to enhance the familiar sounds of Western musical tropes and to break new ground in musical expression.

- In relation to computers, utilize their capabilities for musical expression. Trackers, modular synthesis, generative sequencing, livecoding, FOSS. Design sounds using not only time-domain techniques but also frequency-domain techniques via the FFT. Stack effects, do parallel processing, create complex post-processing chains, make use of the power of modern CPUs.

- Particularly, seek to explore the possibilities of SunVox, Virtual ANS, Pixilang, and the other various creations of Alexander Zolotov.

- Visually, seek the union of the physical, the digital, and the imaginary. Fractals, visual errors, surrealism, data visualization, mathematical formulae. Draw inspiration from dreams and daydreams. Shun generative AI; vekoN is a human project, made to be enjoyed by humans - AI cannot contribute human experiences and thoughts, because it is not human.

- Acknowledge the experiences, criticism, and influence of others, but do not become tethered to them. Draw inspiration and learn from others, but be original to the best of my ability. Help others be the best they can be, as they ultimately help me as well. Cooperation, mutual aid, and empathy will benefit us all.

- Lastly, don't be evil. Be true to myself, and have fun while I'm at it. Don't try to be the best, just be my best, and live the art.