DESCRIPTION:
The Mad Scientist Machine is a software/hardware system created by Stefan Smulovitz allowing a user (conductor/composer) to organize a group of players in a structured improvised composition system. A local or remote user can use the software to control an LED light that is placed in front of each performer. Each color indicates a different performance instruction. For instance, white signals long tones, whereas green indicates to play noise.

The original performance was by Orchestra Futura in Vancouver, BC. Part one was conducted locally by Stefan Smulovitz. Parts 2-5 were conducted remotely via the Internet. Conductors included: Pauline Oliveros (Oslo, Norway), Lisle Ellis (New York), John Oswald (Toronto), and Paul Cram (Halifax).

Performers were: vocalists Viviane Houle, Christine Duncan, DB Boyko, Peter
Hurst; strings Jesse Zubot, Eyvind Kang, Dave Chokroun, Tommy Babin, Chad
MacQuarrie; percussionists Joseph Pepe Danza, Kenton Loewen; horns JP
Carter, Brad Muirhead, Coat Cooke; and Chris Gestrin keyboards.