A short video showing off our early software design for our latest project, Syzygryd.

The sequencer and the display layer are written in Processing, the iPods are running touchOSC by hexler, and the computer making the noise is running Ableton Live with Native Instruments’ Massive. We’re working on getting better sounds set up for it, now that we have the software generally functioning.

Thanks a ton to Audrey, Yosh, and Nicole for editing, and Ian for filming.

Dance Dance Immolation is officially in the Guinness Book of World Records: Gamer’s Edition for the “Hottest Video Game”. You can check out our full color spread online, complete with photo (original photo by Kristen Ankiewicz) of a player getting blasted with fire.

Interpretive Arson can now proudly say that we are an international, award winning, record setting fire art group.

What is Ardent/Interpretive Arson up to? Well, lately, we’ve fragmented off to do a lot of smaller projects, as well as exhibiting our primary projects.

Existing projects: DDI is back from Denmark, complete with a lot of organizational stuffs for the trip across the pond. 2pir made it to the playa and back, with some ignition woes that we may or may not discuss. Spurious Causality is a steampunk-styled control panel that controls… who knows what? David, Audrey, Ian or MotoMike will be on hand to talk about that.

Robotics! Morley and Sam are both working on two extremely different robotics projects, Morley rebuilding a battle bot frame to shoot fire, and Sam is making a semi-autonomous walker.

Fire! Ian’s got all manner of portable fire, some in the works. Ed made a nice portable flame effect that he or Nicole will discuss if prompted, and likely demonstrate. Peter is fabricating the prototype for a liquid fueled effect.

Music! Nicole (and friends) will be discussing a new large-scale project idea that integrates fire, light, music, and serious interactivity.

Optical curiosities! Neil and Casey and friends made a thing called HaloWall. It’s big. It creates rainbows in unusual ways. Refurbished and rethought after the playa thrashed it, tonight they demo night-time lighting effects and more brilliantly colored rainbows.

Metalwork! Morley and friends are teaching themselves to MIG weld, Sam is teaching himself Aluminum TIG. There’ll potentially be some bits for practicing sheetmetal fabrication, and discussion/demonstrations of metalworking in general.

Shop Upgrades! Unless you’ve been around lately, you probably haven’t seen how our shop has changed drastically. Come just see the new layout, hang out, and be a part of our shop family.

If you plan on staying through the evening, bring something to throw on the grill, and we’ll hang out some in the yard as well! We’ll have the grill hot, and as always, beer’s a dollar.

Wednesday October 7th, 7:30 PM
NIMBY, 8410 Amelia Street, Oakland

The Denmark crew has arrived at Smukfest and we spent a jet-lagged day setting up Dance Dance Immolation on a raft. Yes, a raft! Ian setup his camera to take an awesome time-lapse video of the setup process:

DDI Smukfest Setup Timelapse from Interpretive Arson on Vimeo.

The break in the middle where everyone disappears is lunch (though you can see Nicole coming back to check on it while we’re all gone, because she’s like that). The blue tarps went on when it began to drizzle. The video ends just as Ian and Jonathan are walking the inspectors from the Danish Technological Institute through the system (with their 12 year old daughter!) They approved us, though they tell us they need to see our test run Tuesday night. Just to be sure, you understand.

BEST FLAMIN’ FUN

Kids, really, don’t try this at home. Don’t hook up your two-player Dance Dance Revolution game to a row of flamethrowers. Don’t rig said game to blast your dance competitior with a faceful of fire in front of an adoring crowd if they miss a step. Don’t invest in enough propane to fuel a small jet, a flaming movie screen for projecting all those awkward dance moves onto, and a booming sound system to play all the Japanese bubblegum techno you could ever hope to hear. Leave the setup to Interpretive Arson, whose Dance Dance Immolation game has wowed participants and spectators alike from Black Rock City to Oaktown — and will scorch Denmark’s footsies this fall. Do, however, seek out these intrepid firestarters, and don a giant silver fireproof suit with a Robby the Robot hood. Do the hippie shake to the mellifluous tones of Fatboy Slim and Smile.dk, and prepare yourself to get flamed, both figuratively and literally.

And relatedly, Jonathan also has some interesting reflections on fire art over on his blog.