This presentation examines the development of the audiovisual duo Obi-Wan Codenobi and The Wookie (authors Shawn Lawson and Ryan Ross Smith respectively). The authors trace a now twelve-year trajectory of technological and artistic development including toolsets for physical displacement that on the creation and collaboration. We seek to reflect upon the creative and technological journey through our collaboration, including Lawson’s development of live-coding environments for generative visuals, while illuminating our experiences with, and takeaways from, live coding in practice and performance, EDM in general, and algorave/algochill culture specifically.

Shawn Lawson is an artist and researcher creating the computational sublime. He performs under the pseudonym Obi-Wan Codenobi where he live-codes real-time computer graphics and neural nets with his open source software. Lawson has performed, exhibited, or screened in museums, galleries, festivals, and public space across five continents. Lawson has published in a wide range of international technical and arts conferences and journals. His work has been funded by national and international agencies. Lawson studied fine arts at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh and École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris and received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a Professor of Art at Arizona State University.

Ryan Ross Smith is a composer, performer, sound designer, engineer and educator currently based in Roscoe, New York. Smith has performed throughout the US, Europe and UK, including performances at MoMA and PS1 [NYC] and Le Centre Pompidou [Paris, FR], has had his music performed throughout North America, Iceland, Denmark, Australia and the UK, has presented his work and research at conferences including NIME, ISEA, ICLI, ICLC, SMF, ACMC and TENOR, and has lectured at various colleges and universities. Current & recent projects include The Rebel Scum [live-coding duo with visual artist Shawn Lawson] and Golden Everlasting [modular synthesizer-based dance music]. Smith is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at the State University of New York at Oneonta.