Uncanny Valley
(2011)
variations & theme for pianoforte
I. An Industrial Robot II. A Humanoid Robot III. A Stuffed Animal IV-VI. A Corpse, A Zombie, A Bunraku Puppet VII. A Healthy Person
commissioned by Zubin Kanga
premiered by Zubin Kanga Zubin Kanga on 22 July 2011 at the Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
released by Move Records on the album Piano Inside Out and Navona Records on the album Hipster Zombies From Mars
featured in Piano Inside Out ~ ANU, Stuart & Sons, ANAM, SGS, SICPP 2014, Token Creek Chamber Festival, Carriage House, Issue Program Room
reviewed in Press
audio: Spotify Apple Music YouTube
score available through The Australian Music Centre
duration: 17’
genre: Solo
category: Esoterica
Uncanny Valley is the exploration of a strange perceptual phenomenon in the fields of robotics and animation. Common sense suggests as a representation of a human being becomes more and more 'human-like', we have a more and more positive response to it. At a certain point, however, where the resemblance is especially close, our reactions in fact switch suddenly to discomfort, disquiet or even revulsion. There are many possible explanations for this, but the general idea is leading up to the 'uncanny valley', we see a very good estimation of a person, while in the valley itself, our perception is actually of a 'real' human being, but with something wrong or off. To me, this trajectory immediately suggested a variation form, where the theme is a bona fide, healthy person and the variations – an industrial robot, a humanoid robot, a stuffed animal, and a corpse, zombie and bunraku puppet combined – facsimiles of varying quality. Since the piece traces progress towards, descent into, and ascent out of the uncanny valley, the variations (atypically) precede the theme.
