Are you an artist, animator or writer? Opportunity for you!
TLDR Version
I'm organising a collaborative art and story project to coincide with my album release in early 2025.
If you are an artist, animator or writer I'm inviting you to join this brave and exciting collaboration
All around the theme of a broken down android stranded on a desolate planet, the project will be showcased online as well as at a physical AV installation in London in spring 2025.
Interested? Get in touch to find out more or read on...
About the story
A multidisciplinary art project exploring a stranded android's struggle to regain functionality and self-awareness.
To contribute you need to in some way relate your contribution to the following premise - but you can be pretty wild with how you do that!
Awakening Premise:
An android awakens in the wreckage of a crashed spacecraft on a desolate, alien planet. Severely damaged and with only a fraction of its former capabilities, it struggles to regain functionality. Initially disoriented it sets out, driven by an innate curiosity and the desire to understand its environment—and itself.
And the music - First track now available
I have now released the first (full) track Broken as a teaser for the rest of the 10 track album. It's available on Bandcamp RIGHT NOW - and will be up on Spotify and other streaming services Thursday 19th December.
Here are 5 FREE CODES you can use to get Broken on Bandcamp. These are single use - first 5 people get it free! Otherwise it's the sky high price of £0.79 plus local taxes. 😁
hytd-hlev
4uzp-ve28
qltg-gbwn
9szy-3xle
3h2z-hv53
If you use one of these to get the track free on Bandcamp please leave a comment below so others know which are used/available
Image credit/info: The android is an AI generation (using DALL-E) that I have cropped and edited. Image composition, colouring and texturing by me using a combination of Procreate (iPad App) and Canva.
I'm planning to release the rest of the album in February along with the art/story project. And the physical installation in London will be in spring 2025.
How to get involved
Access the PDF explainer with more about the story and getting involved here: https://tdctunes.os.fan/awakening-story
(or if you don't want to sign up there no probs - just contact me and I'll explain further)
Create something and send it to me! Let me know how you want to appear in the credits (real name. hive name artist name etc) and if you want a link to your work.
Not sure you are an artist/writer?
Everyone can contribute! Some thoughts and ideas for you if you don't (YET!) consider yourself an artist or writer.
You can likely still contribute! How about the following for a few possibilities to get you thinking:
Design a font - even just a few characters or words in an alien language that could be seen as part of our android's journey.
Design a control panel for a device that could be encountered. Buttons, knobs, levers - go for it!
Or what about an alien tool that could be used for communication?
Abstract art! Something that speaks desolate planet to you - as abstract as you like.
Obviously robots, androids and alien creatures are super appropriate!
Writers have a think about short stories or poems! Or even describe a new character and that character description!
On AI:
Note that if you use AI - say you have done so. When I create the website for the album I may separate AI generated art from non AI generated. And if you can accompany your AI art with some words - even a sentence or paragraph that helps the viewer understand either your thinking or how it fits with the story then that would be appreciated.
All the best and looking forward to working with you,
TDC Tunes
TDC Tunes is a Live Modular Artist and experimenter with sound. He plays several times a week on Twitch and gigs around London.
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tdctunes
Newsletter: https://news.tdctunes.com/signup
Website: https://www.tdctunes.com/
So cool! I like the project, I would like to create something
Hi thank you and you are very welcome indeed to be part of the project!
In terms of art - it's really wide open to you as an artist how you interpret the broken down android on a desolate planet brief.
For example - we've had one submission that is a very life-like android and the artist relates the images back to his own childhood experience. We have a couple of people working on 3D animations too and one cartoonist (I have not seen what he is working on yet!).
I'm looking to get at least 10 artists involved and targeting end of January for final submission deadline so it can all 'launch' online in February with the art installation in London following in early spring.
There is a PDF explainer with more about the story including a prologue to give you more insight on how it's shaping up so far: https://tdctunes.os.fan/awakening-story
(or if you don't want to sign up there no probs - you can also drop me an email at [email protected] and I'll send it to you - or we can chat here in comments)
Great! Tomorrow I'll read the pdf! Thank you
Great! Any questions just shout!
Hi there! Just wondering if you are still planning to create something for the collaborative art/story project! The deadline is end of January so the time is now if you would like to. Would love to have you on board - and shout if you have any questions or need any more info!
Hi!
Yes, I just finished a period of commission work yesterday, and now I can devote myself to what I had imagined in my mind after reading the pdf.
The introductory story is very broad, so I will visualize a specific moment that intrigued me.
Hey that's awesome - so please to have you on board!
Yes - it's intentionally a very open brief - and It think the way it will be curated will highlight the variety of different interpretations people have of it.
Looking forward to seeing what you create!
Hi,
so, the moment in the brief that inspired me was to visualize this vaguely human “living” form made of electronic scraps.
The human form extended from the spaceship like a newborn baby still attached to the umbilical cord, to explore the world.
So I imagined this shape made of bits and wires emerging from the crater created by the impact of his spaceship (or a piece of it).
I have yet to visualize the scenario ... but this is my basic idea and I would start drawing it (the second sketch is better).
I don't know if you prefer a 16:9 or square format.
sketch 01
sketch 02
Hey - this is so good - love it already!
16:9 probably my preference but I can make anything work if artistically you feel square is better.
Hi,
I sent you my illustration to your email address.
I hope you find it useful for your project.
It's a square image in 4K (300 dpi in case you need to print it).
It's large enough so that if you need to cut it into 16:9 format, you can handle it however you like (or I'll send you a 16:9 version if you want).
Have a nice day!
Received with great thanks! It will be an awesome adition to the project and I'd very like to read any more detail on your process you'd like to share!
Have a nice day too!
Thank you. Ok I'll send you a mail
this looks interesting. I'm committed to a current project through the end of the year, but this might just give me my 1st story of 2025.
Hey there - I'd love to have you involved and I think the timeline could work out for you. Basically the deadline for art and story submissions is end of January so that the project can go live online during February.
If you like, check out the PDF for a bit more info on the story and taking part. Or drop me a mail at [email protected] or follow up with further questions here.
Hope your current project goes well and look forward to chatting soon!
EDIT: Thanks also for the reblog and I see you are in Cornwall! My parents are there so I'll be there at some point over xmas.
I've used the code 9szy-3xle
getting ready to start on a story if still needed.
Hey! That's great! Yes contributions definitely still extremely welcome!
I'm about to write a 'now is kind've the time if you want to do it reminder post' because the deadline is end of Jan (though I might be able to extend another week to any one individually if that made a difference).
Do you have all the info you need to get started?
I've listened to some of the music and read what you've posted. I think the only thing I'm really missing is what sort of story length you're looking for? Two thousand words is about 15 mins for narration purposes (if that's in the mix) and certainly 1500-3k words should give a decently rounded story.
Hey! Any length that works for you and the story you want to create!
But those kind of lengths sound great.
re: narration.. that's a good point and I think that's going to be particularly relevant to the physical installation. With that in mind I am saying to writers that if they want to also record either a video or audio narration of their work for use in the installation that would be amazing. This is not required though (if not I may get someone else to narrate it... or just parts of it). How I present the whole body of likely quite varied art/story is going to be an interesting challenge (but I've got a while to think about that and come up with the best way before the installation in April).
One other thing - I think the upload link doesn't work super well for text (I think you can paste it into a text box but not upload files directly that are text). You can also send to me at [email protected] if that's easier.
Good luck with the writing and thrilled to have you on board!