ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the physical, sonic and spatial aspects of networked music performance (NMP) or networked multimedia performance from a particular perspective that of remoteness or spatial distance. In NMP the performers (agents) are typically separated by distances, which in extreme cases add up to tens of thousands of kilometres. This implies that the interactions between the agents as well as the sounds they perceive are offset by latencies that can exceed the tolerable threshold for on-the-beat performance and may require the establishment of new musical genres. In order to fully realise the implications of NMP, the chapter presents a short historical overview before turning the attention to concepts underlying the nature of distributed performances. It focuses on critique current practices by acknowledging that NMP is particularly susceptible to various types of disembodiment, namely spatial separation, microtemporal fluctuations and poverty of sound production and transmission.
