A Multichannel Performance Space for Presenting Experimental Polymedia Compositions (original) (raw)
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(Re) Presenting electroacoustic music
Organised Sound, 2006
Art always does more than subsist upon technical progress; for centuries its practice has merged with it, and we should never forget that the first meaning of the word art was technê. However, never before has the relationship between art and technology raised so many questions and provoked so much misunderstanding. As a matter of fact, at the same time as the frontiers of technique continue to recede, the frontiers of art seem more and more difficult to grasp. (Couchot and Hillaire 2003: 15) Organised Sound jos87611.3d 22/5/06 15:21:44
New Possibilities for Electroacoustic Music Performance
2011
Western Australian new music ensemble Decibel has an ongoing research project dedicated to performing music that combines acoustic and electronic instruments. In the process of revitalising pieces that have been considered un-performable due to limitations in technology at the time of composition, or certain technologies becoming obsolete, Decibel has developed a unique approach to new music performance involving electronic and acoustic instruments. This has also involved the reworking of electronic pieces not intended to be performed live, works that have previously proved difficult to perform, and the 'electroacoustification' of acoustic works. The ensemble combines old technologies such as reel-toreel tape machines with newer approaches to music making using interactive programming and networked environments. This paper investigates possibilities for the configuration of electronic devices in chamber music with acoustic instrument performers, arguing that through the development and implementation of a series of methodologies for performance, Decibel is able to create a new kind of pure 'electroacoustic music' where electronics and acoustics are truly blended on a live concert platform.
Evoking the sublime: Absence and presence in live electroacoustic performance
2014
Interference is a biannual online journal in association with the Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media (Gradcam). It is an open access forum on the role of sound in cultural practices, providing a transdisciplinary platform for the presentation of research and practice in areas such as acoustic ecology, sensory anthropology, sonic arts, musicology, technology studies and philosophy. The journal seeks to balance its content between scholarly writing, accounts of creative practice, and an active engagement with current research topics in audio culture. [ More ] ISSUE 4 PHOTO CREDIT Mark Peter Wright; Exchanges; 2013; Image courtesy of the artist. See Still Listening? for details. www.markpeterwright.net SUBMITTING AN ARTICLE Interference accepts papers on an ongoing basis as well as distributing calls for papers for special issues. If you are unsure if your submission is suitable for the journal please
Organised Sound, 2010
This paper outlines some recent developments in multichannel composition at the Electroacoustic Music Studios, University of Birmingham and its performance wing, BEAST (Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre). In doing so it attempts to codify and define some emerging aspects of spatialisation practice which are found both within the BEAST community and beyond. The discussion covers software and techniques developed and adapted for use with BEAST, new and pragmatic approaches to composing for large-scale multichannel systems, such as n-channel composition and composing in 'stems', and issues arising from a resulting blurring between composition and performance practices.
The electroacoustic and its double : duality and dramaturgy in live performance
2011
Live electroacoustic performance juxtaposes and superimposes two main elements: the real, present and physical, against the simulated and disembodied. In this sense, it is a liminal form which negotiates two different worlds on stage. In this dissertation I will address some central aspects of performance that have been reshaped and problematised by the use of the electroacoustic medium in a live context. I will investigate in particular three main dualities: the performer's body / electroacoustic sound; physical space / electroacoustic space; and performance / audience. I will also discuss a generalised duality common to all three: presence / absence. Rather than regarding these dualities as indicators of discontinuity, I will suggest that they can help develop a continuum of connections and relationships between performance elements. These connections can be designed as part of the composition process. By investigating these dualities, this research addresses the main elements...
A speaker agnostic approach to spatialisation in electroacoustic music
Proceedings of the 21st Sound and Music Computing Conference, 2024
While spatial audio technologies have developed dramatically in the last twenty years, the compositional approaches to spatialisation in electroacoustic music are still fragmented. No coherent and shared language for spatialisation exists yet, and it is often challenging to reproduce an electroacoustic piece in different space from the one it was conceived in. In this paper we delve deeper into an approach about spatial audio and spatialisation techniques in the electroacoustic arts that we called 'speaker agnosticism'. By introducing Lilla Salen, a multichannel system of up to 49 speakers in a dome like configuration, and the authors' compositions, we describe a method of treating the concert hall as an instrument irrespective of the number of speakers it contains, or their arrangement. This paradigm shift encourages an 'organic' approach to music spatialisation, steering away from the traditional 'Euclidean' mindset. Finally, this project hints at the possibility of 'touring' pieces: by treating multichannel systems rather as instruments. Thanks to current audio technologies it is possible to 'transcribe' works between concert halls without losing the musical intention.
Sound Design and Electroacoustic Music: Practices or Perspectives?
Proceedings of the Electroacoustic Music Studies Network Conference, Florence (Italy), June 20-23, 2018, 2018
Sound recording and reproduction technologies enable a wide range of creative practices. Among those is the relative neologism ‘sound design’—a descriptor often associated with dramatic and visual media productions. While there appears to be broad agreement that sound design can play an essential role in those productions, there is less consensus about what it actually ‘is’. From a structural perspective, sound design might be seen as the sonic equivalent of other functional design responsibilities—costumes, sets, or lighting. But its artistic implications are less clear. In film, a sound designer’s artistic responsibility could range from creating specialised sounds (e.g., invented creatures, futuristic weapons) to overall responsibility for the sound track’s tone and content. Similarly, in theatre, they may be responsible for any combination of playback system design; diegetic and non-diegetic sounds; and choosing pre-show, transitional, or post-show music. For electroacoustic composers, the question is: where do we fit? In a conventional production hierarchy, the title ‘composer’ probably means what we would expect—someone responsible for the ‘score’. But while the title may seem clear, the role can be considerably less so, depending on the production context, and the style and materials of the contribution. For instrumental composers, there is usually an assumption that the 'score’ will meet the traditional expectations of ‘music’, and be reasonably distinguishable from other sonic layers. Some productions may encourage exploration within that paradigm, but the role is still usually clear. In contrast, an electroacoustic ‘score’ for a dramatic or visual media production may readily be conflated with ‘sound design’. After all, apart from projects where all sound is produced in real-time, both roles involve working directly with concrete sound materials on fixed media—and both potentially have at their disposal the full range of sonic possibilities, rather than a familiar subset of instrumental resources. In some production contexts—particularly more adventurous or inherently collaborative ones—the creative result of this ambiguity may be very positive. If a single artist takes on both roles, they may have considerable creative freedom. And if the roles have been assigned to two different artists, they may find common ground, while also supporting each other’s specialisms. But it is equally possible that the overlapping materials and range can encourage confusion about what is expected from each role—and about how to credit the resulting creative contributions. To examine this situation, we briefly review several related creative activities, then consider specific production contexts, with some thoughts from composers who have engaged in sound design work in those contexts. While definitive answers may be elusive, we hope the discussion will offer electroacoustic composers useful viewpoints on potentially rewarding creative opportunities.
2016
Music facilitated by technology has led to an unprecedented development in performancepractice: the ability to generate sound without the physical gesture required when performing on an acoustic instrument. Response to this development has resulted in divergent performance aesthetic preferences, ranging from the emphasis of acousmatically– based listening practices to the development of electronic instruments that replicate the type of human gestural interaction present when using acoustic instruments. This paper examines the incorporation of both previously described aesthetics on a continuum as compositional devices that provide dramatic and narrative elements to electroacoustic works with live performers. Two recent electroacoustic works composed by the author are discussed: Memento Mori (2014) for saxophone and live electronics, and Ecclesiastical Echoes (2015) for piano trio. Analytical focus is placed on how the geographical displacement, or lack thereof, between the agent cre...