Hello

This post is about the newly uploaded track, Four Over Three. There is no convenient info system in the myspace player, so I'll just write a few things here.

It is not really a composition, but an experimental instance of method: I have decided on a structure that is formally expressed by a simple algorithm: there exists a recording cycle of a fixed duration; upon its completion, the recording loops and a new layer is added. This sounds similar to the standard looping practice, but it isn't: a sequence of layering/repetition is defined as follows: (seed)(layer)(layer)(repeat)(flush-reseed)(layer)(layer). This is also circumscribed by a small intro/outro phrase.

The material is a solo flute, played by Anjelika. The performance is improvised on a predetermined set of motifs and expected interactions. The computer produces a timer as a means of time-keeping. The performer then needs to remember his original rendering of the starting iteration (the seed), and accommodate her overdubs accordingly. The macrostructure above indicates a repeat section, where no new layering takes place but new material is introduced over the preexisting one, and also a flush-reseed section, where the process restarts. The cycles are usually (depending on the performative context) timed to 40-50 seconds. The large cycle size, coupled with an inherently non-metric approach, result in the transparent nature of the process.

The idea, although seemingly abstract and performable using any instrument, constitutes a direct extension of the solo performance's nature: the seeds and, indeed, most sounds produced come from extended technique families such as whisper sounds and multiphonics, producing in themselves a sensation beyond what is naturally expected by a flute. The piece is built on this idea: it does not introduce heavy digital processing, for that would essentially remove the acoustic character of the produced sound. Instead, it serves to multiply the sonorities, creating these distorted mirror images: it is not straightforward for a listener to intuitively segregate the layering streams. The harsh interactions in the ending sound almost processed, without sacrificing a single breath of the performer.

The piece is not acousmatic (i.e. it is meant to exist in performances, not recordings). Part of its effectiveness lies in the variety of unexpected sounds produced by the instrument. This sensation prerequisites an expectation on behalf of the listener, of the kind one has before a concert begins, by seeing the performers and their instruments. Therefore, the recording I have uploaded is for reference purposes and does not represent a product, in the way the rest of the pieces in the player do.

It was originally meant to be part of a collection of such pieces, each using a different instrument and all around the same idea: a process borrowed by a property inherent in an unconventional way of performing. The idea was abandoned because it required a lot of time from skilled and gifted musicians, who tend to be quite busy and, in some cases, not interested. It is possible that I will revisit the concept in the future.

This piece was first performed in its current form in Synch Festival 2007 in Athens. This is, regrettably, a studio recording. I was once told by Synch people that they had recordings of everything and they promised to send them to me, which never happened. The greatest shame, however, is that they would also have the elsewhere unavailable version of misconception/population of the transformed class, which included the guitar/flute improvisations that are not present on the actual recording. More on that another time, though.

Any comments are welcome. Take care
~