Exercises in Speed & Delay
(2008)
six improvisations for laptop
LISTEN
| 1. tethered boats (7:27) |
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| 2. fleet of foot (12:21) |
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| 3. starry-eyed languages (7:21) |
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| 4. acts of breathing (6:32) |
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| 5. in the original english (10:04) |
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| 6. some drum [machine?] (10:35) |
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or... download the album (192 kbit/s mp3s) as a .zip
NOTES
Exercises in Speed & Delay is a series of 6 improvised pieces, recorded during the month of February, 2008.
I created a sound library consisting of acoustic guitar samples, a recording of local church bells, commercial drum samples, and samples of two piano notes. This 20 file sound library provided all of the source material for the project. The samples were performed using custom software designed in Max/MSP. I'm planning to make the software available as well, once I get a few bugs worked out. Each of these recordings is a one-take laptop improvisation.
For these works, the musical focus is on shifting textures of sound. Pitch and rhythm are addressed in very simple terms; through speed and delay. The source samples are played at varying rates, according to low prime-factor ratios of the original sampling rate. The audio output can also be re-sampled, and used as additional source material. Two stereo delay routines, set with high feedback values, were used as basic sequencers for the material, establishing naunced rhythms and the overall flow of the music. Using these two basic mechanisms as a foundation, the impovisations concentrate on exploring different timbral and harmonic spaces within constantly shifting and layered patterns.