Output details

Out among Sharks, a Moving Target

When composing Out among Sharks, a Moving Target a primary goal was to find a way for the gestures of the electronic part to be on a par with the level of energy, complexity and acoustic fidelity of the instrumental parts. Moreover, I was seeking to create a repertoire of acoustic and electronic morphological contours based off of several recorded prototype gestures that I composed at the outset. This piece is written for a nonstandard quintet of acoustic instruments and the electronic part is made from a combination of sampled sounds from each of these performers. Due to the use of sampling, the timbres of electronic sounds are always related to those of the instruments, but composed to exhibit differing degrees of experiential semblance and cohesion to their acoustic counterparts. At times the sounds of the electronics are relatable only by gestural contour, other times through timbral imitation, and at key moments they are experientially indistinguishable from instrumental utterances. This `continuum of likeness' is used to create a tension between individuality and togetherness, and the navigation of this continuum creates large-scale formal demarcations in the work.

Integrating sonic forces was achieved through using a piece of software I authored, called AudioGuide, to unify electronic and acoustic morphologies. I used the software to organize sonic utterances such that, from a single recorded gesture, I could generate an amalgamation of electronic and acoustic sounds. The aim is for the listener to have the impression that the summation of sonic activities adheres to a single, global source of sonic energy (rather than perceiving the acoustic and electronic components as occupying separate timbral and gestural stratum). Therefore, even in moments of high complexity and density, there is the impression of a single, unified morphological energy which dictates musical time.