Of Space And Earth (Stereo)

This piece is based on Dylan Thomas’ poem “And Death Shall Have No Dominion’. It is a celebration of the Welsh poet’s life and work, expressed through the medium of acousmatic music. 

I carefully selected this poem from Thomas’ vast collection, because of its connotation of immortality, which through this piece, is used as an interpretation of Thomas’ own immortality through his legendary work and legacy, which has continued to move and inspire countless artists for many years, following his early demise. 

The 8-channel composition contains passages from a studio recording of Thomas’ poem, combined with sounds obtained from nature reserves, up mountains, and near rivers in my local area of Snowdonia, North Wales. I spent many days (and nights!) using the Zoom H6 Handy Recorder to collect a vast library of field recordings, with the sole purpose of composing acousmatic music. Through these field recordings, I have transformed sounds that we hear every day into something completely unfamiliar that aim to catch the listener off-guard. By bestowing unanticipated gestures and sonic atmospheres upon the listener, this piece as a whole aims to evoke a sense of intensity that compliments Thomas’ lyricism and the imagery that his poems portray.


Death Shall Have No Dominion Stereo (Stereo Reduction)

Originally composed by Owain Llwyd - Ambient version by Alex Bailey

Grace Ambient

Great Ambient

Greatest Ambient

Troops Ambient

Vampires Ambient

Weaponry Ambient

Winged Ambient

Playtime Ambient

"The variety of noises is infinite. If today, when we have perhaps a thousand different machines, we can distinguish a thousand different noises, tomorrow, as new machines multiply, we will be able to distinguish ten, twenty, or thirty thousand different noises, not merely in a simply imitative way, but to combine them according to our imagination." - Luigi Russolo (1913)

Scratched CDs, broken mp3 players, corrupt data files…all causes of erroneously fabricated sounds. Malfunctioning digital technology, especially when concerned with audio, often results in unintentional sonic artefacts, or ‘glitch’ sounds. The early 1990s saw the birth of a new musical genre - glitch music; a soundscape composed of the resonances of technological failure. Spawning from its more prominent counterparts of techno and house music, glitch boasts a wealth of notable artists such as Aphex Twin, Pan Sonic, and Autechre; all pioneers in modern electronic music. 
Glitch music could be considered a direct by-product of a ‘post-digital’ movement. Were it not for the abundance of technology that we use, see and hear every day of our lives; exclusive of access to the digital equipment that is now so affordable and readily available to the masses, a musical genre such as this simply would not exist. 

De̡f̸e͝ct̕iv͞è is a sonic amalgamation of FM synthesis, concrete sounds, and glitch noises. An exploration, as well as a celebration of the glitch aesthetic that has defined various art forms over the last three decades.

De̡f̸e͝ct̕iv͞è

flux 
noun
/flʌks/
1. [uncountable] continuous movement and change

Other than its heavy bass lines and repetitive rhythms, one of the fundamental parts of Electronic Dance Music’s anatomy is its driving 4/4 beat. It’s this strong, habitual pattern that drives the music and brings the head-banging, foot-stomping factor to the dance floor. The beat lays the foundation of nearly any piece of EDM. However, when concerned with acousmatic music, we often compose this type of experimental music with the eager intent of straying from the restrictions of time signatures and other musical rules. 

‘Flux’ explores the compositional planes of both EDM and acousmatic music. Applying the freedom and experimental nature of acousmatic music to the traditional compositional techniques of EDM, allows for exploration of a sonically rich hybrid that sits on the boundary between two compelling musical genres.

In this piece, contrasting complex rhythms fluctuate and glitch through an industrial soundscape composed of concrete sounds. Despite its continuous evolution, the driving 4/4 beat is ever-present and steers the progression of the musical structure. 

Although recorded sounds are common in EDM, it is generally assumed that electronically generated or synthesized sounds form the layers of a banging techno record. Pounding kick drums, fat 404 bass lines and euphoric synth leads are sounds typically generated by computers or analog electronic modules. The focus of this piece however, is to stray from the artificial, synthesized realm; instead, the sonic material is derived from concrete sources, recorded, transformed, and arranged, in character with acousmatic music composition. Another common technique used in EDM is vocal sampling - the process of re-using (sampling) and/or changing an existing vocal recording to be used in a new composition. This inspired the use of sampling as a prominent part of the compositional process. Listen out for the vocal sample of the word “electronics” that has been scattered ad libitum across the soundscape.

Flux

Born in Bangor, North Wales in 1988, Alex Bailey is a composer and sound engineer/designer/artist, with particular interest in electronic music. Achieving his Master’s degree in Electroacoustic Composition and Sonic Art at Bangor University in 2015, Alex’s career has been heavily oriented towards the technology-side of musical praxis. 

Alex’s predominant investigative focus is the crossbreeding of musical genres; namely modern digital music such as EDM (Electronic Dance Music), and Acousmatic Music. Through his research he aims to draw influence from various musical genres/sub-genres and EDM culture to generate a powerful and moving sonic hybridization. 

As part of a busy academic and industry based career, Alex has been a Tutor in Music Technology at Bangor University, and a Sound Engineer for Sain Records and Cwmni Da. He has also had involvement in many exciting musical endeavours, such as composing music for circus performances and film projects, and running music technology workshops for events such as Festival No.6 and the National Eisteddfod. 

Following a recent break from work to go travelling, Alex spends his time hacking audio components and composing experimental music in his home studio in Bethesda, North Wales.

Alex Bailey Sound Art

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