'Okiku' is named after the Japanese legend of Okiku, a servant girl who is deceived by the samurai of her master. After Okiku is forced to repeatedly refuse the samurai's sexual advances, the samurai resorts to threats and trickery to instil her as his lover. Eventually, an exasperated Okiku throws herself into the well, choosing death over the compromise of her morals. Her ghost is said to haunt the well of Himeji castle. 

Without touching on any of the explicit narrative elements of Okiku, this musical piece is rather an exploration of human consciousness once it loses its physicality. In Japanese folklore, spirits will only remain in the physical world after death if a strong emotion traps them there. While vengeance and betrayal are mostly what drives Okiku's spirit in the tale, the musical piece 'Okiku' follows her spirit on a journey of reflection and forgiveness, as it prepares to leave the physical realm.

Recording developed as part of a residency with AiR Niederösterreich, 2021.

Recorders - Emily Bannister
Classical Guitar - Andrea Guterres
Synthesised handbells & Electronics - Andrea Guterres

Okiku (for recorder, classical guitar, synthesised handbells, and electronics)

'Catalogue of Human Vulnerability' plays with speech sampling to look back in time and critically examine views on mental illness and consumerism in the late 70s. Although the two featured documentaries are not linked in nature, 'Catalogue of Human Vulnerability' aims to highlight the innate parallels between human insecurity, consumer psychology, and the way we perceive mental illness. By looking to the past, we can see remnants of our present struggles, demonstrating the non-linearity of time and gaining insight into the human condition.

Catalogue of Human Vulnerability (ambisonic soundscape)

This piece explores, scrutinises, and celebrates the physicality of women. In two movements, it unpacks and criticises historical and contemporary perspectives on gender, with an emphasis on thinking beyond binary terms and patterns of objectification.

Soprano: Viola Blache
Cello: Wilma Pistorius
Organ: Elisabeth Hubmann
Composition & Electronics: Andrea Guterres

Recorded at the Oosterkerk Amsterdam, 2023.

40 Ways of Being (a Woman), Mvt I

A spatialised soundscape based on the poem 'The Windows' by C.P. Cavafy, in which the protagonist appears trapped inside a room which may or may not have windows. 

The soundscape puts this metaphor into a contemporary context. The proverbial lack of windows could signify humanity having unwittingly entrapped itself in its own self-destructive fate through greed and egoism. Or perhaps the windows represent something more individual. Either way, the windows evoke a feeling of defeatism, as the probability of their appearance is left without any sense of control or predetermination.

'The Windows' was created almost entirely from recordings of the organ made in collaboration with performer and improviser, Hampus Lindwall. 

Designed as a multichannel sound installation to be played on loop. Best listened to with headphones.

Organ & Improvisation - Hampus Lindwall
Electronics & Composition: Andrea Guterres

The Windows (soundscape) (binaural)

'Dear God, I Think It's Time We Talked' explores philosophical, hypothetical, and ontological realities through conversations with the divine in a world growing distant from nature.

Recorded live at Het Orgelpark in Amsterdam, 2024.

Soprano 1 - Marije Besselink
Soprano 2 - Frieda Gustavs
Alto - Frances Amado
Organ - Elisabeth Hubmann
Composition & Electronics - Andrea Guterres
Text - Andrea Guterres

Dear God, I Think It's Time We Talked (live at Het Orgelpark)

'Crime and Punishment' is a musical illustration of the Dostoyevsky classic. In three movements, it attempts to capture the psychological torment of the protagonist Raskolnikov after he draws the conclusion that murdering and robbing an old pawnbroker to secure funds for himself would benefit society.

Dostoyevsky's protagonist echoes the doctrines of egoism and utilitarianism, which were espoused by many of Dostoyevsky's contemporaries. However, underlying these ideals is his pessimism of social reform. As the intellectual Raskolnikov rationalises that his own advancement at the cost of an exploitative pawnbroker's death will be a net benefit to society, he unknowingly cuts himself off from his own humanity. The psychological torment that follows seems to indicate that using intelligence to justify moral exceptionalism denies our very nature as humans, and reflects Dostoyevsky's belief that utopian Western philosophies can never satisfy the contradictory yearnings of the human soul.

Part One: Fever
Part Two: Nightmare
Part Three: Nausea

Performed by the Dreieck Quartett at Musik21 Niedersachsen, Helmstedt, 2024.

Violin 1 - Nikita Geller
Violin 2 - Stefan Zientek
Viola - Louise Denis-Nesprias
Cello - Daniel Gutiérrez

Crime and Punishment (for string quartet)

In the words of Tom Service: 
Carlo Gesualdo: composer or crazed psychopath?

This piece follows the temperament and journey into madness of this beloved Renaissance composer, from expressive madrigals to crazed chromaticism, as he struggles with the violent and unreasonable murder of his wife by his own hands.

Workshopped and recorded by:
Emily Bannister
David Hanke
Juho Myllylä
Daniel Scott
Keith Ng (marimba)

There Is Beauty In Ugliness (Gesualdo's Retribution)(for Paetzold recorder quartet and marimba)

'The False Awakening' can be described as a dreamscape. At first, seemingly non-related soundscapes and melodies drift in and out in a series of “false awakenings” (the instance of dreaming realistically that one wakes from a dream in their own bed and subsequently goes through the motions of their daily routine). These musical fragments, the return of which often interrupt the wider structural flow, eventually morph into a version of reality that may be intelligable but remains slightly peculiar.

Premiered by Nieuw Ensemble at Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam (2019).

The False Awakening (Nieuw Ensemble) (Muziekgebouw Live Recording)

'Through the Looking Glass' is a binaural piece for headphones which explores the co-existence of binary opposites in human nature through the lens of female sexuality. As a listener, you are invited to take a surrealistic journey with our protagonist into the subconscious realms of society. Amongst childhood fears and naive excitement, a more multifaceted reflection of the human condition might be revealed.

For the full immersive experience of 3D ambisonics, please listen with headphones!

Soprano/Improviser: Viola Blache https://violablache.com/
Recorders: Juho Myllylä http://juhomyllyla.com/
Harpsichord: Sebastien Mitra
Soundscape & Composition: Andrea Guterres

Through The Looking Glass (soundscape) (binaural)

Prometheus, a Titan of Greek mythology credited with the creation of civilisation by stealing fire from the Gods, is a long-standing metaphor for human advancement. As society advances and technology lauded for its innovation, the question emerges: At what cost?

'Prometheus Laughs' is a journey from humanity’s humble beginnings as primates to the peak of its societal advancement. As the stages shift from collective advancement to a hyper-individualistic system which disadvantages all but a few, while routinely overlooking moral values and human life, the system begins to break down alongside the musical elements of the piece. In a desperate attempt to regain structure, the musical characters become fragmented and grotesque, endlessly spiralling down a circle of both collective and individual destruction.

Recorded by the Score Collective of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, 2020.

Soloist(harp): Theresa Barros
Flute: Zsuzsa Domahidi
Oboe: Olatz Pineda
Sax: Xabier Oruesagasti
Bass Clarinet: Sergio Sanchez
Violin 1: Natalie Kulina
Violin 2: Natka Roinishvili
Viola: Jules Monnier
Cello: Hadewych van Gent

Prometheus Laughs (for amplified harp and ensemble)

Australian musician with a specialisation in electroacoustic composition, immersive soundscapes, and interdisciplinary performance. Get in touch for collaborations:
andreaguterresmusic[at]gmail[dot]com

Andrea Guterres

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