What a beast of a machine, Brian! Gleoite ar fad/sehr schön! Is brea liom é. Maith thú

Mouvements is an electronic music piece from 2003, composed using Csound.

Mouvements

Junko Yamamoto, piano
Victor Lazzarini, computer
live recording, May 2013

Timelines + Clouds, for piano and computer

Llan Pass 12’25”
(Tape) 2 channel work for diffusion.


Llan Pass is a both a descriptive explanation of the processes involved, as well as a point of geographical reference. The work is a conscious artistic reflection of the mountain trails of Snowdonia. Leading from the lower hills and waters of Llanberis up and over the pass. Should one have the joy of meeting the sun with the morning dew enveloping the mountains in an array of light, until the elements meet it's climax with the radiated warmth of the morning sun, you can understand the lift in ones well being upon viewing such a sight. 
The outward spectacle also gives way to inward reflection, and as we begin to shed the strain of unnatural belonging, we focus on the greater picture and are consumed by the ideal of a sense of place. In this case, the moment of our situation which is oar inspiring, and it consumes us in our gaze before we are released to continue on our path changed, inspired and reinvigorated. 

The work begins with a well known medium of Glasses in a washing up bowl which knock against each other in a rolling and tumbling which here represent the boulders and rocks which break away from the mountains and roll down crashing into other rocks and setting them in motion until they find their final resting place at the lower gorges and rivers. We now begin to hear the development of this introduction that initiates the introduction of band filters, which echo the effect of the rocks. The sound of water begins to break through giving way to a more delicate and percussive natural soundscape of raindrops and flowing water. We are now at the point of assent, with the helicopter flying over head and distant drumming as though we are being called by our ancestors, drumming fades into a repeated rhythm and we hear the calling, trumpet or bell like motif asking for our attention, this now runs through an order of question and reply, and the section is repeated but with much more detail and urgency, and finally climaxes to a cacophony of rhythm. The rhythmic structure takes hold and finally concludes this section with great swirls of sound and gushes, which are surprisingly followed by calming string, bowed chords that seem to echo to and grow to the distant sound of a thunderstorm. The strings crescendo and were given a solitary 'cello theme before climaxing with the strings to the final climax and thunderclap.


Sounds include Glasses in washing up bowl, Water and Rain Fall, Helicopter, Drum, Voice, 'Cello, Bass, Synth. With thanks for R.H.Humphreys for sharing the Thunder.


Llan Pass © H.McGregor 2013

Ramp Waves (2023) for live electronics (modular synthesis)

A ramp wave is an alternative name for a sawtooth wave, one of the archetypal harmonic-rich waveforms which form the building blocks of ‘classic’ subtractive (i.e. oscillator-filter-based), analogue-style synthesis. This piece, using, amongst other devices, a vintage EMS Synthi AKS analogue semi-modular synthesiser from c.1973 is inspired by the linear and non-linear nature of outputs from detuned and interfering analogue oscillators. 

In an age of long shadows of non-linearity and tipping points, I have found myself returning to the decomposing solids of drones, from the uneven steps of harmonic series microtonality to interfering frequency complexes conjuring phantoms and fractures.

Ramp Waves (for EMS Synthi): Belfast Festival performance

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2003

These are excerpts from the sound design for a multimedia theatre piece. AKI made the video and I acted and made the sound design.

See a video excerpt here:
https://vimeo.com/56544439

Preacher (sound design excerpts)

Composer and electronic sound person from Dublin, Ireland, also based in Derry, NI, where I work at Ulster University.

Ramp Waves (for EMS Synthi): Belfast Festival performance

BrianBridges

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