During my first semester studying composition with Dr. Elainie Lillios, I became deeply immersed in the sonic world of fixed media and the electroacoustic canon. Works by François Bayle, Luc Ferrari, Hildegard Westerkamp, Trevor Wishart, Bernard Parmegiani, Denis Smalley, and others profoundly shaped my creative approach and opened new avenues of artistic expression.
Denis Smalley's "Pentes" (1993) proved particularly influential to my developing aesthetic. The distinctive characteristics of each sound object, coupled with abrupt and explosive gestures, captivated me and fundamentally shaped my philosophy of how electroacoustic music should behave and develop over time. "My Festering Synapses" attempts to achieve a behavior similar to "Pentes" while incorporating everything else that guided me through that transformative semester—a synthesis of multiple influences and discoveries.
Every moment dedicated to discovering new sounds and compositions, exploring different styles and compositional methods, and absorbing the wealth of information accompanying these pieces left my mind in a state of constant mental stimulation. These thoughts began to fester within my psyche, continually pushing me to compose and create in a cyclical pattern of intrigue, discovery, reflection, and creation. This process became both exhausting and exhilarating, fueling an insatiable creative drive.
All sounds in this piece originate from acoustic sources before being digitally manipulated through various processing techniques. Some sounds come from my voice alone, transformed beyond recognition, while others are sonic snapshots captured from my immediate surroundings during the composition process—everyday sounds reimagined and repurposed. The title reflects both the mental intensity of that semester and the way ideas, influences, and creative impulses accumulated and evolved within my consciousness, ultimately manifesting in this electroacoustic work that captures that transformative period of artistic growth.

My Festering Synapses

Julian Green Official