Voice: Javier Hagen (JIP)
Recorder: Ulrike Mayer-Spohn (UMS) 

This composition is inspired by the flow of the signal in systems and its processing. It comprises three parts and an interlude. In the first, the glissandi imitate the ups and downs of a pure tone with the steepness varying. After a while (second part), these lines are shredded, ending up in individual frequencies. I used AI to produce this part. The last part is a combination of the glissandi and the frequencies and it is prepared by an interlude where the lines are defined precisely with the voice following the verse of Franz Kafka’s Die Bäume:

Denn wir sind wie Baumstämme im Schnee. Scheinbar liegen sie glatt auf, und mit kleinem
Anstoß sollte man sie wegschieben können. Nein, das kann man nicht, denn sie sind fest mit
dem Boden verbunden. Aber sieh, sogar das ist nur scheinbar.

This work is composed for UMS'nJIP and performed in various venues in Switzerland. The specific recording was realized in Zürich, Kunstraum Walcheturm on the 12/04/2024, 8pm as part of the ensemble's Turkey project along with works by Deniz Hatipoğlu, Tokzhan Karatai, Yunus Eren Kirmizigül, Şahin Kureta, Ata Gökalp Öz, Gökçe Türkoğlu (all Swiss Premieres), Onur Dülger, Reuben de Lautour and Mehmet Ali Uzunselvi.

Signal flow (2024), for UMS 'n JIP voice and recorder duo

How can form  evolve under a nowadays psychological framework? Is it more difficult to compose long or short pieces and is there any morality in it that serves as a proof of the composer’s skills? My musical interests are focused on a personal composition method that started from my late integrated masters years in Thessaloniki and which eventually was the subject of my PhD research in York. It used to serve as a preliminary stage for an instrumental composition; however, since 2017 the “Selective Subtraction of tone and rhythmic material” composition technique serves as a tool to create but mostly to sculpt the tone and rhythmic material of the instruments that will interweave with the electronics. As its name signifies it is based on a subtractionprocess that gives a certain amount of material. This material forms the basis for an evolutionary process where finally, all these elements are combined in order to give the final piece. Under the scope of electronics it incorporates computational methods like Csound software, Ableton Live and MaxMasp (Sound Synthesis private patch library) in the direction of finding new ways of pattern development and thus evolution of the form.

For examples of the Selective Subtraction of tone and rhythmic material” composition technique enter here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/alutmo3h0ue30ec/AAC-LmZExoUMBr6lVgabz1YOa?dl=0

Sound Synthesis private maxmsp library: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvxYMmv9_S-sgfRtKB-Vq4t2l1PE_g?e=o8BN6A 

PhD thesis: http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/20111/
Website: https://manolisekmektsoglousite.wordpress.com/
email: ekmektsoglou8@gmail.com 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Manolis Ekmektsoglou studied composition in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece with Dimitri Papageorgiou and in the University of York (PhD) with Thomas Simaku. He also spend a year in Hannover studying acoustic and electronic music (Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover), with Professors Ming Tsao, Gordon Williamson and Joachim Heintz. He is currently Assistant Professor of Acoustic and Acousmatic composition in the Technical University of Istanbul, Department of Sonic Arts, Center for advanced study in Music (M.I.A.M.).

Manolis participated in the “Labor Beethoven 2017-2020” project, funded and organized by the Berlin Academy of the Arts. The project comprised participants from Basel, Tel-Aviv and Thessaloniki. This intensive 4-year period included commissions and performances from various ensembles in Germany and Switzerland and culminated in a final performance that took place in Berlin in 12-13/04/2020. For more info enter here: https://www.labor-beethoven-2020.de/de, and for the final output: In Love…, for voice, ensemble and mixed media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORJfUvJ0iUo, Circus Story: Taming the animals, for alto saxophone, percussion and fixed media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhBiIEBGrY4

His pieces have been performed in Greece (DissonArt ensemble, New Hellenic Quartet, Off Borders Festival for electronic music in Thessaloniki, Music in Motion festival for dance and music, Athens), Germany (Neues Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Earth, Sky, Space festival, Hitzacker Musiktage 2018), Italy (Soundiff project), Hong Kong (AMGA ensemble), Spain (ensemble Regards Mixtur festival 2016), Austria (NAMES ensemble, Synaesthesis ensemble, Crossroads festival), Iran (International Electronic Music Festival, Reza Korourian Awards 2017), and the UK (Kinetic nights festival, Manchester, Andersson – Gallois – De Saram trio, Diotima Quartet, Psappha ensemble). Upcoming activities comprise performance of the existing work Ripping…having…standing…oben!!, for ensemble in Versipel New Music festival, Louisiana (postponed for 2021 due to pandemics) and a premiere of a work specifically written for MISE-EN festival, New York (postponed for 2021 due to pandemics). 

For a detailed CV follow this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hprdtba1p9plqhj/CV.pdf?dl=0