"Power Chords for 4 Channels," completed in July of 2023, is an exploration of sound design and sonic aesthetics anchored in the arena of rock and metal guitar. Inspired by the concept of a "ghost in the overtones," this work seeks to pull back the curtain on the guitar signal's spectral complexities, highlighting elusive musical expressions hidden within. At its core, it takes three rudimentary power chords: A5, G5, and E5, recorded with heavy distortion and saturation to emphasize the timbral richness.

This composition is not merely about power chords, but rather about the myriad possibilities concealed within their overtones. It operates within a paradox, both a study in restrictive musical content and a testament to the boundless potentialities of sound manipulation. The first 20 seconds of material act as the kernel of the piece, spawning dozens of variants through the use of filters, time-stretching techniques, and algorithmic playback triggers. It is a calculated venture into the drama of the minimal, extracting nuance and depth from the most fundamental elements of rock and metal. "Power Chords for 4 Channels" ultimately delivers a curious, layered fixed media playback experience, born from a pursuit of spectral phantoms within the simplest of musical building blocks.

Power Chords (stereo version)

Andrew A. Watts is a composer of chamber, symphonic, multimedia, and electro-acoustic works performed worldwide. His compositions have premiered at venues like Burning Man, Ravinia, Jordan Hall, and Holywell Music Room, featuring collaborations with top new music groups such as Dal Niente, Ekmeles, Proton Bern, Distractfold, and Line Upon Line. His recent work, Silicon Valley Requiem, premiered in May 2022.

Watts earned his doctorate from Stanford, master's from Oxford, and bachelor's from the New England Conservatory. His music explores technology, post-human themes, and language desemanticization, often using invented instruments. His treatment of microtonality focuses on evolving material under tight constraints, creating precise surface gestures as impetus for his compositions.

Currently a Lecturer at UC Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies, Watts also teaches a summer workshop on Algorithmic Composition at Stanford's CCRMA.

New tracks tagged #fixed-media