Crystal is nearly 40 minutes long. It has been written for 5.1 DVD as a commission for Diamond Light Source. On the 20th of October it was  performed live in the space of the electron storage ring. 

''Work and process'' 
It is a sound work composed directly from frequencies generated by the electron storage ring, a particle accelerator. The work also uses binaural recording from locations inside Diamond’s experimental hall, storage ring and beamlines. Writing this work, my imagination was sparked from the start and my aim was to write a work of substantial length which reflected both the actual content of the spectrum of the space and also the metaphorical content of the sounds.

The Diamond synchrotron is a rich multi-spectral sonic environment, with a cacophony of sounds generated by machines which hiss pure nitrogen, pump air from vacuum chambers and cool high-powered magnets. There is never one time where any sound is exactly the same. It is a large space, circular; extremely reverberative, vibrating complex tones from the electro-magnetic and mechanical interfaces which generate the electron beam which travels at near the speed of light. The actual physical space of the synchrotron seems to capture pure human intelligence, concentration and the ability to look beyond what is currently possible. It is light, futuristic and like nothing I have ever seen before.

Most of the sounds you hear in this work are the sounds of electron injections into the particle accelerator at certain times of the day. This happens on a regular basis every 10 minutes; it is predicable and ever present. The sonic content of the injections is grainy and dry. I choose to listen to the micro tonalities captured in
the streams of injections developing detailed micro melodies which appear and disappear not unlike the atom injections. The injections are heard in full at the end of the work.  I also took binaural field recordings from points in the synchrotron area and I used a selection of these within the work.


Crystal is designed both for concentrated listening and also for installation. One can walk into the work at any time and capture phrases “injections of a sonic palette” or simply sit down and listen to the whole work. It captures my experience of listening in on the inner workings of the synchrotron. The space itself captures a sense of timelessness, and my aim was to reflect this in the form of the music.
The work was commissioned and published by Diamond Light Source, composed in the Electro-acoustic Studios of the University of Wales Bangor, with support from a research grant from the University of East London. Many thanks to all involved in making the work.
 
Jo Thomas, London October 2011


Crystal Diamond Light Source


Angel is an exploration of sound and visual metaphors questioning the passing of time . It is a 20 min work.The human body and the imagination are referenced closely together throughout this work as a means of exploring strange imaginary landscapes, fantasies of flight, timelessness and the extreme beauty of the human condition.Notions of landscape and the human body were essential components to the creation of the sound world.
	When writing the music I wanted to reflect an atmosphere which was neither the ground nor the sky, night nor day, water nor air - a strange world, which stood in between worlds, - a multitude of spaces where one, could step into and perhaps, imagine and reflect.
	Angel is also a work full of voice.Some scream with Arch strength, some sing with the warmth of Guardians and others simply call for peace.
	Angel exists as both an audiovisual work and a piece of electroacoustic music.The work was written in 2002 as a commission from the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, INA-GRM Paris, and Sonic Arts Network.The work had its world première in the Huddersfield Festival 2002 and was performed in GRM, Radio France with their acclaimed diffusion system.
Jo Thomas 
London 2010
www.jothomas.me



Angel (preview)

Jo Thomas is an artist composer and creative musician based in London who works with live electronic and installation. Her work is published through her own imprint Soft Apple , Naxos, NMC recordings, Holiday Records and Entracte. 
www.jothomas.me

Popular tracks tagged #jothomascomposer