Pointillism for sine wave No.12

Jab is dedicated to Adam Łukawski, a gifted composer who changed many things about my approach to life. He himself is carrying out important research which implements both Shepard tone principles and Artificial Intelligence technologies. Every time we talk some bright spark of an idea always floats into view, like "bitcoin" or "compositional NFT", honestly every conversation is pretty wild. This piece would have taken a very different course if not for many of our perspective-altering conversations. Jab is directly influenced by many of Adam’s ideas.

Jab is a simultaneous expression of turmoil and joy. It's my life between 03/19 and 12/20. In this time, I experienced frustration, anger, fear, rejection and loss. At the same time, there was laughter, exhilaration, discovery and rebirth. I met people that I love dearly. While sketching, composing and extensively recomposing, I constantly questioned what exactly I wanted to deliver. Was it a joke or swear? A punch line or a sucker punch? Ultimately, I couldn’t decide. But maybe that's what this piece is and what the rest of my work is increasingly becoming, the chaos of indecision.

The piece is built on six contrasting gestures. The first is a cluster that peels away to reveal diatonic harmonies and then a scale (such gestures are found in Dutilleux, Nielsen and Schumann). The second is a twinkling two part counterpoint. The third is a bulldozer in a China shop, a spectacle which misdirects. The fourth is a slow, ornamental, folk (in the broadest sense of the word) Finnisy-an melody with morphs into two. The fifth, at bar 33, is a Shepard tone texture. The Shepard tone textures in particular are inspired by Adam’s research. The sixth and last gesture consists of lithe arpeggiations which excite ghostly harmonics from strings sustained in the sostenuto pedal. These seemingly appear from nowhere. Across the piece I combine and recombine these gestures; push them through Risset accelerations and decelerations; throw and muddy them. 

Jab was commissioned by the Park Lane Group through the Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust. Initially, Dominic Degavino, a Park Lane Group young artist, was due to premier the piece. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Park Lane Group were unable to mount a premier of the piece. Instead, here we have the INDOMITABLE Ben Smith, grounding, pounding, flying, grappling, doing sik kikflips, jumping, running, sitting still, doing sensitive line drawings, sometimes all at the same time. Ben you are a literal force of nature. The scope of your abilities is literally terrifying. Sometimes when I look at you and your work, I feel I'm staring into the heart of Vesuvius.

I can't thank Ben enough for the time, energy and dynamism he's put into Jab, thank you Ben! Thanks also to my supervisors Professor Julian Anderson and Malcolm Singer, who asked me to draft, redraft and constantly questioned me: what do you want to hear? This piece would not be without them.

Jab - for solo piano

https://joshuamastel.com/we-were-something-different-then-ii/

we were something different then (ii) | for 4 violas da gamba

Cello: Anton Lukoszevieze 

Berwick New Music Series, 08.10.2022

Aurora (2022)

BREAD [2021], from "interbeing"

score: www.wubbelsmusic.com/bread_score.html

written for and performed by TAK:
Marina Kifferstein, violin
Laura Cocks, flutes, wine bottle
Madison Greenstone, clarinet
Charlotte Mundy, voice, wine glasses, beer bottles, autoharp
Ellery Trafford, mixing bowls, beer bottles, wine glasses, autoharp

BREAD [2021], from "interbeing"  (w/ score)

L'emprunte d'Encyclie

Michikusa

Jng3

Pequeño extracto y también de lo que pude capturar en mis días de residencia artística en La Zona (El Marquesado) junto a mis compañerxs y nuestra talentosa amiga Daniela (Guía naturista e investigadora del sudeste bonarense). Fue un día nublado y gris a las afueras de toda población donde se tejió una serie de recorridos ricos en información y descubrimientos en los prehistóricos Acantilados de Mar del Plata. Mientras nuestro entusiasmo se elevaba con la brisa marina, nos topamos con un pequeño grupo de loros barranqueros (Cyanoliseus patagonus), quienes nos dieron señales de alerta por nuestros pasos en las orillas del mar.
 
Estos encantadores loros, con sus plumajes de colores deslumbrantes, se lanzaron en un frenesí de llamadas y graznidos. Su estridente serenata no dejaba lugar para el aburrimiento. Pero, ahí estaba la razón detrás de su alboroto. Los loros barranqueros, como celosos guardianes, emitían alertas estridentes para proteger a sus crías. 

La importancia de estos loros para la vida y la naturaleza biodiversa de Mar del Plata se hizo palpable en ese momento, y que también nos recordó la vital labor que realizan en el equilibrio del ecosistema. Como polinizadores y dispersores de semillas, estos loros contribuyen a la salud y regeneración de la flora local, formando una red esencial en el tejido de la vida marplatense.

Así que, rodeados de risas y graznidos, nuestro día en los Acantilados de Mar del Plata se convirtió en un inolvidable encuentro entre la creatividad humana y la vitalidad aviar. Nos marchamos con corazones llenos de asombro y gratitud por la maravilla de la naturaleza, decididos a preservar y celebrar la rica biodiversidad que hace de Mar del Plata un lugar verdaderamente único entre tanta belleza universal. 

— Grabación de campo realizada en las orillas de los Acantilados  Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires - Argentina. 10-11-2022 a las 11:20AM
—Fotografía: Daniela Quilla / @quillafotos 

Equipos: 
Grabadora portátil Zoom H4n Pro
Micrófonos binaurales de bajo ruido PRIMO EM272
Localidad: 
Orillas de los Acantilados , Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires - Argentina
Fecha: 10 de Noviembre del 2022
Hora: 11:20 AM (GMT-3)

Loros Barranqueros (Cyanoliseus patagonus) en los Acantilados de Mar del Plata - María Emilia Pérez

composed by Martin Arnold (2003)
played by:
Martin Arnold - melodica
Eric Chenaux - voice, guitar
Ryan Driver - voice, synthesizer
Doug Tielli - voice, trombone
and Arraymusic

Tam Lin

L’œuvre a été commandée par Radio France pour l’émission « Création Mondiale » (ex Alla Breve) le 9 février 2020 et a été réalisée dans le studio du Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) à Paris France. La pièce a eu sa création publique le 14 février 2020 au Festival Présences 2020 à la Maison de la Radio (Paris)

Portrait de la compositrice : France Musique 
https://www.francemusique.fr/emissions/creation-mondiale-l-integrale/okno-de-rocio-cano-valino-diffusion-integrale-et-portrait-de-la-compositrice-80441

- MUSICWORKS 2020 | First prize in Electronic Music [Canada]
- Marcelle Deschênes Prize 2020 [Canada]
- PRIX KLANG! 2021 | Second prize [France]

Jab - for solo piano

Alex Tay

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