Motion Drift

From Andrew Garton's wiki

A proof of concept composition for Turkish makams and Motion-Enabled Live Electronics, Institute for Electronic Music and Acoustics, Graz, Austria, November 2008.

Introduction

Motion Drift is a structured improvisation based on the melodic formulas inherent in Turkish Makams. It has been conceived for the Motion-Enabled Live Electronics (MELE) system, Institute for Electronic Music and Acoustics.

This proposal has been prepared in response to a discussion with Gerhard Eckel, MELE workshop lead, with the original view that this proposal meet the criteria for participation in the International Ensemble and Composers Academy for Contemporary Music, impulse 2009, University for Music and Dramatic Arts Graz.

As initial discussions had not yielded a more concrete proposal to meet entry level requirements, it did however, result in further reflection on key issues, concepts and technical options. The concept notes that follow were influenced by this process.

Background

In 1997 I proposed the future of sound is space. This was as much about the art of listening and silence as it was, as Gerhard Eckle describes as the creation of a spatial score.

The MELE offers composers the technical resources to realise such a work. Performers inhabit a space and literally engage with it to affect responses which may change over time. It is, as Eckle describes, about using space as a structuring device.

The Sufis of Turkey also use space as a structuring device. In their whirling, still performed by the Dervishes of the Mevlevi order, practitioners focus on a central core from which they spin, whirling from right to left around the heart of their ever elevating consciousness. They literally re-structure themselves, through a physical mediation in space, disposing themselves of nafs, or false ego and desire, listening to specially composed music and focusing on the divine. Musicians engaged in this practice describe revelatory experiences^[1], often performing for several hours works that may explore 5 intervals of a single melodic formula, or makam, only.

It is these two concepts, the notion of a spatial score and that of physical meditation in space that provide the background to, and motivations for the proposed work, Motion Drift.

Components of the composition

Motion Drift is a structured improvisation derived from a base score, with provision for each musician to engage with the MELE.

The following provides an overview of individual components of the composition – the instruments, the score, positioning, interaction and processing

Instruments

Motion Drift calls for a minimum of two, maximum of three instrumentalists as set out in the requirements for the MELE workshop, impulse 2009.

The score and corresponding instructions would be prepared for one cello, also referred to as a physical reference object, and two violins.

Score

The score, based on one of six makam tetrachords and its corresponding pentachord, will act as a notional guide for each of the musicians. Makams are themselves often referred to a a route, or seyir in Turkish. They perform the function of guide to compositional structure relying in part on three different seyirs (1) rising, (2) falling, and (3) rising-falling.

The work will explore the extremes of dynamic range through use of the seyirs and their application within the MELE; the physical interaction between the musicians inspired in part by the whirling of the Mevlevi Dervishes; and the position and orientation possibilities for the actuation of live electronics.

Positioning

The cellist, seated, provides a pivot, or reference object around which the violinists will perform within relative space to the cellist and each other. Although it is preferred the MELE responds to a full compliment of musicians performing upright, a seated cellist may still interact within the physical space and other musicians by way of gestures entirely native to that instrument. Alternatively, the concept can be thought of as a piece for two musicians and a reference object that just happens to be a musician playing a cello.

The two violinists would also interact within the cellists sphere of engagement around which both will move, spiral like, from right to left, contracting and expanding towards the the cellist and out again for the full duration of the piece.

The violinists are positioned at either side of the cellist equidistant from the centre. The first violinist would begin their part, taking steps towards the centre, followed by the second. The aim is to reach the centre and back out again without ever touching each other, their proximity to each other being factored into an audible response.

In addition, their proximity to the centre would also result in an audible response, both from the perspective of the violinists and the cellist.

They may speed up or slow down as they move towards the centre and out. They are never to step aside from each other, nor stop. As such, they must be both aware of their own movement towards the centre and proximity to each other, knowing too that audible responses are possible, responses that would not alarm, but further enhance the overall depth of the piece.

Interaction

Three musicians, one seated and upright, interact within motion tracked spheres.

Three corresponding trigger / controllers will actuate:

Chord depth from a specified makam
Base pitch from a specific makam
Length of sustained note / delay / feedback
Length of reverb delay

Each musician has scope to expand and contract the layering, or note depth of of their scored parts.

Note, where applicable, triggering and processing that reflects the rising, falling and rising-falling definition of the three seyirs will be applied. It is not within the scope of this draft of the concept notes to provide a detailed technical specification for this and many other possible applications.

Processing

Processing would be conducted through Pure Data (PD) on a customised patch developed in collaboration with PD author and composer, Frank Barknecht.

The patch creates chords from single, or multiple sound sources. Notes are called from specified melodic formula.

The following parameters are affected by spatial triggers:

Chord note depth: Proximity to the centre, or spacial relationship between the violinists within the performance grid to the cellist.
Base pitch varied of each of the four note generators: angle at which the violinists approach the centre. Veer to the left (up), or right (down). This may also reflect one or all three of the seyirs.
Delay / feedback: Proximity between the violinists to each other.
Reverb decay length: Bowing speed of the cellist

Preliminary specifications for the operational flow of the patch are as follows:

Long, sustained note is bowed by each of the three instrumentalists
A pre-defined melodic formula with pre-set base pitch is triggered.
As the two violinists converge to the centre / cellist the notes they perform form chords of up to four notes each.
The closer the violinists converge on each other the longer the delay / feedback time on each note there by sustaining the chord length.
The chord is sustained for a set period (can be calibrated live)
A second note is bowed... the process repeats.

Acknowledgements

This concept paper would not have been possible without the support of Gerhard Eckel for feedback and commentary.

Andrew Garton's appearances in Austria would not have been possible without the financial, logistical and infrastructure support of ESC im Labor, Graz.

In addition, Garton's ongoing stay in Austria has been made possible by the personal support provided by Reni Hofmueller (ESC im Labor), Jogi Hofmueller (http://mur.at/ mur.at) Doris Carstensen (University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz), Elisabeth Zimmerman (KunstRadio) and Grant McHerron (apc .au, Australia).

Cover photo, Whriling dervishes, Rumi Fest 2007, by diaz, 25 Oct. 2007, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License.

Contact

Andrew Garton

c/- apc.au

PO BOX 1681Collingwood 3066

Email. ag@apc.org.au

Tel. +43 (0) 680 2139551

For information about Andrew Garton, projects and background: http://agarton.org/

[1]

Motion Drift - Andrew Garton's wiki