MATCH MUSIC for PERCUSSION AND ELECTRONICS: PLAYED
BY THOMAS SANDBERG
Obstacles by Kenneth
KNUDSON
March by Wayne SIEGEL
Loggin' by Thomas SANDBERG
Encarsia by Jens HORSVING
Bangs, sounds & silence by FUZZY (Jens
Wilhelm Pederson)
Riot by Jens HORSVING
Log out by Thomas SANDBERG
Recorded in various studios between June 2000 and February 2001
DACAPO 8.2224197
[68.02]
DaCapo |
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This is a disc of Electro-acoustic music by contemporary Danish composers.
Composer, Thomas Sandberg, to whom most of the works are dedicated,
performs almost the entire disc. The composers themselves have been responsible
for mixing and editing the final version and 'Fuzzy' performs on piano alongside
Sandberg in his own piece. The slightly confusing booklet, in two languages,
has the composers' own notes about the music although these are of
often-impenetrable technicality. There are also biographies of the composers.
It is most definitely advisable to listen to their work before reading the
comments.
It is possible to describe some parts of the music as 'crossover'.
Fuzzy for example is also a jazz musician. He has a television programme
of his own called "Fuzzy's Workshop" where he introduces children to modern
music, ethnic and jazz.
The first piece 'Obstacles' is made out of 'small articles'. I wondered whether
these were nothing less than a knife and fork. It reminded of Jonty Harrison's
'Klang' (NMC D035) made from casserole dishes. To these sounds are added
xylophone and bamboo sticks, and this, in a way, sets up the pattern for
the CD. Electronically processed sounds are placed alongside the live
percussionist, who sometimes improvises in response to the computer. Jens
Horsving whose piece 'Encarsia' is partially inspired by an insect of
that name with millions of wing-beats per second, comments that he had produced
a "framework for solo percussion & electronics …. within which the
musician improvises". It would be of interest to see the score if there is
one.
This interplay between performer and computer is worked the other way also.
'Match' is "composed for electronic vibraphone drums and computer". The idea
here, to quote the composer Wayne Siegel "was to create a work for
percussionist and computer where the interplay of musician and computer is
perceived as something natural and musical. A point of departure was to get
the computer to react musically to the soloist's varied, free interpretation
of the score". Many of the composers would agree with 'Fuzzy' when he remarks
that "the piece will be never take the same form twice", because his piece,
"is based on the principle where the musician can chose freely between fully
through-composed, written passages, and passages where he can react
improvisationally."
'Loggin' is slightly different again, having been, the composer tells us
"created in front of a live audience" and being played on an African Log
drum. It develops a fascinating complex of wild foot-tapping rhythms. The
sound made by Sandberg himself, is passed through a multi-effect processor
and passed back to the performer via headphones, which then inspires him
…. to be carried away into new escapades." Real interaction here between
the performer and computer.
It is interesting that these composers come from different generations, as
it were, the age range being between over 60 to 32. All of them are
Danish-trained although interestingly Kenneth Knudsen was trained as an architect
and it's his piece which seems to have the clearest form.
The two bonus tracks are mercifully short. 'Riot' can only be described as
'the return of the daleks', and would best have been put aside or developed
into something else. Both end in a rather cheap fade-out. Their length might
enable them to appear on some CD single.
So, if you are interested in solo percussion and/or computer generated music
then this CD will add greatly to your knowledge and education. However one
looks at it, it may well be the music of the future.
Gary Higginson
