Some drawings from recent scorings (sick rhymes):
1. Stresshead fringe science 2/adapted sax setup @centrala_space
2. MIDI mappings.
3. Setup for an installation I'm working on.
4. Notes that relate to (3).
SWIPE FOR RARE AND GLORIOUS SOUNDS.
I have been collecting rare and glorious sounds with the help of some incredible musicians and abstract concepts.
(In order of layers (descending)):
- @m.i.khail.r (violin)
- @matilda.flute (flute and vocalisations)
- @julicxana (piano strings + distance sensor mapped to delays and spectral granulator)
- @gemmacowieson (e piano + midi mapped knobs for FM bell sound (in a stairwell))
- piano_by_archie (piano + Linnstrument (Rhodes sound) + MIDI synth pad + knobs) + me (melodica + occasional rainstick/djembe)
- Me + automatonism
- Birds
Keep reading for information about the process:
- Layer 1 is birdsong.
- Each musician responds to the previous layer in accordance with the text score (slide 6).
- Slide 1 = layer 5.
- All other slides are from layer 7. There are 2 more layers left to record.
- I record each layer by playing out the previous layer in a space, and recording the space and the player.
- This process does 2 things:
1) It transforms bird song into the ghost of bird song.
2) It collects and reinforces accidental and incidental sounds like resonant frequencies of rooms, reverb, and people walking past.
- This will be a surround sound piece soon so stay tuned for that.
- Broadly (for me) it is also meant to be a metaphorical translation of ego states, where the original bird recording metaphorically represents the lowest level of "pure" awareness(/emptiness)
... I.e. the experience of "being aware of awareness" = layer 2.
"Being aware of the awareness of awareness" (self aware) = layer 3.
... And so on.
However this is irrelevant to the process and the musical outcome.
I think this is a fractal but it has recently come to my attention that I don't really know what a fractal is.
This piece and my other fractal piece "Benjamin Davies Music" are both dedicated to Sally Holligan who knows about all of the layers, but isn't too bothered about them.
All of my future fractal pieces are also dedicated to Sally.
Today I spent about 3 hours counting and sorting all of the pieces I saved from the making of the force sensor sax. There were 629 pieces.
I saved some in a zip lock bag but saved most of the pieces by not cleaning the corner of my room where I made the sax since the project. and have only just had the chance to count and categorise them all.
This is an attempt of metaphorically documenting the "coming back together" process from the piece.
My favorite is the solder blob (11)
Beyond buzzing about this collaboration with @melaquartet - what a lovely gig!
My piece was called Color Gates but I might rename it.
Love to @jaayyms for the 📸 !!
How it works ((info for nerds who are still reading ;) ))
- I wrote a Max4Live device to cycle through different colours. At any given point, there is a 10% chance the colour will be red, a 30% chance that it'll be blue, and a 60% chance it'll be black.
- The clock rates of the colour changes change for each guitarist throughout the course of the piece.
- Half way through the piece, the colours stop happening in a specified order, and start to change in a random order.
- Guitarist A's guitar has a piezo knock sensor on. I wrote a Max4Live device which detects knocks and overrides the probability system, making all 4 colours blue.
- Each musician has 3 lines of written music. They switch which line they're playing depending on their colour.
- More blue colours = more synth pad gain and a higher cutoff on its low pass filter.
- More red colours = more processed tambourine gain and wonkier grain delay.
- For sections with slow clock rates, I have included an automated "smoothing" setting to avoid jarring jumps in volume.
This m4l device is far from perfect but works very nicely for this piece. As always, if anyone would like to look at/use the code, give me a shout. Also happy to share the score for anyone who wants to understand more about the processes.
Following her unreal performance at our last event, we are beyond buzzing to announce that @djbeckyg will be joining us again on March 20 for our takeover of @centrala_space with an electroacoustic twist.
Becky will be bringing the ethereal jungle and liquid DnB vibes, and for the last part of her set, she will be joined by two amazing improvisers - oboist @esme.savage and bassoonist @poppymbassoon . It’s set to be a properly special set.
Becky’s a serious legend. She’s recently opened up for the likes of Fabio, Grooverider, and Lenzman and has a monthly residency on @sigilradio . Expect seamless blends and serious drums.
This one’s for the westheads! Live-electronic music duo @anti.homelessarchitecture are bringing out an unreal set involving two laptops and a load of unhinged creative expression.
@tomcul is way too excited about this one. The duo describes themselves as:
No bpm digital noise.
Digital dub noise.
@tomcul describes them as “industrial, sometimes breakbeat, always mental”.
MARCH 20 - Grab your tickets – this is seriously not one to miss. @postpunkalicious
ANNOUNCING: Electroacoustic flute and harp madness. @mollyhartleyharp , @lissibayley and @tomcul will be building electroacoustic, generative ambient and DnB sound worlds.
Stresshead Fringe Science is a piece of music by Tom Culling which explores live processing, and electroacoustic translation.
Stressheadfringescience is the name of this event series.
Stressheadfringescience is also a description of this compositional approach.
March 20th, legendary @fred.culling AKA Big Fred will be joining us for his first set in Birmingham. Will be warming us up with UKG and 140 flavours, finishing with jungle heat. Alongside the @automatic_selectas crew, this djs been making a name for himself-shelling in basement raves in the lake district and Newcastle. Trust him to have @centrala_space bouncing.
We are BUZZING to announce that @max.kn1ght newly formed, electro acoustic “Byte” Ensemble will be bringing out their debut set at our event on March 10th. Expect (in no particular order ): live-processing, @tomwinter.music on adapted saxophone, sensor instruments, breaks, open scores, sick instrumentalists, and new works by @tomcul@elliomagic2112@max.kn1ght
First up in our mad lineup is @m.i.khail.r playing a live tape loop set exploring ethereal material and deconstructed dance material. Expect fire beats and immense tape pads. #ambient #tape #cassettes #edm
