| Concept
for "A composition for Berlin"
Having lived in Berlin for six years, with construction noises
waking me up most of the time and having a hard time recognizing
a streets after not visiting it for a short while. Berlin truly
is a living concrete jungle, with its own unique sound and pace.
I wanted to compose my own environment, as a tribute and to
control it, for it had controlled me so long. In a sense as
revenge to the builders' machines. It will be a staalplaat soundsystem
machine composition that will be made with Charlemagne Palestine,
the famous American minimal composer. I want to work with Charlemagne
because his minimal way of composing fits the past and the sound
of the city. Charlemagne played the carillon for many years
and when we recorded his music on the carillon on the Daimler
Chrysler tower I realized he is experienced with music in public
space too.
concept
For Ystad "A composition for Berlin" , a machine composition
will be constructed and performed in a public place, a square
in front of the Ystads konstmuseum. It will be an open-air show
using the sounds that dominate Berlin. On this square a machine
orchestra will be created using big construction machines like
cement mixers, sewing machines, pneumatic drills and stompers.
To this machine-orchestra a more decorative surrounding will
be added in the trees, using small domestic instruments like
vacuum cleaners with different little flutes and several small
kitchen mixers, with rattles. To underline the urban and public
space I want to use dynamic sounds like fire brigade trucks.
The Ystads konstmuseum is community property and I would like
to integrate this close link to the community by inviting the
people living on this square to participate in the composition,
by using their lights.(the lights in their homes overlooking
the square).. I consider this a important part and a challenge
to convince them to do so.
technically
The machines will not only be midi-controlled but all will be
customised into instruments: vacuum-cleaners will blow air in
flutes, the cement mixers will be filled with different acoustic
materials etc., creating a single orchestra with a dynamic range.
The construction machines will be a static and massive sound,
the small domestic instruments like vacuum-cleaners and kitchen-mixers
will be a playful contrast. Fire brigade trucks can circle the
square to compress the space or enlarge it by passing it at
high speed. Against the state monopoly of sonic force demonstrated
by the fire brigade, private peaceful movement will be demonstrated
via a small radio transmitters. The people living on and around
this square are asked to open or close their curtains, switch
on or -off their light and TV sets.
how to control and compose
we will use our custom build relay set to conduct the machine
orchestra but have to put in much stronger relays then the 24
Amp we use now, a 15 minute job to do that. I think that with
the selection of machines it is possible we must depend on what
firm is willing to co-operate or sponsor this project. Therefore
we have to be flexible with technical specifications. But what
ever happens we must build a set that converts 8 channel midi
to 8 switches 240 volt, again these are exiting components.
So that the whole composition made by Charlemagne Palestine
can be played from a computer sending midi to the relays. This
will enable him to play prewritten compositions and use manually
overwrite to allow for playing the machines more direct when
he thinks that is needed. I normally use light organs as interface
allowing me to use sound to control the machines. For communicating
with the people living on and around this square, I would like
to use a system build by two German artists that has 7 different
Fm frequencies connected to a computer where sound and commands
can be moved from channel to channel by a comupter program.
This system will enable us do divide the houses in different
groups for creating a silent composition with light and movement.
In this way it will not only be a composition for a city but
it will be composing the city too.
questions
would it be possible to use pile drivers for a steady rhythm
?
would it be possible to use helicopters over the square ?
would it be possible to use the ship horns in the harbour?
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