Dust

multichannel granular synthesis performance [2011]

Dust

Dust is a slow and intense exploration of textural sounds, pulsating polyrhythmic loops, and rich harmonic drones. They are shredded into microscopic particles, filtered, transformed and recomposed in an improvised performance. Dust is a complex living beast, developing further each concert, with old parts being removed, and new elements added.

Several special versions have been derived from the original concept, including 'Standford Dust' during a residency at The Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) in 2013, using mainly recordings taken at the campus and 'Venice Dust' based on field-recordings taken in Venice during a resideny in the city, presented at Palazzo Grassi in 2019.

Sources

The sources are leftovers of digital processes, material created with old analoge synthesisers, noises of all colours and flavours, field-recordings; splashing waves from a shingle beach, captured on site in Australia, a massive storm, steam from my Italian coffee maker, crackles from the lead-out groove of a worn record, hum and electrical discharges from a large transformer, collected over several years, and refined and deconstructed in various ways.

Process

Dust is based on self-written granular synthesis algorithms. During the concert, the sources are remixed, further modified and distributed in space, sometimes barely audible, sometimes very physical and intense, spanning a spectrum from the lowest possible rumble to crystaline highs. Every performance is different, and offers a intimate dialogue with the space and the audience.

Configuration

Dust can be presented in many ways, including a variable number of audio channels. It has originally been composed for a performance in 2011 at the ZKM Media Theater in Karlsruhe, Germany, using a dome of 32 speakers around and above the audience. Other configurations included a version for Hebbel theatre in Berlin, Germany with 16 channels, an adaption for the INA-GRM Acousmonium, and a version for the d&b Audiotechnik Soundscape system.