As part of their continued expansion of the ‘Sound Sculpture’ genre, Sargasso presents US composer Joseph Anderson’s new CD ‘Epiphanie Sequence’.
His three new compositions included on the CD are all concerned with exploring sound textures ‘from the inside’, blurring the divide between acoustic and electronic. Each piece uses natural sounds such as gamelan instruments (‘Kyai Pranaja’), Matt Ingalls’ bass clarinet (‘Mpingo’) and forest/waves/bells (‘Pacific Slope’) as a points of departure before digging deep into those sounds with electronic processing techniques. The result is a dazzling and often humorous journey to the heart and soul of sound.
Born on Ohio in 1970, Anderson studied in the UK with Jonty Harrison and was a member of BEAST (Birmingham Electroacoustic Sound Theatre). He then won a prestigious “Grand Prix” at the 1997 Bourges Electroacoustic Music Competition with his piece “Change’s Music” dedicated to John Cage. He later returned to the US to work as a signal processing engineer at the Analog Devices Audio Rendering Center in California. He now resides in the UK and lectures at Hull University.
Anderson’s draws inspiration from the vistas, colours and contrasts of the New Mexico high mountains of his youth. Two of the CD’s compositions were written while on retreat on his family’s farm in Oregon, his experience and contemplation of sound leading him to deeper insights about the mysticism and mysteries of time.
What is a Sound Sculpture?
Rather than following traditional musical structures of harmony, melody and rhythm, many composers today are using electronic methods to ‘sculpt’ sound. Using natural sound sources such as acoustic instruments or everyday noises as starting points, they proceed to manipulate them to create new sonic materials. This process, although evolving in time, is perceived more as a tactile 3D object than as linear music. These compositions therefore are like audio-sculptures occupying a place in the listening space as well as in time.
