Difference between revisions of "Feedback Shift II"

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'''''Feedback Shift II''''' was composed in the fall of 2014 for cellist Séverine Ballon's January 2015 residency at Stanford University. The first ''Feedback Shift'' (2011) began with the idea of creating a single instrumental thread that would hold otherwise dense or complicated music together. This thread was a perpetually oscillating pitch on an acoustic guitar recorded then looped ad nauseam. The material for the cello soloist was generated under the mindset of extreme restraint, beginning with one note in one range and slowly adding new pitches to the palate. In terms of form of the first ''Feedback Shift'', wanted to avoid clear sections and aimed to let the music gradually develop in a way that felt natural. For ''Feedback Shift II'' I returned to this process of extreme restraint. However, rather than beginning with one note in one range and slowly adding new pitches to the palate without sections, this work consists of eight sections each “shifting” through distinct sets of pitches. The effect can be thought of as having the live instrument passing through isolated filters or rules. Additionally, the role of the pre-recorded sound is no longer a ever present thread to hold the material together, but a distant and distorted echo of the cello's gestures.
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'''''Feedback Shift II''''' was composed in the fall of 2014 for cellist Séverine Ballon's January 2015 residency at Stanford University. While planning the structure of the work I initially conceived of 8 sections, each lasting exactly 1'15" and episodic in character. The role of the electronics was to be a rhythmic canon of the cello material, offset by 2 sections (2'30") and realized through extended distorted guitar techniques, a nod back to Feedback Shift I. The goal of this long delay of rhythms (constituting the playback) was to provide an odd sense of similarity to the cello solo, but stripped of any real likeness (such as pitch and timbre). The extreme duration of the delay was also imagined as a way to have listeners question their own perception/memory: what is the relationship between these two seemingly disparate elements?
  
  

Revision as of 13:45, 8 June 2015

Background

Feedback Shift (2011) was written for Julia Werntz's Microtonal Composition and Performance II Course at the New England Conservatory and premiered by cellist Sebastian Baverstam at Jordan Hall (Boston, MA). The composition began with an idea of creating a single instrumental thread that would hold otherwise dense or complicated music together. I determined that a perpetually oscillating pitch would make for a fascinating thread. From that I recorded and looped myself playing an acoustic guitar, using a coin held diagonally as a pick for more timbral color. Next, I began to find public domain audio samples of electric guitar feedback. In searching through the plethora of samples I looked for recordings which sounded unique and not overly abrasive the ears. The best samples exhibited an inviting opening envelope, a nice sound profile, and a longer decay period. I edited and arranged these clips like a mosaic to create a rich sonic texture of sustain. Once the pre-recored sound part was completed I began to flesh out material for the cello. Here I tried to work in a mindset of restraint, beginning with one note in one range and slowly adding new pitches to the palate. In terms of form, I focused on avoiding clear sections and aimed to let the music gradually develop in a way that felt natural. The role of the cello in Feedback Shift is to provide balance to the pre-recorded sounds; sometimes complementary, but often reactionary.


Premier recording

Original score

Feedback Shift extended (pre-recorded sounds only)

Solo viola version (summer 2014)


Feedback Shift II was composed in the fall of 2014 for cellist Séverine Ballon's January 2015 residency at Stanford University. While planning the structure of the work I initially conceived of 8 sections, each lasting exactly 1'15" and episodic in character. The role of the electronics was to be a rhythmic canon of the cello material, offset by 2 sections (2'30") and realized through extended distorted guitar techniques, a nod back to Feedback Shift I. The goal of this long delay of rhythms (constituting the playback) was to provide an odd sense of similarity to the cello solo, but stripped of any real likeness (such as pitch and timbre). The extreme duration of the delay was also imagined as a way to have listeners question their own perception/memory: what is the relationship between these two seemingly disparate elements?


Pre-compositional sketches

2014 December 14 score

2015 January 15 premier recording (CCRMA Stage)

2015 April 02-14

Score edits1

Recording edti1

Score edits2


Pre-recorded sound sources via FreeSound.org

feedback_sax.wav

Guitar Sample Heavy Effects wav.wav

The remains of Mr Bamf :: Weird guitar noise.wav

Feedbacking System :: Feedback-System-with-distortion_18-Jul-2010.wav

baker hall feedback experiment sample

Creaking Metal Desk

Spaghetti-Western Guitar :: western-danger-stab-03.wav


Tape part (version1)