This work was commisioned for Imogen Heap, one of Aucklands foremost recorder players. It combines scored music with live-electronic components and is split into three parts:
I. Under the bell jar
II. Mother I need you
III. Flight
The concept behind this work is 'broken communication'. In an attempt to speak a language that might be understood by the listener, Imogen plays through a range of articulations which are simultaneously re-iterrated and transformed by digital effects. Through whispers, breath, humming and bird song, she tries in vein to bridge the gap between the abstract and the indicative.
The data used to manipulate sound in this work comes from a simple proximity-to-microphone arrangement. Playing a note near to the microphone will activate a set of effects, while moving away fades them out. This way Imogen can move through the written material while naturally integrating the electronic effects with idiomatic performance gestures.
There are several effects that the performer can control, including fading samples in or out, feeding input to delay effects and activating the digital doppelganger (created with a combination of max programming and WIVI software). The arrangement of these effects are determined by built-in sequencing within the Max patch, however adjustments can be made accordingly via the supervision of a soundengineer if needed.
This work was first premiered at the Zeitgeist concert at the Audio Foundation and performed a second time at the University of Auckland School of Music.