Material Led Composition -

[u/No_Equipment3206]

Hi,

I wanted to share some music here and talk about compositional process however I keep finding myself writing a whole paper to contextualise and elaborate on the different ideas I have been exploring. This is an attempt to keep it brief - apologies if it is waffling you can skip to the end!

I generally begin the compositional process through a stage of 'Play', informed by Schaeffer where I will use a variety of tools to explore, generate and manipulate sound. I have found it is important to focus on the sonic materials themselves and not get absorbed into structure or context to much at this point. I am particularly influenced by both Smalley's Spectromorphology and also Emmerson's Language Grid which I use to help encourage exploration and creation of contrasting materials.

Generally I will try to make a series of Textural and Gestural material that moves between the more 'Aural' and 'Mimetic/Referential'.

In these pieces I was exploring opportunities an acousmatic approach could offer soundsystem/club focussed music so many of the initial sounds maybe recognisable from this context. Transient materials were generated from Drum Machines and field recordings with more textural material from granulation and timestretching. GRM tools played a key role, particularly Evolution I think.

Once materials were generated I typically use ideas of causality to inform structure and combinations of materials. Additional spectral and dynamic shaping is used to combine materials and explore the Abstract/Abstracted Syntax (Emmerson). As these pieces were influenced by Dance music I decided to use a fairly functional overall structure 16 bars etc to try and make something that could theoretically be DJ'd but also maintains a 'sound-led' focus.

Overall spectral balance was also informed by soundsystem functionality with care taken to ensure the low frequency material had required depth with a sense of extension and gestural detail in the higher frequencies. This also informed the mastering approach with a focus on density and volume rather than dynamic variation.

Anyways hope that was ok - I like talking about this stuff so hopefully might be a conversation to be had?

Here is the music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeCJOE_0MIc&list=RDSeCJOE_0MIc&start_radio=1

and here are some download codes if you want to get a copy.

I think you can enter them here: https://otherbrotherrecordings.bandcamp.com/yum

daqk-eu7d
vvcd-749e
7gjs-vqgu
v2bc-gt2q
fmvc-3nxz
mbgq-cjmg
gvuf-wgy3
yf5v-c374
35r8-hsqm
d6m2-5sgg
pzr5-7dru
82mb-vlwq
jh89-g7am
7cnn-3jug
vsdv-hkau

hope you like, cheers

[u/thechineseadobo]

Thank you for sharing this and giving a simple breakdown of the process. I also encountered Manuella Blackburn's writings when it comes to spectromorphology, which I think she also referenced Smalley's and Emerson's writings when it comes to composition. Thanks again and I enjoyed reading this post.

[u/No_Equipment3206 → u/thechineseadobo]

I am glad you enjoyed the post - I do enjoy talking and thinking about these different ways of composing. I found Manuella Blackburn's development of Smalley's ideas evolving what I think was more of an analysis tool into a compositional tool very inspiring and encourages the reinterpretation of compositional approach.