experiments from the n-space (2024) - Brian Lindgren

Video Description

experiments from the n-space 00:00 1. ichidaiji innen 04:16 2. State Machine 06:12 3. Earl Grey 07:57 4. Les Espaces d'Abraxas 12:42 5. homilies of the nuclear priesthood 15:27 6. Aporia by Brian Lindgren recording session with HYPERCUBE: Erin Rogers (saxophones), Dan Lippel (classical & electric guitar), Andrea Lodge (piano & accordion), and Chris Graham (percussion) composed for the 2023-24 CCT (Composition & Computer Technologies) Graduate Composers Concert notes: Sound possesses the extraordinary ability to transport us to imaginary spaces that can feel more vivid than what we may see with our eyes. experiments from the n-space delves into Euclidean geometry, describing spaces of infinite dimensions. This imaginative exercise liberates the sonic palette from the constraints of three-dimensional acoustic physics. The ensemble HYPERCUBE (saxophone, guitar, piano, and percussion) is processed using the software engine designed for a hybrid digital/acoustic stringed instrument I’ve developed, the EV. The processing employs FFT convolution algorithms to combine the instruments’ acoustic sound and a synthesizer (controlled by pitch and amplitude). In experiments from the n-space, rather than processing the four strings of the EV, HYPERCUBE is routed into the software engine. At times the convolution algorithms juxtapose two instruments on top of one another, blending the sonic characteristics of each. In other instances, the instrument will be convolved with a synthesized version of itself, experimenting with the juxtaposition of synthetic and acoustic within a multi-dimensional auditory experience. Each movement experiments with specific synthesis approaches, ranging from familiar instrumental relationships toward alien sonic territories. ‘ichidaiji innen’ convolves the saxophone with a synthesizer—its title, drawn from the Buddhist concept of fundamental causation, reflects how one signal fundamentally shapes and determines the character of another through convolution. ‘State Machine’ convolves the piano with the bass drum, still grounded in recognizable instrumental timbres. ‘Earl Grey’ uses feature extraction to exert extended control of synthesizers, further separating instrument from acoustical identity. ‘Les Espaces d’Abraxas’ ventures deeper into the fantastical, experimenting with spatial modulation synthesis where the ensemble’s sound is modulated as it spins above audio rate within the ambisonic dome. ‘homilies of the nuclear priesthood’ extends the guitar and piano using granular processing on reverberated signal, while ‘Aporia’ uses a Paulstretch buffer-freeze effect on the piano to augment its timbre into alien territories, stretching single moments into blurred time-spans. more info: https://brianlindgren.com/p/experiments-from-the-n-space/