Miller

ON DEMAND
Nicolas G. Miller
(instructions)
(text)

The score is divided into four documents: the text for recitation, the instructions (which read as stage directions), an audio file, and a video file for projection.

In speaking with Miller it was explained he had intentionally left recitation instructions rather vague in keeping with anteroom’s preference for openness and indeterminancy in scores. After numerous attempts at vocal delivery, it was decided to present the words much in the vocal tradition established by Robert Ashley and extended by Miller (A POTENTIALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE, IM NOT A BAD MAN IM JUST A BAD WIZARD) of punishing and difficult monotony which, according to several audience members, had the tendency to transition with time into soothing and atmospheric ambiance.

The film and textual material in ON DEMAND is appropriated from online browsing experiences of analog playback devices having been digitally documented and uploaded by members of Youtube, a popular video sharing virtual community. The audio of said videos was stripped and transposed into a single text document left for the performers to interpret. The seperate audio file included in the score was created by the composer and seems to be influenced by dub-step, a current and popular dance music style.

performed 27 May 2012 in Dallas, Texas at The Reading Room by anteroom.

Nicolas G. Miller

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§287 · August 31, 2012 · audio ·

Goodwin

II. I.
Adam Goodwin
(score)

The piece is divided into two untitled movements which, with permission from Goodwin, anteroom performed in reverse order. In movement II. Goodwin, inspired by a recent interaction with Jaap Blonk, has arranged a system of connected groups of phonetic characters the performers are to move through freely. The phonemes are pulled from the first word of movement I. consider. Movement I. is entirely text-based and offers a meta-structure for a piece. It is an excellent example of the kinds of text-scores which originally sparked our interest in the medium. It’s openness allows the performer to pour oneself freely into the music and into the performance, while its general guidelines offer helpful direction which aid in preserving a coherent intention throughout an ensemble.

Our process for realizing movement I. was as follows: improvise with the words with no prior discussion, discuss patterns and metaphors we noticed, improvise under more guidance, sketch a general graphic score, refine delivery. Through this process we were able to agree upon a point of unity which was realized by dropping metal coins into metal pots and revolving them in a counter-clockwise motion. We established two stages to precede the point of unity. First, Miller moved wood against wood in a vertical motion while Jackson moved wood against metal in a circular motion. Second, Miller moved skin against skin in a sweeping motion resulting in a rapid vibration between the two materials; Jackson, meanwhile, rapidly vibrated metal against metal. Each stage was divided into two characteristics: material and gesture. In stage one neither material nor gesture aligned between Miller and Jackson. In stage two gesture aligned while material did not. In stage three both material and gesture aligned. Thus, a simple three step motion towards a point of unity, followed by a pause, and, finally, a slow detachment.

performed 27 May 2012 in Dallas, Texas at The Reading Room by anteroom.

Adam Goodwin

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§281 · August 31, 2012 · audio, scores, video, writings ·

Underrinner

Nocturne Series: 4
Chaz Underrinner

Having just finished studies in composition with Michael Pisaro, Underrinner has arranged a piece steeped heavily in the tradition of Cagean silence established by Cage and extended recently by groups like the Edition Wandleweiser, of which Pisaro is a part. Interestingly, Underrinner has chosen to merge the practice of field recording and performance by providing previously composed field recordings and asking the performers to place speakers about the space. The performers are to interact with the speakers, ultimately filtering out various frequencies and adjusting the spatiality of the field recording being interacted with.

In contrast with the stillness and quietness of the sound, the composer has asked quite a bit of the performers in the sense that, in addition to playing notes on pitched instruments and interacting with the speakers, each of the ten field recording is to be turned on and off at particular second markings. To achieve this accurately, anteroom composed an additional track for each recording provided with the playback cuts composed in so that we could avoid having to achieve this manually in performance.

performed 27 May 2012 in Dallas, Texas at The Reading Room by anteroom.

Chaz Underrinner

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§274 · August 31, 2012 · audio ·

Back

Each Sound Longer than the Last
Martin Back

Back presents a fibonacci sequence as an initial pallette of temporal options along side several restrictions which reveal multiple paths into timbral and rhythmic choices for the performers to make.

anteroom has decided to remain true to the implied instruction of the title by selecting numbers from the fibonacci sequence which increase in magnitude; additionally the options of using the numbers as a system of counting, and repeated striking of percussion instruments were chosen.

The resulting experience for the performers was that of particular cognitive interest. Throughout the performance a silent tempo, agreed upon by visual cues and faith, was sounding within our imaginations as well as the two tempos being performed on our instruments for the audience. While the audience may have experienced Reichian phasing of two tempos, the performers were experiencing phasing occuring on a third intellectual level, making the piece particularly difficult and interesting to perform.

performed 27 May 2012 in Dallas, Texas at The Reading Room by anteroom.

Martin Back

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§234 · August 31, 2012 · audio, video, writings ·