|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LP
|
|
GODREC 049LP
|
Winfried Ritsch on Mono Metal Space: "... a 2x1m metal plate hung on a stand or frame is stimulated by amplifier driven modified motors used as strong transducers, and sensored by pickups. The computer-controlled feedback uses digital filters and dynamics effects as signal processing to try to resonate the plates within their individual overtones. These playable feedback filters are controlled as notes by playing increasing and decreasing sounds near the composed frequencies of the notes which evokes speech and 'singing-like' musical phrases in a wide range of frequencies typical of the chosen material. As a result of this arrangement, normally barely detectable resonances are produced in the musical space and create metallic-sounding multi-tonal clusters, whereby, due to the formation of formants and noise between the shifts, fast phrases and extremely slow polyphonic chords emerge from the sound plate. What initially appears as chaotic movements can soon be experienced as structured recurring patterns..." Personnel: Winfried Ritsch - composition/concept.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
PIC. DISC
|
|
GODREC 010LP
|
2012 release. Woodscratcher is a composition and sound generating machine from Austrian composer, media-artist, sound-sculptor and performer, Winfried Ritsch. Already known as collaborator in different projects with Bernhard Lang, Peter Ablinger, Ritsch created his "own dedication to noise pieces of experimental music from '70s onwards". The "Woodscratcher" is a machine that cuts a 2-5cm thick disk of a wooden trunk in a circular line along the growth rings of the wood, like a turntable. At the same time, the wood is amplified with four sensors and the signals picked from microphones are spatialized over four loudspeakers in the corners of the room. This scratching in the concert is done until the inner part of the disk falls to the ground and the piece ends. The movement of the cutting tool behaving like an over-sized record player needle, has the performing function and is an allusion of the production of records, as well as playing them. The "Woodscratcher" pretends to extract and play the information which resides in the piece of wood cutting it in an excessive performance. The wood is heard as acoustic material with superimposing loops of the cutting process. With the progression of the cutting process the sounds evolves of the pieces in more and more rubbing and squeezing sounds. The audio signal filters functions of the wood being heard as repeatedly changing formants, almost imaging voices in the noise. The aesthetics lies in the excessive performance beyond feasible by a human actor or musician and also, links the many possible associations to the world of music performance. One of them is the sound based on the noise of the experimental music pieces since the 70s and another with ideas of Herbert Bruen's computer music project "Sawdust" from that time. The transition in algorithmic composition to the composition of processes as instrument like done in live composition is expanded to the construction of a mechanical machine which is the live composer. The main aspect of this is that the process does the composing and the machine is composed for executing the process of extracting the piece out of the disc of wood, destroying it and defining the audible result of the piece. The picture vinyl release is a simulation of "Woodscratcher". The vinyl has an image of a wood, mimicking the actual performance.
|