1) “Tohu Wa Bohu”
by Shelley Hirsch in 5.1 Surround Sound
Shelley Hirsch is a vocal artist, performer, actress and composer from
New York. For the Klangraum Krems Minoritenkirche Hirsch and the Swiss
artist Ursula Scherrer have created an installation, that was on show
in April 2013 as part oft he Donaufestival in Krems.
“In the beginning was tohu wa bohu: The Swiss artists Ursula
Scherrer and the US-American singer and composer Shelley Hirsch create
a room prior to the first sunrise. The term “tohu wa bohu”
is a Hebrew phrase and means chaos and emptiness. It describes the
original state of being before Creation (Genesis 1:2). Soon after the
separation of the sky and the seas were the algae. With symbioses of
single cell organisms, life started. ALGA – an installation of
two Krems-based Artists in Residence. From sea algae, light and voices
Scherrer and Hirsch create a primeval space. Tohu wa bohu – an
exploration of the light before it had an origin. In the beginning
was…”
Kunstradio presents a 5.1 radio version of this piece by Shelley Hirsch.
2) „The Episodes“
by Michael J. Schumacher
Michael J. Schumachers “The Episodes” was awarded an
Honorary Mention at this year’s Prix Palma Ars Acustica, a radio
art award initiated by members of the EURORADIO Ars Acustica group.
Description (by Michael J. Schumacher):
The
Episodes uses mostly radio sounds to build a quasi-drama, essentially
an imaginary car ride with reception issues, in which the auto scan
function has gone manic. Stations interweave and coalesce with
intermodulation distortion playing a decisive role in undermining
intelligibility.
The
basic form is 3-part, like a traditional piano sonata:
intro-fast-slow-fast. The last 8 minutes or so include an older,
unpublished composition called "Logic Somewhere", which in itself made
ample use of frequency and amplitude modulation (FM and AM).
I
like to listen to the radio in the car, I think this "practice" had a
big influence on my way of composing. First of all, the car is a great
listening environment (especially the newer models with their excellent
soundproofing). Second, the radio is a kind of random sound generator.
Third, the modes of listening vary from moment to moment, sometimes I
can focus on the music, then I'm distracted by something on the road,
then I'll notice the music has crept into my subconscious, or, when I'm
on the highway going fast, I'll turn to a rock station and the music's
rhythm will flow nicely with the feeling of speed.
Of
course, one shouldn't take these thoughts to literally in regards to
'The Episodes', they can be only very loosely applied. In fact, the
piece has its own logic that came out of the materials that I collected
in preparation. But maybe someday, now that I've evolved this
conception of what the piece might have been, I will try to write
something that adheres more strictly to the plan.
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