09 April 2009

Starting Idea and Research Questions [Jan 08]

Initial Idea / Starting Research and Compositional questions:

Research Questions arising:
• Can compositional techniques of the past observing mosaic-type methodologies be successfully recontextualised in this environment, without the dominance of the visual element?
• Can the composer determine materials for the navigation system beforehand, as the basis for structural development in a mosaic-type form? Are specific gestural, timbral and textural materials more appropriate than others, to interact with the pace of the visuals?
• Which are the implications of the inclusion of socio-political elements for non-specialised audiences?; e.g. in terms of understanding the vocabulary and grammar of electro-acoustic music, becoming more engaged, etc.
• How applicable the System will be to existing repertoire of electro-acoustic music? For example, would it be more suitable to recreate existing Sound-scape compositions than more abstract acousmatic works?; an example of the former, Luc Ferrari’s Presque Rien (1, 2) and the latter, Parmegiani’s Moins l'infini.
• Can strategies for chance and determinacy in decision-making contexts (those provided by the Journey Map) be formulated to create structural coherence and articulation between sounds in motion, cartographic coordinates and the inner rhythm of the still/slow-motion images and text?
• What will be the optimum form for the visual element to better coexist, guide and contextualise the sonic discourse?
• What Sound Taxonomy would be more effective?; to classify them by spectro-spatio morphology, to organise them by source?, and what ‘modes of listening’ should be projected to audiences?