Composers

Barrett

Barrett N

Norway
Integra Commission: Crack (Atomic Crack : Deep Ice : Crack Horizon)
Duration: 17:00
Resources: Electric Guitar, Percussion, Trumpet and Electronics
Electronic Specification: MaxMSP, MaxMSP sensor interface, percussion tracking hardware.
Integra Ensemble: Ars Nova (Sweden)
Integra Research Centre: La Kitchen (France)
Website: www.natashabarrett.org

Barrett Integra by IntegraLive

Programme Note

Crack explores ways to connect musical structure to phenomena found in nature. Its electroacoustic element is substantial, requiring extreme synchronisation and interaction by the performers. To achieve this, a series of sensors are connected to the percussionist’s arms and the output of these sensors used to calculate attack instance, attack velocity and motion direction for two arms in the vertical plane. Atomic Crack begins at the atomic level of a crack process and is derived from how a crack in silicon is initiated, how the crack tip propagates and becomes unstable. As Atomic Crack develops the perspective widens to take in the energy connected with the creation of crack clusters. In Atomic Crack it is the performers and their instruments creating both the ‘material substance’ and the ‘crack’. All electroacoustic material is created live in performance through sampling, playback and transformation. There is no pre-made sound. Deep Ice is the antithesis of Atomic Crack. The sound of ice cracking as it is submerged in water is recorded with high quality microphones at an extremely close proximity. The recording is slowed down by 128 semitones and data extracted from this transformation is used to create a framework for the instrumental part.  In Deep Ice the electroacoustic part is dominated by pre-made ‘acousmatic’ (non-instrumental) sound controlled moment by moment by the performers. Live sound transformation acts as the ‘glue’ between pre-made and live sound elements. Crack Horizon takes such a wide angle that the percussionist articulates points on a distant field and acts as a disturbance to the continuity of the sustaining instruments.

Computer (MaxMSP composition, design and programming): Natasha Barret.
Percussion tracking hardware and MaxMSP sensor interface: La Kitchen and Thomas Bouaziz

Biography

My compositional output consists of works for instruments and live electronics, sound installations, dance, theatre, and animation projects, but all energy stems from my acousmatic composition and the perception of sound. After completing studies in England, which included working with BEAST and Jonty Harrison during a masters degree and afterwards a doctoral degree supervised by Denis Smalley, since 1998 I have lived in Norway, active as a freelance composer and performer.

NB

This piece was composed during the first phase of the Integra project and as such does not use the Integra:Live software.

Integra Composers

Integra commissioned eleven European composers to write works including an electronic element in the period 2005 – 2008.

In the next phase of our activities, Integra is now preparing to release details of five major new commissions, all of which have been awarded in 2010. Each composer will write a new work using the Integra:Live software for ensemble, live electronics and other media. These pieces will be premiered in September 2011, with second performances taking place before the end of November 2011. Further information will be displayed in the tabs above soon!