Shipbreaking (Alto Sax and live electronics)
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Consortium Director
Zach Herchen Consortium Members Jeffrey Heisler Hart Linker Kim Reece Ian Richter Alex Sellers Johannes Thorell |
Instrumentation
alto saxophone and live electronics*
Duration
ca. 8 minutes
Program Note
The life expectancy of any large sea vessel is about twenty years. After that time, the rising costs of maintenance and insurance make the ship unprofitable. So where do ships go to die? To the beaches of Chittagong, Bangladesh, where laborers working for iron recycling companies such as PHP (Peace, Happiness, Prosperity) dismantle the giant ships almost entirely by hand. There are no cranes, no lifts, no scaffolding, no hardhats, no jack hammers; just blowtorches and many human hands. This is a powerful example of accomplishing a monumental task with very simple means. The „cutters‰ (those with blow torches) literally cut the ship into large pieces which are then carried on the shoulders of twenty men to nearby trucks. This composition reflects musically on the wonderment of shipbreaking, specifically as portrayed in the photography of Edward Burtynsky. The electronic sounds are derived from recordings of metal: banging, scraping, clanging, grinding, sawing, dropping, hammering, and cutting metal pieces of a variety of shapes and sizes. The intersection of the saxophone and metallic sounds is explored through the use of extended techniques including slap tonguing, altissimo, and multiphonics.
Technical Requirements
Computer with Max/MSP (application or runtime) installed, version 6 or later. This can be downloaded at no charge from cycling74.com
Max patch and all related files obtained by emailing benjamintaylormusic@gmail.com ! Audio interface such as a MOTU Traveler (2 outputs minimum, 5 is ideal) ! USB foot pedal (or patch can be triggered by an assistant) Microphone for the saxophone
Mixer (with at least 2 inputs, 5 is ideal) and stereo channel sound diffusion system The Max Patch
After installing Max/MSP Runtime (downloaded at cycling74.com), open the max patch by double clicking on the file „ShipbreakingMaxPatch‰ contained in the folder from the composer. The patch will then open itself and contains instructions on its operation.
There are two max patch versions; a two channel out patch and a five channel out patch. This gives the performer increased flexibility to perform this piece in a variety of settings.
alto saxophone and live electronics*
Duration
ca. 8 minutes
Program Note
The life expectancy of any large sea vessel is about twenty years. After that time, the rising costs of maintenance and insurance make the ship unprofitable. So where do ships go to die? To the beaches of Chittagong, Bangladesh, where laborers working for iron recycling companies such as PHP (Peace, Happiness, Prosperity) dismantle the giant ships almost entirely by hand. There are no cranes, no lifts, no scaffolding, no hardhats, no jack hammers; just blowtorches and many human hands. This is a powerful example of accomplishing a monumental task with very simple means. The „cutters‰ (those with blow torches) literally cut the ship into large pieces which are then carried on the shoulders of twenty men to nearby trucks. This composition reflects musically on the wonderment of shipbreaking, specifically as portrayed in the photography of Edward Burtynsky. The electronic sounds are derived from recordings of metal: banging, scraping, clanging, grinding, sawing, dropping, hammering, and cutting metal pieces of a variety of shapes and sizes. The intersection of the saxophone and metallic sounds is explored through the use of extended techniques including slap tonguing, altissimo, and multiphonics.
Technical Requirements
Computer with Max/MSP (application or runtime) installed, version 6 or later. This can be downloaded at no charge from cycling74.com
Max patch and all related files obtained by emailing benjamintaylormusic@gmail.com ! Audio interface such as a MOTU Traveler (2 outputs minimum, 5 is ideal) ! USB foot pedal (or patch can be triggered by an assistant) Microphone for the saxophone
Mixer (with at least 2 inputs, 5 is ideal) and stereo channel sound diffusion system The Max Patch
After installing Max/MSP Runtime (downloaded at cycling74.com), open the max patch by double clicking on the file „ShipbreakingMaxPatch‰ contained in the folder from the composer. The patch will then open itself and contains instructions on its operation.
There are two max patch versions; a two channel out patch and a five channel out patch. This gives the performer increased flexibility to perform this piece in a variety of settings.
RECORDING
PURCHASE Shipbreaking
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More Details
All necessary electronic files will be emailed upon receipt of payment. If requesting a hard copy, shipping is included in the purchase price.
Image used with permission.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
CTG. Ship Breaking 02 by Naquib Hossain
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
CTG. Ship Breaking 02 by Naquib Hossain
