10, 11, 12 September

Time and Space Shapes for Gamelan (2017)

Laurie Spiegel is an American composer. She has worked at Bell Laboratories, in computer graphics, and is known for her electronic-music compositions. Spiegel was a pioneer of the New York new-music scene. Mark Fell is a Rotherham-based music producer and artist. He has released several albums under his own name, with the duo SND he shares with Mat Steel, under the moniker Sensate Focus, and in various collaborations.

The work is an installation within which visitors are invited to participate and/or listen and observe. A Gamelan orchestra is arranged in a room. At each instrument is a pair of headphones and a simple set of written instructions.

The headphones relay simple rhythmic patterns - each rhythm on each set of headphones is different but linked. The participant wears the headphones and follows the pattern (it does not matter if this is not “perfect”). The written instructions explain what to play and when. There are three sets of instructions (ie three sections) each allocated to a different time of day.

The work draws upon Fell and Spiegel’s shared interests, exploring emergent behaviours, group-based performance systems, non-linear structures and procedural action. In this sense the work is less about musical skill, proficiency, expression or emotion and more about engaging in a collective sound-based process.

You can experience this work as part of the Proximity Music tour. Find out more here.