The Distillations Set
for Guitar – Computer – Amplifier system
By Brandon Vaccaro
Audio
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Notes from the Artist:
The Distillations Set is a large form work for electric guitar-amplifier and computer processing. The piece is divided into two parts. Part I is the work Distillations. It is an electro-acoustic work using pre-processed guitar sounds and live guitar performance.
In 2004, I composed a work called Meta-Programming and the Imprint Theory that followed a narrative of an initiatory path, and its relation to the many cyclic processes we experience in life. It focused on several archetypal symbols and their relation to the classical elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. I developed a system of correlations between certain harmonic formulae, melodic gestures, sounds/timbres and these archetypal symbols. In MPIT, this correlation of symbolism was treated very systematically. Distillations presents elements of the MPIT narrative, but in a non-linear, montage fashion characteristic of a dream.
During the next few years, Distillations became one of my main performance works. In 2006, I began work on a granular synthesis method for use in my compositions. As an early experiment with the process, I used a recording of Distillations as the sound material. The process deconstructs and reassembles the source material into an evolving, ambient, textural sound montage. The results with Distillations were quite striking, and I decided to improvise over it.
Eventually, I developed a computer program that records my performance of Distillations, and then runs the deconstruction/reconstruction process with that recording. The result serves as the basis for my improvisations. The process is driven by a stochastic system, so the resulting audio is similar but unique in each performance.
This recording was edited from two live-in-studio performances. All sounds for the improvisation are being generated by MAX/MSP from the recording of Distillations or are performed on my guitar system (which includes some additional short sampling and looping ability).