Audio

Audio maps

The first step in writing an audio score, for me, has always been to understand the mood. And later figure out what instruments could better achieve that. I started writing an audio score divided in 3 sections, according also to the performance map and the essay I wrote.

In these three sections different elements come in and out. Natural elements (such as rain, water, waves), percussion instruments (bells, tablas, congas), possibly some local South Eastern Asian string instruments like sitars, underwater recordings of earthquakes including the deadly 9.0 magnitude earthquake from Sumatra in 2004. I will probably add a human elements, such as breathing, screaming or singing.

This is a typed version of my original sound score map.

Sound score sketches

Here are a couple of rough audio score tracks, one under 4 mins and the other one about 5 mins and 30 secs. These are linear scores that follow the narrative from beginning to the end, used to get an idea of the type of instruments and rhythm that would fit the performance.

sound score test 1 here!

sound score test 2 here!

Max-MSP Patch

This Max patch takes the live data coming from the NOAA website from a buoy in the Indian Ocean and reads in the wave height values, determining the lowest and highest value and setting the parameters for the audio playback. The undulation of the waves can control the speed, or the volume or another parameter of the audio file, while the direction of the wave can also control when other instruments or audio file can come in.

For more Max patches that use acceleration as a controlling input check out the interactive sections of this performance.

More inspiration

Some of the inspiration regarding what type of instruments I thought would fit well the choreography came from watching dance and music Sri Lankan videos, like this great drum maker testing his drum.