Orb for live and pre-recorded Thai Gong was written for Sean Connors. The title refers to the circular shape of the gong and also to the path or orbit used in the live and pre-recorded parts. The live part begins with the percussionist steadily striking the center of the gong. In a very slow and methodical manner, the percussionist moves the mallet from the center to the outer edge and back again. This produces striking fluctuations in the pitch/noise ratio. The second part of the piece explores the equally rich variety of pitches and noises produced when the gong is bowed at different points. The creation of the pre-recorded part began by recording the aforementioned mallet and bow actions upon the gong. The initial recording was then played back into a room and re-recorded. The new recording was played back and yet another recording was made. This process was repeated several times. After multiple iterations, the sound of the gong is virtually eliminated and replaced by the resonant frequencies of the room. Some of you may recognize this process from Alvin Lucier’s I Am Sitting In A Room (1970). In the case of Orb, the process was performed in multiple rooms yielding a variety of resonant frequencies. Also important are the initial recordings that subtly blend the sound of the recorded gong with the emerging frequencies of the space. Recordings from different points in the process and different rooms were combined to create the pre-recorded part. In the end, the actions performed upon the live and recorded gong, generate a dialogue of sorts between pitch, noise, space, and time.
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