Episode 133

Sonic Adventures in Electronic Composition—The Ashley, Smith, and Hamilton Mix

Playlist

Time

Track Time

Start

Introduction –Thom Holmes

05:35

00:00

1.     Tom Hamilton, “London Fix 2” from London Fix (2003 Muse Eek). Composed and produced by Tom Hamilton; Programmed by Michael J. Schumacher. Tom Hamilton first made his living in audio production then gradually shifted all of that work to new music. Tom worked on almost all of the late Robert Ashley CDs and tours since 1990. This disc is subtitled "Music Changing with the price of Gold. An environment of continuous electronic music created through a programming residency at Engine 27, New York City. Please play softly.”

08:13

05:42

2.     Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, “Who I Am & Why I Am Where I Am” from The Kid (2017 Western Vinyl). Composed, produced, and performed by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is an American composer raised on Orcas Island in northwest Washington state. She attended the Berklee College of Music in order to study composition and sound engineering. Smith is a vocalist, classical guitarist, and electronic musician using a variety of modular setups.

05:20

13:56

3.     Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, “I Am Curious, I Care” from The Kid (2017 Western Vinyl). Composed, produced, and performed by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith.

03:44

19:22

4.     Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, “I Will Make Room For You” from The Kid (2017 Western Vinyl). Composed, produced, and performed by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith.

04:58

23:08

5.     Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, “To Feel Your Best” from The Kid (2017 Western Vinyl). Composed, produced, and performed by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith.

06:20

28:07

6.     Robert Ashley, “Superior Seven” from Superior Seven / Tract (1995 New World Records). Flute and computer programming, Barbara Held; Computer Programming, processing, and mixed by Tom Hamilton; synthesizer voices designed by Robert Ashley and Tom Hamilton; composed by Robert Ashely. Ashley was mostly known for his modern operas composed of dialog and new music. As a result, this instrumental work may not be what you expect from him. Superior Seven dates from 1988, just after the introduction of MIDI. Ashley fully explored MIDI for this work, writing a solo flute part with piano and a MIDI orchestra. Music was written for a flute player and pianist and audible cues triggered the engagement of MIDI instrumental parts controlled by a participating electronic musician (Hamilton). I saw this performed live and the results were startling.

30:15

34:16

Opening background music: Tom Hamilton, “Region 6” (excerpt) from Sebastian's Shadow (1997 Monroe Street Music). Electronics and composed by Tom Hamilton. Sebastian's Shadow follow the harmonic order found in J. S. Bach's Fantasia And Fugue No. 4 (BWV 542) (15:23).

Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.

My Books/eBooks: Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, Routledge 2020. Also, Sound Art: Concepts and Practices, first edition, Routledge 2022.

See my companion blog that I write for the Bob Moog Foundation.

For a transcript, please see my blog, Noise and Notations.

Original music by Thom Holmes can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp.