SUMMARY
While this paper has been aimed at
uncovering only a few salient traits of some common digital sound
processes, I believe electroacoustic music is such a new area of
compositional activity, and the language so 'foreign', that this
topic merits more such research. The relationship between technology
and the composer is often a rather uneasy affair, and for this reason
we need to approach the technology from a perceptual point-of-view. I have argued that such an
approach needs to take into account the myriad levels of sonic
signification of which electroacoustic music is capable. We need not
limit ourselves to working with purely concrete sounds, purely
'musical' sounds, or purely abstract sounds. Electroacoustic music is
capable of predicating a rich discourse in the significative realms
of the human perception and cognition; as composers we need to
understand how our thoughts and actions are capable of harnessing
this extremely powerful and extremely beautiful potential.
I believe this paper to be a
tentative step in such a direction.
DISCOGRAPHY
- Wishart, Trevor.
Tongues of
Fire:
OTP001
Trevor Wishart
1994
- Smalley, Denis.
Tides: MANU 1433 Ode Records 1993
- Normandeau, Robert.
Tangram:
IMED 9419/20
Diffusion i
Media 1992
- Calon, Christian.
Ligne de Vie:
IMED 9001
Diffusion i
Media 1995
- By the author:
- Chrysalis:
Unpublished,
1996
- Ombrisages:
Unpublished,
1996
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