Creative Computing Project - I Say Concrete Without a French Accent?

This piece explores the different musical outcomes brought about by the use of different equipment and associated techniques. The entire work is bound by the music concrete ideology and was created only from the sounds of food preparation equipment.

Part 1
This section follows the journey of a food preparer using traditional music concrete techniques. The microwave’s whirring sooths the user to a relaxed then they are roused by the chaotic beeping of several timers and the boiling of the kettle. Processing includes reverb, delay, flanger, varispeed and compression. The style of the result is inspired by pioneering concréte artists such as Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer.

Part 2
Sounds of a microwave, kettle, beaters, glass jar and bowl are intensely processed using unpredictable software such as Soundhack and Fscape and sequenced in Pro Tools and Reason. This part draws inspiration from modern electronic artists from the “IDM” subgenre.

Part 3
A return to the style and techniques of classic 50s concrete as in part 1. The dishes are washed, however one cannot resist making music with the sounds of the glasses and cutlery while undertaking this task. The main sounds used are running water, a gas stove being lit, the ringing of a struck knife and the sound of a glass being played percussively.

I Say Concrete Without a French Accent? mp3

Score

Screenshot of Pro Tools session for part 2.