Track 1:

Title: Library Music and Improvisation for Trichord Piezo Resonator

RAW:

About:

This track uses a singular acoustic source, a DiY Piezo instrument I created myself. It uses 3 different strings (Steel fence wire, Electric Guitar, and Bass Guitar) extended between two metal plates under high tension. The instrument sports several springs which create extra resonance and bell-like qualities to the music.

I used a Jez Riley French contact microphone to capture the raw essence of the sounds.

This track was influenced by the ambient works of Brian Gocher AKA The Thumpmonks, who regularly utilises manipulated string and metallic sounds in his work. Specifically I allowed myself to be influenced by his use of non-traditional string instruments, resonant metallic sounds, and textural ambient structure.

To create this work I begun placing the contact mic on various positions of the instrument’s body and experimented with different ways you can strike, pluck, or scrape the instrument. The bottom plate functions as a pitch bend if stepped on, allowing for unique vibratos and mic position provides subtle timbral changes.

During my Electroacoustic seminars we explored dynamic contrast, stereo panning, and the use of GRM Freeze to generate pad-like textures that function as a bed for other sounds, which I applied here.

Plucked string samples are used primarily, with some being processed to emphasise their bell-like qualities (Using GRM Reson and CombFilter), where others have their sustain/release processed (Using GRM Freeze and Evolution).

In addition to this I also used:

Metal and string scraping is also processed using GRM Delays, Evolution and PaulXStretch.

Automation was used extensively, utilising GRM SuperSlider to morph between presets and evolve sounds over time.

Multiple processing techniques are often applied in succession resulting in compounding sonic interactions. For example, Warp is applied after Reson with high resonance at points, where Reson produces and emphasises certain overtones and Warp offsets their pitch, resulting in sonic synergy. Another combination used in the track is GRM Shuffling, GRM Doppler, and GRM Delays. When combined, the three create a sense of development and movement in the track.

Delay (both GRM and stock) and Reverb (Lexiverb) are utilised throughout to achieve mood and to glue the track together.

Track 2:

Title: An Acoustic Trip to Staithes

RAW:

About:

This track is constructed from a small collection of field recordings captured during a holiday visit to the coastal village of Staithes. The intention was to create an auditory image that resonates with cultural experience, using a limited palette of sounds transformed using GRM processing while retaining recognisability.

All recordings were captured using a Zoom H5. Environmental recordings included a single seagull call and a short recording of ocean waves captured while standing at the edge of the harbour wall. These recordings were chosen because they represent some of the most recognisable sounds associated with the seaside environment.

This track was partly influenced by the ideas of Pierre Schaeffer and the development of musique concrète, where recorded sounds become the primary material for composition. The piece was also influenced by the work of Fräkmündt, particularly the album Bärgtröim which uses metallic textures and wind-like sounds to create atmospheric tonal material. I allowed myself to be influenced by the use of clattering metal textures and resonant sounds that blur the line between noise and tone.

During the electroacoustic seminars I also found the use of GRM Evolution to be particularly fitting for this piece, using it to blur, extend, and diversify signals.

Order of operations and plugin synergy is an important aspect of this piece. For example, using a metal plate hit with GRM evolution -> Delays -> Shuffling allows you to extend the effective duration of the release. Applying evolution after delay would blur and already delayed sound, which interferes with dynamics.

For the seagulls, GRM Freeze was used to capture short fragments of the seagull recording and loop them, creating the impression of multiple birds appearing and disappearing over time. The order goes: GRM Freeze (with automated loop quantities) -> EQ -> Evolution -> Space Filter -> Warp. Applying freeze before evolution avoids looping an already blurred sound which would reduce clarity and interfere with the articulation of the seagull calls.

Finally, the Whirly Tube (which creates overtones when spun) sample was applied with GRM Reson to emphasise the dominant resonant frequencies -> Reverb (for texture) -> GRM Doppler -> EQ. Doppler has synergy when it is applied after reverb, which would normally blur subtle panning changes if applied last. Doppler takes the reverberated signal and relocates its position in the mix. The effect is that you still hear the textural qualities of the reverb but preserve strong spatial effects.

The piece is intended to function as an electroacoustic exploration of a specific place and experience. By using recognisable environmental recordings alongside manipulated object sounds, the work attempts to represent both the physical location and a more abstract interpretation of the sounds encountered there.

My approach to the composition was to balance raw recordings with more heavily processed sounds in order to create contrast and development. Some sounds remain relatively natural while others are transformed into sustained textures or fragmented gestures. Repetition is used sparingly, often with slight variations in processing or spatial placement so that familiar sounds can reappear in different forms throughout the track.

A complete list of recordings used in this piece include:

Several GRM tools were used throughout the production process to transform these recordings. GRM Reson was applied to emphasise the dominant resonant frequencies present in the wave recordings, allowing the noisy sound of the ocean to move gradually toward more controlled harmonic content. GRM Evolution was often used before delay processing to extend and blur the decay of metallic strikes, while GRM Shuffling helped fragment sustained sounds into smaller gestures spaced across time. Additional tools such as GRM Warp and Doppler were used to introduce pitch movement and spatial motion.

Overall, the production approach for this piece focused on using non-traditional sound sources and environmental recordings as the primary material for composition. By combining field recordings with GRM, the work transforms familiar seaside sounds while preserving elements of their recognisability.