Solo #1 (2022)

Premiered at the concert series Skaiv.

The harmonic framework used for the piece is based on the pythagorean tuning of the shō, using the sawtooth waves to extend the harmonic space into seven-limit just intonation.

When playing the shō, the musician excites the reeds both by inhaling and exhaling. This means that the musician can play continuously, without needing to pause to breathe. However, the moment in which the musician changes breathing direction – in the traditional performance practice called kigae – results in a void, a moment of silence. It is partly through this void that the relationsohip between the electronics and the shō in Solo #1 is explored – as the electronics stay consistent and stable throughout, the variations in amplitude, timbre and pitch that are created during the kigae create subtle shifts in perception.