Sonic Amalgamations

The primary research area is electroacoustic fixed-media composition using recorded performances of acoustic and electronic sources, these are edited and manipulated using bespoke hardware and software to create a work via improvisation-driven composition techniques. This draws on traditions such as David Tudor’s use of bespoke electronics in live, installation, and fixed media contexts, and is inspired by Ikue Mori’s collaborative works using custom instruments for improvisation. A secondary focus is surround sound, specifically exploring Manuel Poletti’s spatialization tools. Research question: What creative possibilities emerge when a studio environment and generative spatialization system are combined to produce a fixed-media acousmatic work from DIY systems designed for improvisatory performance?Improvisations with a bespoke DIY system of tangible instruments utilizing LED control to generate musical content were recorded, edited, and layered with close-captured sounds (paper, balloons) and a Bugbrand Postcard Weevil. The resultant eight-channel fixed-media electroacoustic work spans noise and acousmatic genres. Our overall goal was to explore the possibilities of a sensor-based performance systems in a controlled studio environment. The final composition blends manipulated improvisations and processed source material spatialized through a hybrid spatial system of live diffusion and generative motion patterns programmed in Max and Ableton softwares. The piece emphasizes an interactive, improvisation-driven approach to fixed-media composition.Sonic Amalgamations was double-blind peer-reviewed by an international jury and presented at Ryder Hall at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as part of the 50th Anniversary of the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC 2025). In addition to the multi-channel performance, a stereo version of the work was published by ICMC.