Concentric Cycles by Emanuel Elischa

“CONCENTRIC CYCLES” is a personal artistic reflection of a 2 year growing process, in which I investigated artistic perspectives & the aesthetic potential around the context of circular rhythmic, as well as ambient electronic music through a linear sequence based improvisation like Oren Ambarchi, Mark Fell, Barker, Iku Sakan, concepts from Cosmic Kraut Rock, as well as the cyclic perspective & influences of Classical Indian Music. The research addresses the paradox between linear and circular perception and contributes a poetic outcome to the spiritual and philosophical context of Evolutionary Astrology & the Buddhist Heart Sutra as a paradox of dualism. A reoccurring association in my musical language is the circulation, contrasted to a linear based & sequenced polarity in perception. I explore the perceptional borderline between circularity and linearity, which is induced through recurrent and transforming sonic fluctuations in an electro acoustic & modular electronic set up. This catalogue takes the form of a reflective text, with a specific focus on the working methods, contextual placements, considerations & personal psychological analysis, as well as the evolutionary intention of the process that opened up for me during all the cycles I went through.

CYCLE #4 - OPENING UP THE RHYTHMIC DIMENSION IN LINEAR PROCESSED, CIRCULAR PERCEIVED SEQUENCES

Further experiential insights into the paradox in the perception of linearity & circularity
Retrospectively & summarized, what I was exploring in CYCLE#3 represented a first attempt to alternate the rhythmic dimension in my sequence based improvisational approach through incorporating non linear circulating systems.

Backward-looking, the feeling of addressing & getting familiar with a non linear pulse also revealed the power & contrast of working with a linear pulse.

CYCLE#4 reports the inspiration and starting point of investigation that explores the strictly rhythmic dimension in linear sequenced processing through circular perception: What other methods can I use to dissolve the linearity into a circular perception in quantized electronic rhythmic sequences?

Many, that’s for sure. Countless other artists are exploring this field as well, for instance Mark Fell, in Multistability (2010)

This following archive of 4 tracks represents the starting point & beginning of spending time with this investigative CYCLE#4. By no means is this cycle yet thoroughly explored.

{SEAWEED SPINE}

—> In the first part of the track (until min0 58s), even though linear in processing, the perception of the music is appearing more dynamic circular, emphasized through opening up the rhythmic dimension. I was being more free with sequentially aligning sub divisions in a quantized manner. This is especially highlighted within the transitioning into a sudden change to orienting my rhythmic orientation to

{WIP - Analog Modular Transfiguration}

—> This track is from an early version of my instrumental surface in modular signaling in 2020. The audio sources are strictly analog modular synthesis. What’s interesting here is the constant and random change of pulse and dynamic rhythmic gravitational center of the circulation. It vastly contributes to non linear perception and gets emphasized with a gradually changing & transfiguring sonic structure.

Because the track is quit long, please just have a listen for some minutes and come back to it at a later stage.

{Live at Skamstrup Brødfabrik}

Out of the process in CYCLE#6 grew a concept that led me to a complete new way of working with my artistic outcome and material, whereby I mixed various circulating sequences on top of each other. The intention to further dissolving the linear perception through mixing various circulating structures into each other and thereby opening up the rhythmic center point defines a musical concept with a great potential to deepening the context to an „Ambient“ interpretation of the electronic circulations. For my explorations it represents a huge potential to an understanding of an ambivalent rhythmic ambient perception

Whereas some part of my work was dedicated to the focus of rhythmic circulation, this musical concept defines a potential to the context of „Ambient“ interpretation of the electronic circulations through layering multiple flowing circulations into each other and opening up the rhythmic center point. As sound sources, I played analog synth, used field recordings and drum sequencer after granular post production, all combined through modular synthesis.

For my explorations it represents a huge potential to an understanding of an ambivalent rhythmic ambient perception.

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