Sound 2
Extending the instrument can be understood as a form of mimicry. We attempt to obscure the origin of the sound, to mimic something else, whether it be another instrument, an object, or even a species. Throughout my work with preparations, I became captivated by the potential of exploring the timbral qualities of electronic and electro-acoustic instruments using purely acoustic sources.
To explore how my sonic approximations might integrate into an electro-acoustic soundscape, I began collaborating with musicians from the Viennese scene: Thomas Grill, Lukas König, Karl Salzmann, and Jorge Sánchez-Chiong.
What follows is the result of these collaborations, a kind of sonic diary, documenting another moment in time: before, during, and after.
Sound
How does one capture the epistemology of a practice in the context of spontaneous musical creation? What kind of connection does the work of art have with the thought process behind it? Within the field of artistic research, I remain convinced that musical material often faces the complex task of transmitting its underlying reflective processes. Nevertheless, the material exists, carrying with it the preparatory work, its results, and potential future developments. One such document of my individual research on preparations and approaches to improvisation is the album Sound, released in 2021 by the Croatian label Cantus. This album presents a collection of solo, duo, and trio recordings (with Peter Herbert on double bass, Gerald Preinfalk on saxophones, Nikola Vuković on prepared pocket trumpet, and Kruno Levačić on objects), all made during the initial development phase of the project—sound as a document of a thought process. Reflections on this production can be gleaned from its liner notes:
The recordings presented on this album document a research process, a constantly evolving train of thought that attempts to grasp the uncertain and fluctuating nature of improvised expression. The conceptual framework comprises research into new possibilities of sound production, the practice of free improvised music, and the ways in which interhuman relations influence the production of spontaneous modes of musical expression. Improvisation, as a creative social practice, offers a vast spectrum of possibilities, serving as a starting point for exploration that pushes us beyond the perceived limits of action and thought. Both the improviser and the listener are invited to set aside preconceived aesthetic notions and institutionalized forms of knowledge in an attempt to reach an ephemeral state of being—an almost ritualistic connection to the subconscious elements that enable improvised expression. In this sense, improvisation embodies openness to otherness, a movement of externalization, and a continual process of self-transcendence. Through this practice, we engage in constant dialogue with ourselves, the traditions of our ancestors, and the innovations of our contemporaries. The sounds produced in these interactions fulfill a need that goes beyond the purely musical; they create a sense of occasion and ritualistic function, striving to form a microcosm of a highly localized and personal form of folk music.