Tag Archives: live electronic music

Electronic Ensemble Repertoire – Classics

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Here are three pieces I have presented regularly with the Electronic Music Ensemble of Wayne State (EMEWS). The repertoire’s codes, scores, or DAW project files are available online and are simple to set up and execute in terms of technology.  An ensemble director may make the piece presentable in one or two rehearsals with no extra cost for preparation or concert. 

John Cage, Four6

Four6 is an open-instrumentation piece suited for four electronic musicians. The performer is asked to prepare twelve different sounds before the performance. Then, they play the sounds according to the timeline dictated in the score. There are no tech specifications (any instrument is acceptable), and performers do not need to know how to improvise or read a traditional notation or improvise. 

I learned to play this at a concert organized by the fidget in 2012. Since then, the resulting sound of the quartet has been delightful to both the audience and the performer. In EMEWS concerts, the four parts were sometimes doubled to accommodate a large ensemble. The performers changed their twelve sounds for each practice and performance to keep surprising the other performers. 

I don’t have a link to the score, but they are easy to purchase. A nearby contemporary music performer friend probably has a copy. 

Alvin Lucier, Vespers

Vespers turns the acoustic space into an interesting instrument. I lead EMEWS to play this piece in the first weeks of the semester so the performers learn the musical application of space, resonance, and movement. The instruction asks the performer to walk around a dark room with a device that makes clicking sounds. The performer’s task is to find and share a location that makes the clicking sound interesting. In short, the performers become an organism with echo-location capacity. Any number of performers can play together.

The original instruction asks the performer to use a Sondol, but I don’t know what that is. So, I made a SuperCollider patch that makes clicks with controllable rates and duration. I added a feature to change the background color of the computer screen for an extra visual effect. I also thought a more directed performance might benefit the performers with little experience in experimental music, so I arranged a version with additional guidelines. The resulting scores and media are found here https://joowonpark.net/vespers/ 

Terry Riley, In C

Electronic ensembles can jump on the bandwagon by performing In C, one of contemporary music’s most popular ensemble pieces. For the electronic ensemble performers, I made a Logic patch that uses loop functions. Performers of any notation-reading level can play In C by clicking a loop at a desired pace. 

Pre-programmed melody and rhythm, stored as loops, let the performers contribute different musical aspects. I ask my ensemble members to experiment with timbre. The performers can double the track with a different patch, change the filter settings, add effects, instrument settings, etc. They are to explore the uniqueness of electronic instruments – what can an electronic instrument do that others cannot? 

Visit  https://joowonpark.net/logicinc/ for detailed instructions. I am positive that a similar loop setup is possible on Ableton Live and other platforms. 

The King of Nothing (2023) by Benjamin Damann

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Here are two versions of The King of Nothing (2023) by Benjamin Damann. It is for any number of no-input mixing boards (NIMB). The first version is for solo NIMB, and the other is for trio. Note that there are intentional silences in the piece.

The King of Nothing – Solo
The King of Nothing – Trio

As a reference, here’s the premiere version of the piece

I wanted to try this piece because the score was well-written. The instructions were clear so that I knew what to change at a specific time. Written instructions were enough for me to interpret and perform. This core function is assumed and expected in traditionally notated scores (i.e., I know what to play and what not to play when I see traditionally notated piano scores). However, such clarity of performance direction is not always the case for electronic music, where instruments and performance practices are undefined and non-standardized. 

When performing The King of Nothing, I was delighted to follow the composer’s decision on form, which dictated when to play, how many parameters to control per event, and the speed of the parameter changes. At the same time, I was free to interpret which knobs and faders to move. The resulting sound is a well-timed sequence of various NIMB sounds with different timbres for each run. The solo version was fun, but combining the three versions gave a distinct texture. I liked both versions. 

I encourage readers to try The King of Nothing. It is a great introduction to the world of no-input mixing. Being able to play and present other people’s electronic music repertoire is a crucial but rarely done musical practice for electronic musicians. I want to do an evening-length concert of solo electronic music performances consisting of pieces not written by me. Damann’s The King of Nothing will certainly be a part of it.

How to Play a Solo Set

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I often prepare a set for solo show opportunities. A set is a performance practice of playing multiple pieces without significant pauses (i.e., no “set changes”). It is often long (30+ minutes), and the works presented within have a common theme or instrumentation. The ability to perform a solo set is helpful, if not essential, to electronic music performers in getting gigs and collaborative projects. A DJ set at music festivals is a good example of a set performance. 

I played a set consisting of seven original compositions at the 16th Strange Beautiful Music (SBM) Festival in September 2023.  I will use the recording of this particular set to show how I organize a 40-minute set. I hope the readers get a macro and micro-level insight into an electronic set performance, especially when read together with my analysis of solo set gears.

I go through four preparation steps for a set performance.

  1. Decide pieces
  2. Decide the order
  3. Practice transitions
  4. Practice sound check

I will explain the details of each step in the subsequent sections. Please refer to the chart below to see the overall timeline of the SBM set. The chart lists the estimated starting time and instrument used in each section.  

Link to Google Sheet version of the chart

Decide Pieces

The selection of pieces depends on external factors I cannot control. Examples are the total duration decided by the organizer, sound check time, and the venue’s equipment. Once I learn the external factors, I decide which pieces to include in a set. I was invited to perform for 40 minutes for the SBM at Andy Arts Center’s Hanger.  I had one hour of tech time with an excellent audiovisual team. Given this information, I decided to play the following pieces.

  • Scramble and Sort (2023) – for computer and drum machine
  • Page Turner’s Agony (2021) for computer and MIDI controller
  • Gums (2013) – for no-input mixer
  • Cobalt Vase (2019) – for drum machine
  • Func Step Mode (2019) – for no-input mixer and drum machine
  • Toccata (2009) – for computer and contact mic’ed objects
  • Elegy No 2 (2017) – for computer and melodica

Each piece in the set features uniquely electronic sound and instrument. All pieces involve improvisation, so the audience hears an event-specific version of the piece. The SMB performance also included a world premiere of Scramble and Sort – Adding an artistic risk prevents me from potential practice fatigue.

Decide the Order

The order of the pieces in a set should be carefully tweaked for seamless transitions between the pieces. A well-thought-out sequence of compositions keeps the audience engaged as well. My theme of the SBM set is to show multiple electronic instruments in different contexts, so the order of revealing different instruments and styles was a priority. I opened the set with Scramble and Sort as an appetizer – music with an easy-to-digest rhythm and the familiar sounds of a drum machine. The following two pieces, Page Turner’s Agony and Gums, had more abstract and timbre-based electronic sounds, featuring a MIDI controller and no-input mixer. Then, as a main course, Cobalt Vase, Func Step Mode, and Toccata feature an unconventional combination of familiar instruments. The sounds of these pieces were most aggressive and noisiest- they were not appropriate as opening pieces. As a palate cleanser, I ended the set with Elegy No. 2, a slow and minimalistic piece featuring melodica.

The visual elements are also a factor in deciding the order. One person playing an instrument with relatively little flexibility for an extended period is not exciting by default. I try to improve this by introducing new instruments for each piece. In the SBM set, a drum machine, no-input mixer, found objects on contact mic, and melodica were sequentially introduced. The above chart shows the order and amount of appearance of the instruments for a better insight. 

Practice Transitions

Smoothly connecting one piece’s ending to the next piece’s beginning is a concept I do not consider when composing a work.  But I am responsible for making the transition musically satisfying in a set. I want the audience to enjoy the process of timbral and stylistic changes in gradual motion. 

In music production, a crossfade function gradually transforms one sound into another (it is the equivalent of the cross dissolve in movie editors). Most of my practice for the set focuses on devising and practicing live crossfades. Because the order of the pieces could be unique to each gig, the crossfades are unique to each event.  I consider crossfades of significant length (2-3m), as heard five times in the SBM set, mini event-specific compositions. 

Practice Sound Check

Setting up and striking the gear should be part of the practice and preparation. A solo set often needs a suitcase full of cables and instruments. There is no time to think about signal flow during soundcheck.  It takes me a few hours to test all the gear and figure out the optimal configuration for every gig. When the configuration is finalized, I practice setting up and tearing down the equipment. I aim to be ready for the sound check within 30 minutes of arrival at the venue.  

Being as self-contained as possible in terms of gear increases efficiency. I packed all the gear and bought a folding table for the SBM set. The less time I spend on finding the right table and setting up the gear, the more time I can use during the allotted sound check to troubleshoot and tweak the sound for the room. For the SBM performance, I forgot the box of toys I use for Toccata at home. So, I finished the sound check early and picked up rocks, bolts, and other objects in the venue’s parking lot. I hope no one noticed my mild panic before and during the permanence.

Outro

Organizing and presenting a set is a skill that helped my career as an electronic music performer. A well-practiced set is suitable for tours, guest lectures, and festival performances for its efficiency and flexibility. Many collaborative opportunities came from meeting musicians and dancers from presenting in this format.  Audiences also experience music they heard from phones and computers in more intimate and focused contexts. As for artistic growth, curating a set allows me to improve and reimagine the existing works. Every set performance is a practice for a future show. Sometimes, transitions become seeds for new compositions.