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National Reform Now available on: Amazon and 
For a physical CDr: |
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Contents: One: The only way to reform modern lettering is to abolish it. flute: Erik Drescher max/msp, programming: Paula Matthusen dictaphone: James Orsher (pre-sampled) alto saxophone/minidisc sampling, tenor saxophone: Travis Just recorded 8.26.2006 at Chop Shop, Berlin-Kreuzberg The only way to reform modern lettering is to abolish it. was written in 2005. The piece is in five sections of 6 minutes each. A number of short samples are taken of a single pitch from a sustaining instrument, here alto saxophone. Sampling is done on minidiscs and played back on seamless shuffle. Pitches are Just ratios derived from combinations of 3, 5, and 11 (sometimes multiples of), also 121/120 and 4/3. The available pitch-set starts with 3 pitches, with 1 new pitch added at some point in each section. The live instruments, here flute and tenor saxophone play short melodies comprised of pitches that are sounding, have just sounded or are just about to sound as well as the fundamental and fourth, which do not appear in the minidisc/sustaining instrument part until sections 4 and 5. Also, a conversation recorded on dictaphone is played unaltered as well as sampled, looped and processed (processed sampling only in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sections). The processed dictaphone’s frequencies double the sustaining instrument’s in a lower octave. All events are coordinated by a predetermined list of chance-derived times. Two: Nationalism In America Tenor saxophone, zither, television set: Travis Just Recorded in Brooklyn: Nationalism in America was written in 2004. It also consists of five sections, this time 4 minutes each. In each section: The tenor saxophone has 3 events (an event being a single microtonal phrase...pitches resultant from available false fingerings and mutings instead of a specified temperament or set of ratios) The television set has 2 events (the set turned on and off, once for 10”, once for 30”) The string has 1 event (a series of plucks, slides, vibrato notes and taps on string or wood). |
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