A Study of Objects (2021-2023)

I intend to explore meta-music making in these works, that is, I want to study the properties of music in these pieces. Despite the fact that they do incorporate sound designs, they are not intended to study or present sounds. The focus here is on the abstract notions of music, or the structural features of music.

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In the first work, I employed six sine waves to perform phase modulations with each other based on the permutations of the elements in the array [010101]. This permutation is carried out at a frame rate imperceptible to human senses.

My primary aim is to scrutinize the age-old question, "What defines music?" and in doing so, suggest a meta-musical potential. This is accomplished, without explicitly providing an answer, by generating tension within the parameters of form and local musical structures. Viewed from a top-down perspective, such tensions materialize in this composition, where a seamless, continuous sound—whether a single timbre or a solitary note—is distanced from its accustomed role. Temporally, it extends to encompass the unconventional duration of an entire musical piece. Many pieces of music possess such tensions: Alvin Lucier’s "Music on a Long Thin Wire," John Cage's "4’33’’," etc.

From a bottom-up perspective, in the absence of a structural presence defining what we label as "musical," each individual note, despite its fleeting nature, stands as a distinct and equal entity. Following the implementation of structural tension to "de-contextualize" the piece and render it as a nonhierarchical and unaffiliated work, my intention is to delve into two related principles of causation advocated by Graham Harman: vicarious causation and compositional causation. The permutations, or the consequent sounds, or even the slightest vibration of singular particles, as real objects, come in contact with each other only through a sensual object, which is the very form and placeholding of the piece itself, which is hollow and contentless.

The composition attains a tangible unity, embodying a sense of "itself-ness," thus qualifying as an original work. The permutations, and consequently the ceaselessly evolving auditory landscape within this piece, serve to magnify the intricacies of such object interaction and creation. Much like in any musical piece, traditional notes assume the role of distinct objects prior to the transformative act, often referred to as musical composition, and these permutations, hadn’t there been this piece, will be distinct objects. Through these paired perspectives, my intent is to solidify and underscore the very essence of the compositional process: a process that is both pre and post-individual prodigy and ideation, as well as any form of musicality.

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The second work incorporates the notes of Für Elise (BIA 515), with subtle alterations, sampled on a piano. These samples are then executed according to a precise set of predetermined rules governing pitch and temporal arrangement. It's worth noting that these rules are firmly anchored in the original melody of Für Elise. To provide a visual analogy, envision a matrix where the initial row represents the melody of Für Elise, while the remaining column elements denote chord notes, with the initial row serving as the foundational component. The objective is to retain, to the greatest extent possible, the initial temporal and pitch arrangements of Für Elise, thus solidifying it as a cohesive object, as no alterations are made directly to the tune itself, given its complete and unchanging essence.

My intent is to "objectify" elements of music that are already inherently perceived as such (addressing the question, "What is music?") within this piece. I aim to temporarily detach their musical attributes, typically associated with aesthetic sensibilities, from their intrinsic nature. While the tune of Für Elise retains its musical essence, the focal point, or instinct, of musicality has now shifted towards this piece that envelops it. The tune undergoes a compression into musical material, a concept closer to that of objects. Through this compression, the original structure and hierarchy of Für Elise's melody, along with its cultural significance, are momentarily set aside. This process of clean suspension necessitates the aforementioned preservation of the original content.

Here, the piano itself is subjected to suspension. The samples are played through different ratios not native to the piano, thereby depriving the sounds of their usual source. This transformation renders them as entirely new objects. The piano, in turn, undergoes a metamorphosis into a sensory object, as its keys no longer maintain discrete identities. Instead, they assume an analogous nature, particularly in the latter half of the piece, where they evolve into an entirely novel auditory experience, shifting the focus from the tangible keys themselves to the abstract notion they represent.