cuarteto de bongós
for bongo quartet and live electronicscomposed for vertixe sonora
2024
Cuarteto de bongós, for 4 bongos and live electronics, is a deep exploration of the timbral and coloristic possibilities of the bongo. In this piece, I simultaneously sought to explore subtle, tiny, micro-variations in timbre and color alongside extreme, unexpected juxtapositions. Cuarteto de bongós is warmly dedicated to to Diego Ventoso and Vertixe Sonora.
Cuarteto de bongós, para 4 bongos, y electrónica en vivo, es una exploración de las posibilidades tímbricas y coloristas del bongó. En esta pieza, quize explorar microvariaciones sutiles en el timbre y el color del bongó a la par de yuxtaposiciónes extremas e inesperadas. El Cuarteto de bongós está dedicado cariñosamente a Diego Ventoso y a Vertixe Sonora.
Listen to the world premiere here:
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Longer program note:
Cuarteto de bongós is a deep exploration of the timbral and coloristic possibilities of the bongo. Through subtle micro-variations in timbre, extended techniques, gradual (almost imperceptible) transitions, interruptions, and sudden cuts, the piece creates an unrecognizable and ever-evolving soundscape: like floating down a river in an alien world. This piece is warmly dedicated to Diego Ventoso and Vertixe Sonora.
The raw materials of this piece are intentionally abstract and unrecognizable. When combined with the live electronics, they become even more surreal. By deliberately obscuring the origin and identity of the sounds, the listener is more susceptible to entering a state of reduced listening (Schaeffer’s l’ecoute reduite), allowing them to invent their own subjective sources to each sound.
The electronics, created in Max/MSP, are designed to be visually transparent. Each performer is positioned behind a speaker, with their live and processed audio routed to that speaker. This setup blurs the line between the acoustic and the electronic, further enhancing the timbral ambiguity central to the work. Much of the live processing is mediated by the levels of the incoming signals, creating a haptic, organic, and musical relationship between the performer and the electronics.
Thank you to Vertixe Sonora for inviting me to write this piece, and to Karen Yu, David Rodríguez, Pablo Paz and Diego Ventoso for premiering this work.