for half-clarinet, percussion, & transducers

Embers glow with a slow internal pulsation. The slightest breath of wind generates a spark that can transform into a firestorm. This work wraps the listener in a warm, luminescent sound world that erupts into a flurry of flames. Tones are sent into the bodies of the acoustic instruments via transducers, creating a unique interaction between acoustic and digital sounds. The bell of the half-clarinet is augmented with a balloon to create a resonating surface on which a transducer speaker is attached.Sine and pulse waves flow through the membrane of the augmented half-clarinet and drum to interact with the live instrumental sound creating harmonic beatings and multi-phonics. Embers was composed and developed using a collaborative process with In Extensio. The resulting work melds the worlds of three musicians, walking the line between instrumental and digital practices, composition and improvisation.

Premiere: 14 juin 2017, 20h / In Extensio: BacKpacK MusiQue / Petit Outremont