Slow, Quiet Music in Search of Electric Happiness
by Instruments of Happiness
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Includes unlimited streaming of Slow, Quiet Music in Search of Electric Happiness via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 7 days$20 CAD or more
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about
Instruments of Happiness
Electric guitars: Tim Brady, Jonathan Barriault, Simon Duchesne, Francis Brunet-Turcotte
Electric guitars: Tim Brady, Jonathan Barriault, Simon Duchesne, Francis Brunet-Turcotte
credits
released April 23, 2022
Premiere performance: Feb. 15, 2020 – Le Vivier - Église le Gesù, Montréal
Recording : Le Vivier - Amphithéâtre Le Gesù – Aug. 9, 2020
Recording engineer : Morris Apelbaum Producers : Tim Brady and Morris Apelbaum Mixing and editing: Tim Brady
Mastering: Tim Brady and Morris Apelbaum Cover photo: Andrew Staniland
© 2021 (music and performance)
redshiftrecords.org/releases/tk497/
- - - - -
Since 1983 I have used the spatial element in my music making — call it “surround sound”, “immersive”, or the newly-minted “socially distanced”. It is about the physicality of sound — music that is about the space that it inhabits, not just the notes that are played. In 2014, I started exploring these ideas in a very systematic way with my large guitar ensemble projects, entitled “Instruments of Happiness — les 100 guitares électriques”.
But in 2018 I thought: why not create a small, simple project that explores this idea of spatialized music using just four guitars — the Instruments of Happiness quartet? We had a great space in mind, the Église le Gesù in Montréal, which has a seven-second reverb time. Then, on to inviting the composers: Louise Campbell, Rose Bolton, Andrew Noseworthy and Andrew Staniland.
Each of the four composers was given the same, clear proposal: write a 14-minute piece, synchronised by stopwatches, with the four guitars placed far apart in a large, reverberant space. In addition, the music must reflect the concept of the project — Slow, quiet music in search of electric happiness. In the end, each composer found a unique solution to this artistic proposal, but the entire event, which lasts 56 minutes without intermission, holds together because of the unity of space and purpose.
For the recording, we used a large concert stage, so that we could simulate the distance effects of the church. It was also recorded during the summer of 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, so social distancing of the performers was essential. For the production, we used a high-quality digital impulse response reverb to recreate the seven-second reverb of the church (which is a crucial element of the project), while using close-miking on the guitar amplifiers to maintain the detailed sound of the instruments.
To achieve the best listening experience, I suggest you use either real headphones (rather than smartphone earbuds) or loudspeakers with good physical separation in a quiet room, so you can feel the space and the spatial dialogue that each composer exploits to great effect in their work.
My deepest thanks to the composers, performers and technicians who helped make the concert and the recording such enjoyable, memorable artistic events.
Though not represented on this audio recording, the live presentation of the work included a performance in the centre of the space by three dancers from the Sinha Danse company. My thanks to Roger Sinha, Marie-Ève Lafontaine and Citlali Germé-Trevino.
Tim Brady — artistic director — August 2021
Premiere performance: Feb. 15, 2020 – Le Vivier - Église le Gesù, Montréal
Recording : Le Vivier - Amphithéâtre Le Gesù – Aug. 9, 2020
Recording engineer : Morris Apelbaum Producers : Tim Brady and Morris Apelbaum Mixing and editing: Tim Brady
Mastering: Tim Brady and Morris Apelbaum Cover photo: Andrew Staniland
© 2021 (music and performance)
redshiftrecords.org/releases/tk497/
- - - - -
Since 1983 I have used the spatial element in my music making — call it “surround sound”, “immersive”, or the newly-minted “socially distanced”. It is about the physicality of sound — music that is about the space that it inhabits, not just the notes that are played. In 2014, I started exploring these ideas in a very systematic way with my large guitar ensemble projects, entitled “Instruments of Happiness — les 100 guitares électriques”.
But in 2018 I thought: why not create a small, simple project that explores this idea of spatialized music using just four guitars — the Instruments of Happiness quartet? We had a great space in mind, the Église le Gesù in Montréal, which has a seven-second reverb time. Then, on to inviting the composers: Louise Campbell, Rose Bolton, Andrew Noseworthy and Andrew Staniland.
Each of the four composers was given the same, clear proposal: write a 14-minute piece, synchronised by stopwatches, with the four guitars placed far apart in a large, reverberant space. In addition, the music must reflect the concept of the project — Slow, quiet music in search of electric happiness. In the end, each composer found a unique solution to this artistic proposal, but the entire event, which lasts 56 minutes without intermission, holds together because of the unity of space and purpose.
For the recording, we used a large concert stage, so that we could simulate the distance effects of the church. It was also recorded during the summer of 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, so social distancing of the performers was essential. For the production, we used a high-quality digital impulse response reverb to recreate the seven-second reverb of the church (which is a crucial element of the project), while using close-miking on the guitar amplifiers to maintain the detailed sound of the instruments.
To achieve the best listening experience, I suggest you use either real headphones (rather than smartphone earbuds) or loudspeakers with good physical separation in a quiet room, so you can feel the space and the spatial dialogue that each composer exploits to great effect in their work.
My deepest thanks to the composers, performers and technicians who helped make the concert and the recording such enjoyable, memorable artistic events.
Though not represented on this audio recording, the live presentation of the work included a performance in the centre of the space by three dancers from the Sinha Danse company. My thanks to Roger Sinha, Marie-Ève Lafontaine and Citlali Germé-Trevino.
Tim Brady — artistic director — August 2021
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
Redshift Music Vancouver, British Columbia
Redshift was founded in Vancouver, Canada with a focus on championing the music of contemporary composers.
discography
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