Research Catalogue

Case study of Drugo More in relation towards the practice of Fatos Ustek and Bek Berger

Situated in the vast space between rigidly notated music and the realm of open improvisation, this research—embodied through a large ensemble for which I have written and conducted music—navigates the intersection of these two worlds in search of a sweet spot between fixed composition and creative spontaneity. Rather than treating the score as a static framework, the composition is approached as a living, evolving entity, where performers, conductor, and technology collaboratively shape the music in real-time. Throughout rehearsals and performances, musicians make interpretive choices, respond to cues from the conductor and their peers, and engage with interactive electronic elements, fostering an ongoing, dynamic dialogue. This process illuminates how variables such as individual interpretation, conductor influence, and rehearsal time can open new avenues for expression, allowing the written score to transcend its traditional boundaries. By embracing this fluidity and exchange, embodied through the term Comprovisation, the composition is continuously transformed, deepening the connection between musicians and the work, and unlocking new possibilities for artistic expression. Through some of my musical pieces as examples we will analyze how this experimental creative process was shaped.

Art activism is powerful. Also known as activist art, protest art, visual activism, artivism and creative activism, it changes lives, situations and is and has been a powerful weapon across a whole spectrum of struggles for justice. Teresa Sanz & Beatriz Rodriguez-Labajos(2021) relay that art activism has the unique ability to bring cohesion and diverse peoples together and it can, as Zeynep Tufekci notes, change the participants (2017). As Steve Duncombe & Steve Lambert (2021) posit, traditional protesting such as marches or squats are no longer as important as they once were. As a result of my own lived experience in activist activities, I very much agree with Andrew Boyd & Dave Oswald Mitchell (2012) that the reason people use art activism is that it works, by enriching and improving protest. In the past, when I lived in a metropolis and was not a parent, I used to be an activist. Now I no longer have immediate access to international headquarters at which to protest and I have to be concerned with being arrested, I am hindered from protesting. This project is an attempt to increase inclusion and widen access to art activism. By devising methods which include at least one of the following: that do not require on-site participation, that can take place outside the public gaze, that reduce the risk of arrest, that open up protest sites that are not “big targets”, that include remote locations, that involve irregular timing, my thesis aims to increase inclusion and widen access to art activism to those who are underserved by more mainstream methods of conducting art activism. Textiles have unique properties that enable them to engage in subterfuge and speak loudly through care and thought(Bryan-Wilson, 2017). They have strong connotations of domesticity, the body and comfort that can be subverted within art activism to reference lack of this domestic warmth and protection(O’Neill, 2022). Being a slow form of art-making, they show care and thought, attention in the making, so that the messaging is reinforced through this intentionality in slow making.

Sammendrag: Denne oppgaven utforsker hvordan estetiske intensjoner kan utvikles og formidles gjennom interaktiv liveprosessering i et moderne jazzensemble. Prosjektet NEKSUS tar utgangspunkt i fem komposisjoner som gjennom en tredelt prosess utvikles fra tradisjonelle jazzkomposisjoner til mer eksperimentelle lydlandskap. Gjennom fasene dekonstruksjon, estetisk intensjon og bandsamspill, undersøkes hvordan elektronisk prosessering kan fungere som et kreativt bindeledd mellom musikerne, og hvordan dette påvirker samspill og improvisasjon. Ved å etablere spesifikke estetiske rammeverk for hver komposisjon, legges det til rette for nye interaksjonsformer i ensemblet. Oppgaven dokumenterer denne utviklingsprosessen i detalj og reflekterer over hvordan teknologiske verktøy kan integreres som en naturlig del av det improvisatoriske uttrykket. Forskningsprosjektet viser at liveprosessering kan fungere som en neksus – et knutepunkt for musikalsk samhandling – som åpner for nye estetiske muligheter i spenningsfeltet mellom komposisjon, improvisasjon og teknologi. Samtidig belyses utfordringer knyttet til teknologisk implementering i livesammenheng, og hvordan disse kan overkommes gjennom grundig forberedelse og estetisk bevisstgjøring. Abstract: This thesis explores how aesthetic intentions can be developed and expressed through interactive live processing in a contemporary jazz ensemble. The project NEKSUS examines five compositions that, through a three-phase process, evolve from traditional jazz compositions to more experimental soundscapes. Through the phases of deconstruction, aesthetic intention, and ensemble interaction, the research investigates how electronic processing can function as a creative connection between musicians, and how this affects interplay and improvisation. By establishing specific aesthetic frameworks for each composition, new forms of interaction within the ensemble are facilitated. The thesis documents this development process in detail and reflects on how technological tools can be integrated as a natural part of the improvisational expression. The research project demonstrates that live processing can function as a nexus – a point of connection for musical interaction – that opens up new aesthetic possibilities in the intersection between composition, improvisation, and technology. Simultaneously, it highlights challenges related to technological implementation in live settings, and how these can be overcome through thorough preparation and aesthetic awareness.

NORSK: I dette kunstneriske utviklingsarbeidet undersøker jeg hvordan norsk folkemusikk kan integreres i mitt etablerte musikalske sound. Gjennom lytting, refleksjon og skapende praksis har jeg latt tradisjonsmusikkens estetikk og uttrykk påvirke mitt eget formspråk. Arbeidet har resultert i albumet "Relasjonsorkester", der jeg utforsker møtepunktene mellom tradisjon og samtid i tre utvalgte låter: "Hei, hallo", "Tankerom" og "Langsiktig sparing". Prosessen har vist at respektfull lytting, tilegning av teoretisk kunnskap og bevisste kunstneriske valg er avgjørende for å forankre nye uttrykk i en levende tradisjon. Oppgaven reflekterer over hvordan tradisjonen kan bli en del av egen kunstnerisk identitet, uten å måtte bli en tradisjonsbærer i klassisk forstand. ENGLISH: This artistic research project explores how Norwegian folk music can be integrated into my established musical sound. Through listening, reflection, and creative practice, I have allowed the aesthetics and expression of folk tradition to influence my own musical language. The project resulted in the album "Relasjonsorkester", where I explore the intersections between tradition and contemporary music through three selected songs: “Hei, hallo”, “Tankerom”, and “Langsiktig sparing”. The process demonstrates that respectful listening, acquisition of theoretical knowledge, and conscious artistic choices are essential for grounding new expressions within a living tradition. The thesis reflects on how tradition can become a part of one’s artistic identity without necessarily becoming a traditional bearer in the conventional sense.

Gjennom denne masteroppgaven utforsker jeg muligheter for å skape en tonalitetsfølelse innenfor dissonante rammer. Prosjektet er et kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid der jeg utforsker temaet gjennom komposisjon innenfor rammene av Olivier Messiaens Modes of limited transposition. Samtidig vil jeg forsøke å definere tonale sentre innenfor disse for å skape et tonalt uttrykk. Arbeidet skal resultere i et album og refleksjoner tilknyttet komposisjonsprosessen.