Introduction
The "why" of sound has always seemed elusive to me. Throughout my compositional practice I have continuously attempted to define it. Not only why to structure certain sounds a certain way, but of even more importance has been why to even use the specific sounds I decide on including in my compositions.
I desire for my music to have a progressive quality. Meaning, I consistently consider the current role and situation of music, where it is headed, where I want it to head and how my music can engage with that.
When writing instrumental music, I have been able to solve this by engaging discursively with an instruments tradition or fascinate myself with the inherent qualities of an instrument. This sense of purpose, however, has been harder to define when working with electronic music. Far from the niche position it used to hold, which placed in it an inherent underdog promise of "the future", electronic music is now a ubiqutous part of the wider musical landscape and in need of more specific questions being asked.
The ability of synthesizers to theoretically create any sound also places the composer (me) in the often paralyzing position of having no limitations. In this thesis I am therefore trying to define a practice which will allow me to continuously create electronic aural material that I experience as imbued with meaning. To achieve this I have decided to adopt what I call a practice of misuse. More precisely, or to elaborate, a practice where the composer-creator approaches any chosen tool of electronic music creation (in my opinion, preferably a tool which can be considered unique to our current historical moment) with the intention of misusing it in the hopes of generating unexpected, possibly previously unheard material.
In the different sections of this thesis I will elaborate on my personal background which lead me to pursue this project as well as further define my definitions of what misuse is and what potentials I believe lie inside the concept. I will also give an historical account of several instances of misuse in electronic music history in order to situate myself as part of an informal traditition that seems to emerge naturally within electronic music creation.
Furthermore, I will give examples of my own experiments in generating sounds via different misuses of the digital audio workstation Ableton Live. I have then provided two compositions constructed mainly from these sounds using different approaches. Included are also the sounds taken outside the context of the composition, as well as reflections on the composition and composing process. I also give examples of live improvisation using the methods I generated these sounds with.
The questions I will attempt to answer with this thesis are as follows:
1. How can a practice of misuse take place within the digital audio workstation?
2. Will this practice allow me to create aural material that I experience as imbued with meaning? And what does this "meaning" entail?
3. How can I use this practice as a compositional tool? What is the effect of this?
4. What is the historical precedent for a practice of misuse and where does my practice situate me in such a tradition?