Different forms of swells, from pushing on the bellow (air regulator) to using a book to block its valve, to half blocking and letting the book vibrate leading to uneven air pressure (vibrato)
As an Australian, I do not have a religious association with organ music. The pipe organs I know of in Australia are Sydney Town Hall and Sydney Opera House. The first time I saw an organ in a small church was in 2018 when I first visited Copenhagen. I enquired with the priest “who plays this organ?” to which the priest responded with “uhh...the organist…?”. I was amazed that being an organist was still a job, and told my friends back in Australia, who expressed the same amazement! The idea of a church organ was such an antiquated notion. I felt afflicted that these monoliths are just lying in empty churches — begging to be awoken. Rickel’s idea of ‘setting the pipes free’ resonated with my concepts surrounding post-religious spirituality. It felt like a natural joining of ideologies.
I began to work on building my own Reconstructed Organ, so I could play concerts with saxophone and organ wherever I wanted. Rooftops, shopping malls, basements, galleries, Den Sorte Diamant. Nothing is off-limits.
That story and process are outlined in the Reconstructed Organ section.
I began to search behind the imagery, what are the underlying concepts? What is the undercurrent? Shadows in the Dark — what is the darkness — what is the light? This last section came about as a natural development from this line of inquiry. It is the section of the iceberg submerged in water. It occupies the artist's mind and is hidden from the audience.
I frequently found myself reflecting on an earlier idea that I had come across seven years prior, coincidently called Spiral Dynamics. Spiral Dynamics is a psychological model displaying the evolutionary development of individuals, organisations, and societies. Developed by Christopher C. Cowan and Don Edward Beck the model has a basis in Clare W. Graves’semergent cyclical theory and utilises Richard Dawkins's notion of memetics. The diagram below gives a simplistic yet concrete overview of the model.
I will end this section with a discovery I found in late 2021. I was particularly struck by the following example in my wife’s university textbook The Anthropology of Religion, Magic and Witchcraft. The example reminded me again of a spirallic pattern — a complete e-meme cycle Unity - Individuality - Reunification.
The text to the right: Clown Doctors as Shamans.
I aimed to link the work with some text from a Psalm of David (Psalm 139). The Psalm speaks of the ubiquitous nature of the Divine and Spirit:
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me”, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
Utilising these e-memes in retrospect showcase project’s embodiment of the construction- deconstruction- reconstruction e-meme. We have the pipes that have been taken away from the church organ — an instrument used to play hymns and psalms. I have dismantled this organ and put it back together in its own way. Then I have used a Psalm of David (Psalm 139) and composed a piece surrounding it. We now have the reconstructed pipe organ, performing a reconstructed hymn.
Whilst developing ACIAS, as I was actively engaging in European culture, I began to reflect on my ‘artistic relevance’. Where do I sit in this culture? Who am I as an artist in Europe? A Non-European (Australian), but with western culture.
I set out to further understand the artistic landscape of Denmark, in hopes that I can pinpoint where I sit in the scene. From my conversations with Danish composers from art schools around Denmark I began to piece together a more thorough understanding. Around 30 years ago this multimedia wave in the new music scene originated in Aarhus which soon became the contemporary modus operandi of many composers. In the last ten or so years, this idea of the composer/performer has grown in prominence. Reading commentary from a website like Seismograf, the definition is discussed and covers a range of meanings. At some point I start to think “but now, aren’t we just talking about improvisation?!” as there is a sense that free improvisation blends the composer and performer somewhat seamlessly. However, one possible outworking of ‘composer/performer’ is ‘composer/performance ARTIST’— something that I have noticed as a recurring theme in the Copenhagen new music scene. There is also the resurgence of building and composing for one’s own built instruments, which seems to be popular at the moment with students at DKDM and DJM. And, of course, the movement with Max MSP which is not just limited to new music — but is prominent in many forms of experimental art in the current day. Programming is only becoming more of the conventionalist wisdom of the modern-day artist. We can go on further into the rabbit hole…
But — where am I going with this?
“I am increasingly aware of how conservative I am, musically and artistically speaking. It is a little embarrassing to have this realisation in your late 20s”
My Reflection Journal 02.05.2021
At the time that I wrote that reflection, I felt that much of my context (in terms of influences and movements) were artists and thinkers a generation or two older than myself. The largest shift throughout this research project has been that for the first time in my life I have felt artistically relevant. I can name many people who are working with similar ideas and concepts. For the first time (ever) I am naming contemporaries — not only are these people still alive, but they are also around my age or younger. My context is in a current movement, and not because I have forced it to be so.
Through reconstructionism, I have brought forth old techniques and movements, having transported them into today’s context. This is what my Solist concert concerns itself with.
An example of the Pre Convention- Convention - Post Convention e-meme series could be this:
When my niece was two years old, she did not like broccoli. She rejected it. But, she had never eaten broccoli before. How did she know what she was rejecting? At some point, most of us will all grow up and accept broccoli into our lives. We will learn to eat it, for our own good. Some will come to enjoy it, some will not. Yet, perhaps one day you will say, just as my 70-year-old Grandfather did, “I’m done with eating broccoli now” and throw your broccoli in the bin. Both case studies of my Grandfather and my Niece look the same — the rejection of an element. Yet in my Grandfather’s case, it was a rejection of a certain element based on prior understanding. My niece is the pre-conventionist, we who eat broccoli are the conventionalists, and my grandfather is the post conventionalist.
Reunification looks a lot like unification without context.
Below are four e-memes I have developed:
Construction - Deconstruction - Reconstruction
Pre Convention - Convention - Post Convention
Unity - Individuality - Reunification
Establish - Breakdown - Renewal
Each e-meme series should not be perceived as a new level of consciousness, but a differing consciousness.
The practical workings of the final piece Although Changed, I Arise the Same (ACIAS), began with this idea. Sparked by the German organ artist Horst Rickels who stated that he is ‘setting the pipes free from obligation to the church organ’2. It reminded me of one of my e-memes
(constructions- deconstruction- reconstruction).
As a saxophonist, I find there is an intrinsic link between myself, the saxophone and the organ. I approach the organ like I do the saxophone — an extension of my own body — tied to air and breath. It is this that is showcased in the final Solist concert. In case it’s not abundantly clear — the whole thing is a series of spacialisations. The organ pipes; function as little speakers, myself; a walking speaker (saxophone) as well as the sopranos (moving speakers). For me a spiral is movement. A spiral represents change. Breakdown and renewal.
I have categorised several organ techniques that can be played on my organ, and how they are linked with my saxophone, these will be outlined here. I was influenced by Japanese organ artist Yoshi Wada, who would play organ and bagpipes at the same time. As a half Scot, I feel my saxophone has inherently taken on these inflections and grace notes that can only come from listening to hundreds of hours of Scottish bagpipe music. I have also adopted the circular breathing style of saxophone playing, which is popular in free improvisation, but linked to the bagpipe. The loops I play on saxophone, shift and change. A subtle expanding and contracting, again engaging in the spiral tone rows of part 1.
ACIAS sits within the field of sound artists who work with the organ such as Fuji||||ta, Ragnhild May, Ea Borre and Anders Meldgaard. My aim is to redefine the organ as an animal. I want to make the behemoth breathe. The organ’s sound is all-encompassing, like the spirit. I am a mini-organ. My saxophone sound is intrinsically linked to the organ, the same spirit. There is nowhere you can go to get away from it.
Saxophone multiphonics and pipe tones
Full immersion. Full baptism.
“I’ve been thinking about the role of artists in society.
We respond, warn, criticise, heal, bring joy, comfort, mock.
When I say these words it reminds me of something else.
I can think of another name for this role.
‘Prophets’
Now, don’t be arrogant - we’re not better than anyone else, we don’t have eclectic insights that are only available to those ‘in the know’. We do not possess any special knowledge that only a ‘Prophet’ can receive. But we do hold up a mirror for society to see itself.
At the very least, that is one possibility for the artist.”
Journal Entry, sometime in December 2021
Reflection Journal 12.11.2021
Whilst developing Renewal ManifestationI began to ponder on an element of Spiral Dynamics —the notion that each tier is called a v-meme (Value Meme). Each v-meme outlines world views with an undercurrent of how we perceive the effects of our actions (global, tribe vs community and the individual). Richard Rohr, a Frasician Friar and founder of the School of Contemplation in Cincinnati, New Mexico, further elaborated on these ideas in a podcast I was listening to:
Within a postmodern society, we have become deconstructionists. That is the new norm — to pull everything apart. However, that is not enough. It is not pragmatic to live in a perpetual state of deconstruction. It can lead to the completely absurd or worse, disconnection from practicalities. At some point, we must move past this, taking on the mantle of reconstruction — even for a small amount of time.1
This notion ties into this idea of post-post-modernity or meta-modernity. From this thought, I began to develop a set of my own series called e-memes (experiential memes). I noticed certain parallels between my memes and the alchemist's phrase of Solve et coagula— breakdown and renewal. A narrative of constant movement, change, adaptation, weaving, turning and a realignment to the beginning. Similar, yet most definitely not the same.
