Vapore

Dialogue with Ivar Grydeland.

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Ivar Grydeland is a longtime friend and colleague as well as the second supervisor in the final stage of my project. We have played together since 1998 in many constellations, two of which, Dans les arbres and Huntsville, are still active. Ivar is a curious and thoughtful musician whose main instrument is the guitar. His artistic research fellowship project “Ensemble & Ensemble of Me – What I Think About When I Think About Improvisation” (2011-2015) explores how he plays and interacts with fellow musicians in Dans les arbres and Huntsville, as well as reflections on his solo work. 

Ivar is a natural partner for this dialogue, as our extensive working history and our common research interests allow him to understand my current work in the context of my long-term artistic development. We discuss a number of aspects of my project, but most of all “Vapore,” the closing track on the album Musica liquida, which comprises part of my PhD project. Recorded in the Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum in Oslo, the album, and “Vapore" especially, exemplifies my research focus within The Vibrating Drum, highlighting the haptic system in a discourse between the space, the instruments, and me. Ivar and I explore the implications of this project as a sort of emancipation from traditional approaches to percussion and its applications to future work.  

This interview is also part of Ivar Grydeland's contribution to the Norwegian Arts Council research project titled “Creative practices in music.” Our discussion occurs in four parts, each focused on different aspects of my artistic process. The audio reflections are in Norwegian, and the translated transcriptions can be accessed here.

Vapore. (Duration 9:28)

Reflection 1. (Duration 9:28)

Descriptive analysis on how the percussion instruments and the electronics are interwoven. About playing melodically on percussion instruments, the acoustics, about looking for small nuances and small variables and how these affects and control the work. 

A translation of the reflection can be found here.

Reflection 2. (Duration 10:00)
About previous work with solo percussion. The evolution from using various objects on drums to "helping the drums sing" with the use of transducers. About sustain, orchestration, and layered drones. About Anton Bruckner and the never-ending melodies. About a musical state rather than development. 

A translation of the reflection can be found here.

Reflection 3. (Duration 9:46)
About the work and the spontaneity in this version of the work. About the unpredictability and the material, about the changing material being part of the driving force itself. 

A translation of the reflection can be found here.

Reflection 4. (Duration 9:40)
About the interaction with the instruments and the room. About working with the same material over a long period of time and in different situations. 

A translation of the reflection can be found here.













i dreamt sounds

i rarely remember dreams
but these sounds appeared so clearly in my mind
they had to stem from dreams

the inaudible can return
and resound













 

© Ingar Zach