Magnificent Desolation II (2020) Electroacoustic sounds (9 mins.)

All of the material for this piece comes from a concert bass drum played with various non traditional objects and instruments – my hands, scrub brushes of different materials, Chinese cymbals, Indian bells, almglocken, and superball mallets. Acoustically I wanted to explore the idea of using the bass drum as a resonator and also manipulate sounds that where more tactile to the electronic spectrum. Playing the other instruments directly on the head of the drum, with varying degrees of pressure and beating spots, created an alternative acoustic result. These new isolated sounds were now more fascinating, energized and amplified.

A simple concert bass drum, rather large with two heads, one for playing and one for resonating. This unknown and unseen ricochet of sounds inside the drum has always been the mystery of a drums sound. Without one or the other, there really is no sound of interest, and no depth or character. Just a dull thump. I used mostly close micing, sometimes right up against the small opening in the wooden shell, to capture the deep endless vibrations bouncing around inside. The electronic processing was meant to expand the action and also occasionally referencing back to a simple acoustic sound, pulling in both directions at the same time. I was interested in exploring the fine line between what is real and what is transformed. I used traditional audio editing techniques, mostly spectral and EQ processing, pitch shifting, and reverb.

This is the second version of a piece I originally wrote for solo percussion and electronics, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first human landing on the moon. The title is part of a quote from American astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s first impressions of stepping on the surface for the first time.

(The engraving of this score is currently in process.)

-Joseph Pereira