Sunday, March 1, 2009

The Bailout

"The Bailout" is a piece for a Saxophone quartet and live sound manipulation using the LiSa and JunXion software, developed by STEIM in Amsterdam. The piece is written by me and Ties Mellema and it is inspired by the history of the auto industry in Detroit and the "auto bailout" by the US government. It will première March 20th in a concert that I am doing with the Amstel Quartet in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

When the saxophones play a loud note, they start one of the sound files I have collected; text fragments from opponents and advocates of the bailout plan such as Rush Limbaugh, Bush, Obama and Rick Wagener, the CEO of GM, and excerpts from old movies describing Detroit and its Auto industry during the twenties and sixties. In this way the instruments "talk" and "discuss" with each other. I am manipulating sounds using the Wiimote and the Korg Kaoss Pad (as midi controller).

http://www.dia.org/
http://www.amstelquartet.nl/
http://www.ivobol.nl/