Using my sound composition with the object sounds (fed through a granular synthesis module on cecilia) I did a graphical notation of the first 30 seconds, using a system that takes into account, texture (corresponding to colour on the page), panning (up and down on the y axis) and the general feel of the sounds movement (the flow of the line as you go from left to right)
Using this I drew the following:
Later on (and most importantly without listening to the original piece), I attempted to create a piece from the graphical notation. Now ideally I wouldn’t remember the original piece, but with no way to perform a mind wipe on myself I would just have to stick with this method. I decided to use the same recording of all the objects as the original piece to retain a similar sonic quality and to suggest the distant relation of the two, using minimally edited samples I followed the colour and panning instruction relatively well, my main stumbling point was the hard to discern movement of the lines, what I had taken to calling the ‘vibe’. I definitely prefer the granular synthesis version, there’s a certain mystery to it, it’s plain to see (hear?) that these sounds aren’t synthesised, they lack the artificial qualities characteristic of a manipulated waveform. However, it is quite hard to discern what the sound sources themselves actually are. You can maybe hear something glass, or plastic, but the grains are too small and move by too quickly to be able to get a real measure of what it was. And that’s why I’m so happy with it, I feel it is exciting, fast paced, it scratches an itch in my brain in such a satisfactory way. I would love to figure out a way to make it feel more as if it were in a space, more present. I can stereoize and add reverb all I want but it doesn’t quite have the right quality.