The Ominous Sonorities of Freck
An acousmatic story about Charles Freck, a character in Philip K. Dick’s novel ”A Scanner Darkly”
Electro acoustic acousmatic music with ambisonic surround sound.
The Ominous Sonorities of Freck was composed during the second year of my Bachelors Degree education in electro acoustic music composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm in 2007.
The Ominous Sonorities of Freck is a sounding story about one of the subordinate parts in Philip K. Dick's novel "A Scanner Darkly" – named Charles Freck. The formal structure is based on Freck's participation in the story and the imaginable scenes around Freck inspired to the sound worlds.
* The sounds used are a composition of synthesized and concrete sounds as well as field recordings and manipulated versions of all these sound entities.
* Ambisonic surround techniques have been used when recording material, and are also used for performing of the piece.
* The final version is composed in an eight-channel surround studio and is to be played in a circular eight channel sound system.
Performances
* First performance: 2007 June 6th, at Fylkingen, Stockholm. During the Ljud O Ljud festival by Royal College of Music.
* Second performance: 2009 February 26, at Fylkingen, Stockholm. Alongside visiting John Young from DMU, Leicester, UK.
* Third performance: 2009 November 30, at Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Alongside Lars-Gunnar Bodin.
* Fourth performance: 2010 October 7th, at S.A.R.C. in Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. During 59°N Electroacoustic Music from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, presented by Bill Brunson.
* Fifth performance at U.S.E 1, Audiorama, Stockholm, Sweden, 9th february 2011, at a concert presenting young Swedish electroacoustic composers.
Technical information
* Concert version in 8-channel surround sound, using ambisonic surround technologies. CD-version in stereo binaural version for headphones and stereo speakers.
* Durata: 10 minutes, 23 seconds.
* Featuring everything from ambisonic surround sound field recordings as well to mono recordings as well as different types of synthesis methods, from sine tones to complex granular synthesis.
* Realized in the old "B-studio", temporary setup for 8 channels, at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
* Sounds recorded in Stockholm (Sweden), Palma de Mallorca (Spain) and Avesta (Sweden).
* Ambisonic sounds recorded using a 4-channel microphone B-format setup and converted using ambisonic software built for MaxMSP.