Electric Dreamscape no. 2 is an interactive audio/visual composition for solo Trumpet and Live Electronics. Heavily influenced by the concept of “moment form” in the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Electric Dreamscape no. 2 contains three “Primary Moment Groups.” Each moment group contains three “models” upon which the player bases an improvisatory performance. The structure of the piece unfolds as the player navigates from one moment group to another, exploring the possibilities that exist between the three groups. This piece represents a recent trend in my work of creating a balance between composing predetermined materials and leaving room for the individual performer to express themselves through improvisation.
The electronic sound is primarily created through real-time sampling of the trumpet player’s live sound. I used several methods of processing (one for each moment group) to play back these real-time samples at six different rates. This creates a polyphonic texture in which all of the sounds are intimately related, but can at times take on radically different timbres as a result of time-stretching of the samples. This approach is influenced by the micro-polyphonic textures of György Ligeti and the collage form textures of Anthony Braxton.
This version was performed and recorded by the composer, Kevin Swenson, on May 16, 2021 at Syracuse University.