Percussion Cycle,  Les Percussions de Strasbourg [CD]

Juan Pampin’s ‘Percussion Cycle’ for percussion instruments and electronic sounds, performed by the renowned Les Percussions de Strasbourg, is comprised of four pieces: ‘Métal Hurlant’, ‘Toco Madera’, ‘Skin Heads’ and ‘On Space’. Each piece relates to the base material of the instruments used and is the result of an exploration of the timbral qualities of the material elements responsible for the production of sound: metals, wood, and skins. The last piece deals with the spatial relationship between all the percussion instruments and their electronic counterparts. Performed live, the pieces are executed by the musicians and speakers for the electronics surrounding the audience.

Track list

1. Métal Hurlant (1996)     13’32”

Olaf Tzschoppe



2. Toco Madera (1997)     15’22”

Jean-Paul Bernard, Claude Ferrier



3. Skin Heads (1998)        14’28”

François Papirer, Bernard Lesage, Keiko Nakamura



4. On Space (2000/2005)     20’33”

Bernard Lesage, Claude Ferrier, Olaf Tzschoppe, Jean-Paul Bernard, Keiko Nakamura, François Papirer

Technology

This recording was produced through the use of the Ambisonic Toolkit (ATK), and represents a first ‘on location’ application of the ATK production system. A Stereo Ambisonic UHJ recording.

Microphones: Soundfield ST250, 8 x Schoeps MK5 (omnidirectional)

Microphone Preamp: DACS Clarity MicAmp

Credits

On Space was commissioned by Les Percussions de Strasbourg and GRAME, Centre National de Création Artistique.

Percussions de Strasbourg Artistic Director: Jean-Paul Bernard

Percussions de Strasbourg Technical Manager: Laurent Fournaise

Recorded on location by Joseph Anderson at Palais des Fêtes, Strasbourg, France, 9-13 January, 2006. Recording sessions supervised by the composer.



Produced and mastered by: Joseph Anderson & Juan Pampin



This recording was made possible through the support of the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS), and has been partially funded by the Royalty Research Fund of the University of Washington.



Thanks to: Mirta Wymerszberg, Eloy Pampin, Emilia Fernández, Joseph Anderson, Gayle Sutherland, Richard Karpen, Jean-Paul Bernard, Pablo Fessel.

Special thanks for technical assistance to Fernando Lopez-Lezcano and the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.

We would like to dedicate this CD to Jonathan Harvey who departed three years ago leaving us with an immense feeling of emptiness.