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by Paul Dolden |imed_0369-0002|
In the late 1970’s I started to write and produce music involving
hundreds of parts or tracks. In the early days, the analogue recording medium
was very noisy when bouncing (or premixing) tracks together. Things improved
throughout the 1980’s and ’90’s, but a large multitrack
digital tape recorder was still out of my financial reach. By the late
1990’s the new computer and hard drive speeds finally provided me with
an affordable multitrack solution. For the first time in my life I was able
to achieve the balance between individual voices that I had so carefully
notated in the original scores. I achieved further musical clarity and a new
depth of sound by using quality compression, equalisation and reverb. To
remaster, I went back to the individual tracks. This was a huge undertaking.
For example, a piece like Below the
Walls of Jericho (1988-89) may be only 14 minutes and 30 seconds long,
but it is a large tape work comprising eighty hours of original recorded
materials.
Recordings always ‘freeze’ or crystallise musical and spectral
meaning for the listener. An odd sound combination that you have grown fond
of in the old master may not appear in the same way in the new one. However,
I think you will agree that I have stayed true to the original compositions.
I resisted changing any of my original compositional decisions on the three
tape works originally released on the 1990 CD The
Threshold of Deafening Silence (Tronia, TRD 0190).
I invite you to discover many new levels of meaning and clarity in the new
masters, which are much closer to my original artistic intention.
Paul Dolden [x-03]
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Introduction
by Paul Dolden |imed_0369-0005|
The creation of the solo tape compositions involves the composition of
several hundred simultaneous musical parts or lines on large manuscript
paper. Each part or line is individually performed on an acoustic instrument
and recorded. Once all several hundred parts have been individually recorded,
they are digitally mixed together with usually no, or very little, signal
processing or electronic effects. This working method allows for new and
complex polyrhythmic and microtonal tuning relationships between parts that
could never be performed by a live ensemble. This compositional technique
also allows for unique orchestration and density possibilities that can be
constantly transformed.
In creating these works for soloist(s) and tape, many details of the tape
become masked by the soloist’s sound. However, by being able to clearly
hear one part, one gains a new perspective on my sound world, as the solo
line often highlights fairly hidden musical gestures and directions.
Moreover, one has the wonderful contrast between the tape, in which hundreds
of musical parts often create anonymous massed textural effects, and hearing
the soloist(s) with all their subjectivity, subtlety and detail they
bring.
Paul Dolden [x-03]
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electrocd.com Paul
Dolden: Seuil de silences: liner notes
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