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CD Feature/ Andre Goncalves & Kenneth Kirschner: "Resonant Objects"

  Tobias

Sound is all around. What Indian philosophy dubs “Nada Brahma” is a simple piece of physics in Western terms: Each object resonates and reacts to its environment, setting free a music inaudible to the human ear. For hundreds of years, scientists and artists have searched for the concept behind this music, its characteristsics and, most importantly, a set of rules and a hidden harmony. “Resonant Objects” now comes as close to acchieving this goal as anyone’s ever been.

Recorded live at the Experimental Intermedia Foundation in New York last year, this is, speaking in sensory terms, actually only one half of the show, which combined visual and aural elements to full effect. Six objects, hanging from the ceiling, were made to resonate. These resonances were picked up by an inbuilt microphone and sent to a computer, which adjusted the objects’ light intensity accordingly (the visual part). The extremely fine sound, meanwhile, was emmitted directly from the objects by speakers, without the use of further amplification. This aural part is what you’re getting on the album and although we strongly suspect that the complete event was even more impressive, one never gets the feeling of missing out on anything. Mysteriously ondulating high-tone frequencies are slowly undermined by deep drones and shimmering shackles of sounds. Everything constantly changes its pulse, only so delicately that you hardly notice. The elements disappear and reappear, making for ever-changing combinations and subtle mood swings: Sometimes, this musical micro-environment sounds menacing and dangerous, then again soothing and comforting, occasionaly otherwordly and inexplicable, then almost like a simple microphone check just a few seconds before the concert. Some audience noises slipped in there as well, but they only serve to deepen the texture.

Does it serve its purpose of making the relationship between space and sound apparent? Well, it’s hard to say. Any attempt will remain an approximation and maybe these natural frequencies were not intended to be perceived by man's (or woman's) ear anyway. On the other hand, this 50-minute long track clearly points at a secret hidden behind the illusion of reality. Unveiling the concept of “Nada Brahma” or not, that makes it a wonderful piece of music for sure.

Homepage: Andre Goncalves
Homepage: Kenneth Kirschner
Homepage: Sirr Ecords