This is a vocal version of ‘Clapping Music” by Steve Reich.
The first section of the piece adhers to the 12 beat, 8 note phrase that cycles around in all it’s 12 permutations all on one note. The piece then heads off into firstly percussive descriptions of the 12 rhythms and then harmonic ostinatos. It ‘s a long piece, with a lot of sonic variety, but all the vocal lines adher to one of the 12 note rhythmic phrases despite which note is being sung.
“‘Qualia’ are defined as instances of subjective, conscious experience. The term derives from the Latin meaning “of what sort” or “of what kind” in relation to a specific instance, such as “what it is like to taste a specific apple — this particular apple now”. Examples of qualia include the perceived sensation of pain of a headache, the taste of wine, and the redness of an evening sky.” (from Wikipedia)
Qualial Coalition is a phrase i made up, but can be interpreted.. Qualial as a word is not in the dictionary.
Here is a movie i worked on to compliment the music and title…
Description of the movie.. “Where is your focus? (musically and visually) I have been waiting for years to place these two long movie clips with music, although I didn’t imagine I might overlay them together. They were shot within days of each other in the same town.. The static “being” clip is of a sunset. There had been a storm earlier in the day, so the clouds were unusually visceral and textured. I adore that over time they gradually disperse, as the sun bursts through underneath. The moving “doing” clip is of walking. I walked a good kilometre from the beach to the house I was staying at.. I pointed the camera looking down at the ground, hoping to capture as little as possible in the camera’s field of vision, but that whatever I did capture was a perfect accident. The idea that you can be somewhere utterly beautiful and stunning but that you are in such a depressive state that all you can do is look at the ground, has resonated with me for many years, and in this clip i found a way to visualise it.. The viewer gets an idea that this is not just any path, but one by the sea, by the accidental things you see: flip-flop, bicycles etc. Overlaying these two movies creates an interesting phenomenon. The moving of the walking creates a movement-distraction from the beauty of the static sunset. The eyes naturally following movement, following the lines of divide in the concrete slabs and various shapes of pavement.. I want to look at the sunset, but my eyes are distracted by the regular descending lines and patterns. I also fade in and out the sunset so as to mirror thought and one’s sense of distraction, the mundane so often masking the beauty of just being. And every now and then you see a glimpse of the “now” reality, children playing, swimming, etc.. and your imagination gets to fill in the blanks. The music is an adaptation using the rhythm and it’s 12 permutations of Clapping Music by Steve Reich. Within Clapping Music there is much to listen for in the interaction of the separate rhythms. In my development of the idea, I continue the thread of focus and create collages of sound. We can focus in on a multitude of separate parts of the sound. Do we listen only for the loudest part or can we strain our ears (and brains) to focus on one of the 12 rhythms present, that makes up the background? I have always loved free rhythm, a pulse with emphasis that shifts is so liberating. We westerners have boxed and enslaved pulse, here is some listening time, to play with how we hear emphasis.. and enjoy how it makes us feel when it’s unregulated. Always having been fascinated with phase and the shifts and uncomfortable nature of insecurity between moments of solidity in musical structures, this piece was a joy to work with.”
I have recorded 2 other versions of Clapping Music, that have their own feel, at the moment only available on Soundcloud…
and
At the time of recording this, (2019) i was using Ableton Live and a custom 6 channel surround plugin, i had 6 mini speakers set up in a rectangle in my studio. The use of this plugin created tracks that appear and disappear as they oscillate from speaker to speaker as this recording is only 2 channels of the full 6 channel set up.
It was a particularly lovely way to work as sometimes the tracks shudder as the oscillation is quite fast and other tracks meander into view and fade gradually.