FOR ENSEMBLE, FILM + ELECTRONIC SOUNDTRACK

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Amnesty is my second collaboration with filmmaker Austin Criner. In this project Austin subjects film to a number of processes that either deteriorate or overexpose it. I find that the results of these activities deliver a deep and powerful personal message. The film elicited a very emotional response when I first saw the initial sequences. Sensing a connection to these materials, I have attempted to match the film with sounds that are as delicately placed as Austin’s images. Both soundtrack and ensemble are cut from the same timbral mold, and a number of video techniques were used to mediate the film and its soundtrack. For example, in a second section of music, the ever changing light and color content on the screen gradually shifts the timbre of a large sound mass, which is mirrored in the live ensemble.

The piece may be performed with or without film projection. For performances with film, a video playback patch in Max will be provided by the composer for cueing. There is no click track.