Mawrth/March 2007   Rhwng y pegynau mae’n llonydd: the point between the poles is still

Cyfansoddwyd y darn yma i ddathlu pen-blwydd cymdeithas ‘Rhwng: the point between’. Fel mae’r teitl yn awgrymu, roeddwn yn ceisio adlewyrchu rhai o’r syniadau tu cefn i’r gymdeithas h.y. sut i fodoli rhwng pegynau.Yng nghyd-destun celf, a cherddoriaeth yn benodol, mae pegynau efallai rhwng cyfansoddwr, perfformiwr a gwrandäwr, rhwng rheolaeth ac afreolaeth, ac maent hefyd i’w sylwi yn ffyrdd y gelli’r mabwysiadu technoleg fel rhan o’r broses greadigol. I mi, yn hytrach na bod yn fodd o reoli elfennau cerddorol yn fanwl, mae technoleg yn cynnig cyfle i adael opsiynau yn agored.Mae gwahoddiad i’r perfformiwr ymateb i ddeunydd crai (recordiadau o ddwlsimer forthwyliedig), ond mae’r ffurf y defnydd yma, drwy sustem ryngweithiol, hefyd yn ddibynnol ar symudiad y perfformiwr.Ysgrifennwyd y darn ar gyfer Rhodri Davies, ac fel o ni’n disgwyl, roedd ei ddehongliad yn berffaith.

This piece was composed to celebrate the first anniversary of the society ‘Rhwng: the point between’. As the title suggests, I was trying to reflect some of the ideas on which the society is based i.e. how to exist between polarities.In the context of art, and music-making in particular, there are perhaps poles between composer, performer and listener, between control and freedom, and they can also be noted in the various ways that technology can be utilised as part of the creative process. For myself, rather than being a means of achieving precise control, technology offers the opportunity to leave options open.The performer is invited to react to raw materials (hammered dulcimer recordings), but the form of this raw material is, via an interactive process, dependent on the performer’s position. The piece was written for Rhodri Davies, who interpreted it perfectly.

2004-2005 Cyfres Coed Coch/Red Wood Suite

My final project at Bangor was an interactive sound installation. The piece is based around the transient sound of striking two pieces of wood, and the associated reverberations, at various environments in and around my home. These sources were used as a basis for creating continuous 'environments' which the listener/performer can explore for themselves, both by changing their location within the installation space and also by their movement - this is tracked with a web cam. There are some movie extracts from a couple of performances below:

Eileen in 'Barclodiad y Gawres'

Fiona in 'The Kitchen'

A transition between the above

(This piece was developed with the kind support of the Parry Williams Music Scholarship.)

Banjo Study #1
As with much of my work this piece is minimal in the sense that it is based a very short fragment of sound material (the one from the banjo referred to above). I was interested in exploring one element of the source, in this case timbral make-up, and trying to frame and focus in detail on the material without too much interference from myself. The piece received its first public airing on BBC Radio 3's Mixing It on 18/2/05.

#001 (Banjo)
This is a non-linear generative piece, but there is a short extract here: #001 (Banjo)

Despite working with the banjo intensely for over a year, however, I still can't figure out how to play 'Shady Grove'. (I've just mastered 'Cripple Creek' though, and the book says that this means I'm well on my way to becoming a bluegrass banjo player.)

Am ryw reswm mae na ddarn o'r R101 yn yr amgueddfa yng Nghaernarfon. Mae mam yn son bod hi'n cofio fod y llong wedi hedfan dros y pentref lle da ni'n byw oherwydd dyna lle 'roedd mam y peilot yn byw. Ar wal yr amgueddga wrth ymyl y darn mae yna restr o ddamweiniau awyrennau o gwmpas maes awyr 'Y Fali' yn Ynys Môn - digwyddiadau cofiadwy iawn o'r 60au.

More details about the project are here: Radio 101