The six pieces that comprise the Amalgam Edits are all taken from live and unedited solo performances (which are typically between 30 and 50 minutes in length) recorded at various locations at home and away over the last three years. I first encountered radiaL, the software performance environment I use, in the hands of its creator jhno in the context of his work with Crater (an improvising ensemble which included Nels Cline on guitar, and Scott Amendola on drums), and was dazzled at how fluidly John’s laptop work worked within the confines of their live shows. It seemed to me that the central insight of his approach was to think of his material not as something that looped forever but as material that could be subdivided and rearranged in the larger context of a flexible and configurable signal processing network. I began working with the software, and eventually came to assist John (and now, Andrew Pask) with its current development.
From the first, my interest was in using this software to recreate the processes I used to create the more systems-oriented pieces I’ve worked on for many years in a live and improvisational context- timing and overlaying units of different lengths and pitches as a way of generating and organizing variety that integrates well with the structures and tunings of the gamelan music I’ve studied and played for many years.
I am particularly indebted to my friend and percussionist/collaborator Tom Hamer for his editorial advice, judicious redaction, and golden ears on this project.
Gregory Taylor
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