Alberto Gatti / Re-Sounding Bodies : Anaïs del Sordo 4/4
As part of his artistic research residency focusing on the multimodal harness, one of Alberto Gatti’s main objectives was to compose music specifically for this unique device intended for sound diffusion. To accompany him in this long creative process, he called on soprano vocalist Anais del Sordo, who is known for her interest in artistic ventures combining music and technology. She tells us more about this unprecedented composition workshop.
As a frequent visitor of IRCAM’s studios – which gave you the opportunity, among others, to “play” with different human/machine improvisation tools – what do you like about this kind of technological projects and experiences?
Having studied African-American music, with a focus on improvisation and vocal research generally, the idea of collaborating with IRCAM came to me naturally. First with the team working on the REACH project directed by Gérard Assayag, with whom I had the chance to use “artificial intelligence” for the first time, when working on improvisation with the application Somax2.
I believe that for “acoustic” vocalists such as myself, working with artificial intelligence is a perfect opportunity to expand our personal research, because it enables you to listen differently, discover new aspects of yourself, and teaches you, in the broad sense, to face the unpredictability inherent to making sound. As an improviser, dealing with the random and the unpredictable is something I find very enjoyable.
You have been working with Alberto as part of his residency since last fall: what do you find particularly interesting about the multimodal harness and by extension, about the idea of creating music especially for it?
I have to admit that when I tried it myself for the first time, I was amazed; it was unlike anything I had ever felt before! At first, I was astounded by the simple fact of physically hearing amplified sound with my bone structure, without having to use my ears. The next moment, I was convinced. Listening without using your ears can seem nonsensical, but the harness actually only enhances our skeleton’s natural ability to conduct sound waves. Most people are not consciously aware of this phenomenon however, because hearing is mostly undertaken by the ears rather than the body as a whole. We singers however have the opportunity, by studying the body’s natural vibrations, to understand the role the bones play in amplifying sounds. I couldn’t help being fascinated by this device.
From a listener’s standpoint, what do you think this new musical aspect will bring to the field, and more specifically to multimodal creation?
I believe it is a one-of-a-kind experience that everyone should try. Sound can help listeners become aware of their own bodies, in a more personal, intimate, profound way. It is a truly exceptional (re)discovery of oneself that carries a completely unique emotional power, maybe because it does not use the ears.
What did you do with Alberto during those sessions?
Our research and creative process was divided into several phases. After we met, Alberto told me about his ideas and aspirations, and we immediately started putting our heads together to discuss the kind of music we wanted to produce with the harness. During every studio session, we worked actively on real-time composition, focusing on showcasing all the peculiarities of the harness. This practice entails, among other things, an important involvement on the acoustic musician’s part. In order to demonstrate the device’s capacities, I had to play or sing based on a series of predetermined sound materials varying according to parameters such as pitch, intensity, rarity and clarity. It is a rather challenging technical and instrumental work, which requires a long trial-and-error process to get the sounds to render correctly with the harness.
As a performer, what would you say is new about this multimodal harness?
Getting to interact with this device is extremely stimulating and fulfilling. Because the harness prefers certain sound environments, which implies very specific frequencies and parameters, the performer is confronted with very particular situations. At first, it feels like trying to find your way through an unknown place in total darkness, feeling around for the switch. Curiosity helping, this feeling of confusion invariably leads us towards unexplored instrumental territories. More than once, during a session at the studio, I found myself singing pieces I never thought I would. I believe that the prospect of such discoveries is a key driver for us artists who specialize in experimental music.
You worked with Alberto on the composition of a piece: can you tell us about the performance and what the audience should expect?
It is a five-part suite that is intended to be “listened to” with the harness, as each part showcases a specific characteristic of the device in connection with a human sound source (in this instance, my voice). We worked on each movement separately; focusing on the characteristic we wanted to showcase. While I was singing and recording a certain part, Alberto was standing facing me with the harness on, “listening” in real time and monitoring the various perceptive parameters of the harness for an optimal rendering. Once we were done recording, I was able to wear the harness myself to “listen to” my own performance so that I could take note of what sounded good and what might need to be improved or possibly modified. During this residence, I also had the opportunity to sing the whole piece for an audience that was equipped with the harness but unfamiliar with the project, which allowed us to get some direct feedback on the composition and its efficiency and opened up perspectives for improvement.
What do you think are the challenges of performing this kind of music?
Interacting with this kind of device can be quite challenging. First of all, I think you need a healthy dose of patience, an ability to question yourself, and good analytical listening skills in order to perceive every sound variation. This mindset is essential to be able to act on the music and optimize the interaction with the harness, not to mention that the final product should be not only a technical and technological demonstration but also and most importantly a musical performance! Just like any self-respecting musician, it is also required to have a perfect technical mastery of your instrument. Very often, you are faced with difficult choices that you couldn’t anticipate and which require a clever mix of curiosity and boldness.
Moreover, in order to work best with new technologies, it is always useful to keep in touch with recent developments, and be willing to challenge yourself and learn something new, which can seem at odds with the reality of the musical field. That is why is am very grateful to Alberto for inviting me to be part of this project; he encouraged me to open up to a whole new world that I learn more about every day.
Interview by Jérémie Szpirglas
