After the session, I had booked a three hour session in the M108 Performance Lab. My goal here was to compile my stems into my previously made spacialised template in ProTools.
Hearing my work, of which I had only previously heard on small home studio speakers, applied to the surround-sound format was an immediately moving experience. Before I had even delved into the GRM plugins, the various drones and chime-like melodies seemed to adopt an entirely new richer, expansive quality – I was glad that at the very least, my choice of sonic palette translated well from my small , echo-prone studio flat to the high-end setup of the Performance Lab.
In the same way as my initial compositional method, I began working with the drone material first. As the foundation of the piece, I knew that movement around the space should be kept minimal, that a firm and established presence should be essential. To test this theory , I sent these drones through GRM Spaces to circle around the room with noticeable movement. The result was jarring and uneasy, the firmly defined ‘base’ that the drones provided seemed to lose their density as they hurtled around the space, as though they had become ‘stretched thin’, like the sinews of overpulled clay.
Yet, as I slowed the movement of the drones (each operating at different directions clockwise and anti-clockwise) to a more subtle, almost imperceivable crawl, a densely layered, hypnotic effect was achieved. The movement of the drones sonic character itself was slow, but not necessarily still; in matching this characteristic to a similarly paced spacialised effect the result was beautifully rich and dense – far so than if I had kept the drones unmoved. I imagined the drones as lapping ocean waves caught into a whirlpool and slowed to a near standstill – engulfing me inside its vortex. The sound was vast, consuming, yet never imposing or overwhelming.
From this discovery, my attitude toward my initial concept began to develop. Hearing my piece beginning to form in this space seemed to enhance my inspirations. I decided that while I wanted to explore my central idea of ‘ghost melodies’ – ideas of subtle flux, beauty and tranquillity formed in the midst of this ‘whirlpool’ wall of sound began to emerge.
When it came to spacialising the acoustic guitar and chime-like elements of the track, I again listened for the actual movement of the sound sources, this time sharp, and sporadic – and moved it around the room accordingly, letting small phrases and melodies play out at in one speaker before jolting across the room. By never letting one speaker hold the attention of a specific melody or instrument for too long, I felt as though I furthered my concept of ‘ghost melodies’ as the notes and motifs fleeted across the room, almost inviting me to try to trace their patterns.
Despite this success, I felt that there was a need to include just one more slight textural element in order to fully realise the soundscape. I decided to record that in the same evening.