Eight Variations by Ben Peers
Eight Variations was created towards the beginning of the UK's lockdown period. Despite the circumstances I was feeling strangely lucky to suddenly have this surplus of time to dedicate to music, and was glad to be able to use creativity as a way to help cope with the situation.
My way of working is playful and escapist - I try to focus only on the sounds I'm making and the relationships that might be emerging between them, and tend not to be influenced by the 'real world' or pre-conceived concepts. The decision to use an iterative structure with a limited set of patterns and sounds was not deliberate, but on reflection this approach probably came about as a reaction to my experience of the changes to my day to day life.
From a technical perspective Eight Variations is a continuation of my ongoing experiments using max/msp alongside hardware electronic instruments. I see my use of algorithmic sequences as a way to extend the capabilities of my machines, while still allowing the built-in logic of these devices to influence my workflow and the sounds I'm making.
The piece is split into eight parts for ease of exploration on Bandcamp, but the tracks will run continuously if downloaded.
Tracklist
| 1. | Variation One | 2:40 |
| 2. | Variation Two | 3:48 |
| 3. | Variation Three | 3:22 |
| 4. | Variation Four | 5:02 |
| 5. | Variation Five | 4:09 |
| 6. | Variation Six | 6:22 |
| 7. | Variation Seven | 4:56 |
| 8. | Variation Eight | 6:24 |
Credits
Recorded and produced by Ben Peers
Mastering by Emanuele Battisti
Artwork © 2020 Paolo Cavinato : fragment from "In the room" (drawing and computer graphics)
Catalogue number : EL19
