Andy Mayell
COMPOSER
You will find works on this page which follow a more Western-Art Music tradition including scored works, electronic works and stereo versions of sound installations.
Corners of Europe Sound Installation 1 (Jardin de Falerina) W.I.P.
This is a process composition where the musical factors are defined by the location of the installation and a variety of other factors based on location. An initial artisit would write a poem based upon the location which would be turned into a simple musical score. The location coordinates, a skyline silouette and a translation of a poem in the native language of the location then define further musical components for the installation as follows:
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Hit points developed from the English translation. Firstly the English translation is processed into a variety of points where the instrumentation and timbre changes. The choice of instrumentation and timbre is based upon metaphorical interpretations of the poem’s imagery.
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Locate hit points in the Score. Secondly the hit points are positioned into elements of the score which are evident due to notes of a longer length (marked on the score).
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Define additional audio effects dependent on the location coordinates. Audio Effects are added to the instrumentation based upon location Co-ordinates of the observation at the hit points defined in B.
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Use a Skyline Observation to define other musical components. A Skyline variable is developed from the observation location which defines the tempo (speed) and articulation of the piece.
For more information visit the following link from the leading artist involved in the project; Ixone Ormaetxe.
Refragmentation for Violin, Cello and Piano (Video Extracts).
June 2013.
This is my most recent scored composition 'Refragmentation' for Piano Trio. The most interesting section is the cellular development from 2 minutes onwards. Please find the score for this section in the link below...
‘Refragmentation’ I is the first in an array of compositions which are based upon the utilisation of pre-existing material which is redefined and juxtapositioned to create a new compositional idea. A continuing factor in these compositions is that the material used must be recognisable to the listener. This is important because if I embedded a melody, for example, which was not recognisable, the ear would not locate it as easily. This, in turn, allows me to redefine the melodic, harmonic and textural hierarchy of the musical components by superimposing them within and against each other slowly revealing the material or other material toying with the listener’s cognitive process.
'Distorted Reflections' for Side Chained Piano and Drum Loops (Sequenced Example)
I have always been fascinated by side chains used in electronic music and wanted to compose a piece which used this technique LIVE and Distorted Reflections is my first attempt. This is a sequenced version of the composition for live and amplified piano and triggered electronic drum loop. Similar to electronic dance music, dynamics are altered by a gated side chain which cuts out the piano if the drum is not playing and vice versa. So to develop this concept in a composition I experiment between each instrument being dependent on the other ie the Amplified part of the Piano being triggered by the Drums and the Drums being triggered by the piano performance. This is an computerised example of how the composition would sound but I would like for it to be performed properly at some stage.
If you are an able concert pianist please see the score link above and contact me if you are interested in performing the piece live.
'Railway Soundscape' for a Theatrical Production
Here is a soundscape I composed for an interval of an original play. It uses railway samples interspersed from A Capella vocals from the cover 'Mad World' by Gary Jules from the film Donny Darko. The plot of the production follows various peoples lives who happen to be on the same tube journey... Have you ever looked at someone on the tube and wondered where they cam from and what happened in their day??
'Bridge' (Music for Contemporary Dance Example)
Here is a short example of ambient music composed to accompany this short film. Because of the gestural feel of the movement I composed the piece without an underlying pulse to reflect the freedom of movement.
Showreel of music from the Horror film: 'The Unwelcome'.
Here is a showreel of the music I composed for the low budget horror film 'The Unwelcome'. I wrote an array of music to the poltegeist like concept which the film director / editor then spliced and synced to the visual as they wished.
'Phrygian Awakenings' for Multi-channel Performance.
This was a collage composition / sound installation I put together at a Jazz workshop a few years ago. I went to improve my piano skills with no intention of composing but the Tutors their insisted I put a piece together. Everyone who was in the workshop I sampled around a click track and gave them a mode to improvise with. Each sample comes in and out gradually and is triggered and looped via a sampler with the loop time diminishing and augmenting through time.
'Loose Change' for Multi-channel performance.
This piece is a composition I wrote within my Electronic Music Degree at Hertfordshire University. It is a Pastiche in the style of Prof. Jonty Harrison (especially the CD Articles Indefinis) and it should be 'performed' via a Multi-channel speaker set up. Jonty Harrison won various compositional prizes back in the 80s by composing multi-channel sound-art pieces based on the gestures derived from a non musical object or sound object. In this case I have chosen the sound object of a coin or multiple coins. If you are interested about the theory behind this style of composition please see the essay link above.