To Martin Bédard

“The songs and dances that brushed by us whenever we’d go there left some strange traces in our hearts.

Without shying away from life, have we ever let its flow carry us away completely, freely and flexibly, impassive to tomorrow?

For we who were never able to dream of anything but the past, tomorrow always felt like a threat.

And during that time, all we’ll have succeeded to do will be to steal a bit of the brightness of things.

And so we go on.

We move forward, our laugh a defeat, our only glory a tightness in the throat.

We move forward, metal in mouth, teeth clenched to make sure we don’t drop anything else.”

— Wahed Gotref, Problèmes prosés

— Georges Forget [English translation: François Couture, ii-15]

Métal en bouche [Metal in Mouth] was realized in 2008 at the composer’s studio and premiered on December 11, 2008 during the Akousma (5) festival at Studio Hydro-Québec, Monument-National, Montréal. Métal en bouche won the 2nd Phonos Prize at the 3rd Destellos Electroacoustic Composition Competition (Mar del Plata, Argentina, 2010), and 1st prize ex æquo at the 25th Concorso internazionale di musica elettroacustica e rumore Luigi Russolo–Rossana Maggia (Annecy, France, 2011).

Premiere

• December 11, 2008, Akousma (5): Programme double, Studio Hydro-Québec — Monument-National, Montréal (Québec)

Awards

• 2nd prize Phonos, Fixed medium, 3rd Destellos Competition 2010, Mar del Plata (Argentina)
• 1st prize ex æquo, Concorso internazionale di musica elettroacustica e rumore Luigi Russolo–Rossana Maggia 2011, Annecy (Haute-Savoie, France)