To the victims of the attacks committed on September 11, 2001

Ether is based on the concept of energy as deployed in space, and opens with a vast, empty space. Energy, manifested through sound, springs from the centre of the space and spirals outwards in all directions. As the energy radiates it develops into two distinct types. The first is articulated and is characterized by sculpted sound material, often directional in nature, while the second is represented by resonant sound material that has vague morphological shapes.

The discourse in Ether develops from the repetition of the directional sonic model to the propagation of a series of superimposed spaces, which are at first tethered by the articulated type of energy, but become more and more inhabited by the resonant type of energy as the articulated material progressively dies out. Different factors of sonic transparency allow these two types of energies to coexist, and the interplay between the highly transformed and quasi-recognizable sounds help to define, sustain, expand or contract the spaces in which the energies deploy.

[vi-13]

Ether was realized in 2001 at the Métamorphoses d’Orphée studio of Musiques & Recherches in Ohain (Belgium), the multitrack electroacoustic studio of City University London (England, UK) and the Studio Akousma of the Academy of Soignies (Belgium), and premiered on October 3, 2001 during the 8th international acousmatic festival L’Espace du son at Théâtre Marni in Brussels (Belgium). Much of the sound material for Ether was created in April 2000 during a residency at the Centre de création musicale Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) in Paris (France) with support from the Service of Cooperation and Cultural Action of the French Embassy in Belgium. Field recordings made in the old city of Jerusalem as well as studio recordings of a violoncello also served as the basis for sound material. The piece was commissioned by Musiques & Recherches. Thanks to Thomas Gardner and Pia Keiding.

Premiere

• October 3, 2001, L’Espace du son 2001: Rue Schaeffer et Rue Schafer, Théâtre Marni, Brussels (Belgium)