Accretion

Accretion was recorded in May 2015 at the October Gallery, London. It is the first recording by duck-rabbit to combine acoustic and electronic instruments and demonstrates the way in which these two sides of the group have been tightly integrated. The performances were entirely improvised and all electronic sounds were derived in the moment.

The recording was made the day after the 2015 general election and as we were setting up, the final results were coming in. The mood was sombre and reflective and the task at hand provided a welcome distraction. Much time and effort was spent setting up lighting and recording equipment and it was several hours before we started to play. Immediately, we were immersed in the music and the beautiful acoustic of the room. We recorded the tracks in rapid succession before our time was up. They all appear in the order they were recorded, with the exception of Accretion III, an all acoustic burst of energy from the end of the session.

The electronics setup used on Accretion was designed to allow maximum flexibility, with each performer able to draw on any element at any time. The instruments build on those developed over the course of the Scattered Voices series. In this context, however, the acoustic sounds are the source material. Each member of the group can take on an acoustic or electronic role, presenting an array of possible combinations and an expanded timbral palette. It is very exciting to be presented with so many options while maintaining the intimacy of the trio format. We still feel that we are only scratching the surface and each performance is full of surprising twists and turns.

James Opstad: 10th June 2015

Accretion

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