"Cosmic Radiation" by MusicMan11712

[MusicMan11712]

Shane Morris generously offered me the opportunity to perform during his regular Atmosphera slot (Wed. 4 Aug. 2010) while he set up his studio after returning from the Kansas City electro-music Festival. (His live set, "So Say Us All," was performed that Friday, 6 Aug. 2010.)

Stepping into the slot was a wonderful personal challenge. I have admired Shane's Atmosphera series and wanted to try my hand at this type of wonderful long-form real-time performance. Yet, I wanted to create a nuanced, slow, evolving, abstract sonic tapestry in the style of Atmosphera that I could rightly call my own.

"Cosmic Radiation" is the result. It abstractly reflects a few things that were happening in 2010. Earlier in the year, Toyotas were recalled due to what was termed at the time a "sticky gas pedal" problem. In July, I read an article that showed how the problem could be the result of cosmic radiation affecting field array chips which evidently control the cars' acceleration. During the week preceding the performance, people were attributing recent wifi and internet problems to cosmic radiation.

I don't know if any of that is true, but I had been thinking about unseen forces emanating from an energy source impacting the physical world we see and touch. This is an abstract sonic interpretation of such forces.

"Cosmic Radiation" was made using 2 usb/midi keyboards (with knobs, buttons, and sliders plus a sustain pedal attached), routed through an old MOTU interface, controlling primarily an E-Mu Proteus 2500 and a Roland M-GS64. In addition, a Proteus/1 was used for a high, ringing harmonic sound.

The piece fits in with what I call cinematic electronic music; the sounds, their juxtaposition and flow, and their organization are not unlike film. For me, cinematic electronic music runs the gamut of of emotional imagery--calm, suspenseful, tense, envigorating, relaxing, etc. and may evoke real and dream-like images, although everyone's mental images may not be the same or even remotely similar.

As for the "helicopters," I envision film-like scenes shot with high magnification from an extremely far distance with a looming sun lighting the background so as to show visible waves of heat distortion.

Special thanks to Shane for providing some excellent performances with his Atmosphera series and for giving me the opportunity to try my hand at an "atmosphera-ic" piece.

--Steve

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Cosmic Radiation - MusicMan11712 (Atmosphera Wed 4 Aug 2010).mp3
Description:	Ambient live performance from guest appearance on Shane Morris' Atmosphera (4 Aug 2010) - piece reflects abstract sonic interpretations of 2010 Cosmic Radiation allegedly responsible for runaway Toyotas, wifi and internet interference, etc.	Download
Filename:	Cosmic Radiation - MusicMan11712 (Atmosphera Wed 4 Aug 2010).mp3
Filesize:	55.03 MB
Downloaded:	572 Time(s)

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[shanemorris]

Steve
I am deeply honored and touched by your words, music, and musicianship. That means a lot to me coming from someone of a musical and technical caliber as your self. I am so glad you decided to fill in for me at the last minute and Im excited to put this into the stillstream Atmosphera rotation in the future.
Thanks for this beautiful set of music Steve. I hope people get to hear this performance, it really was, as I said in the chatroom... one of my favorite performances I've heard of yours. Thanks for sharing it with us!