FUTILITY (CD, KAIROS)

THE ALBUM PRESENTS A SET OF PARTICIPATORY PIECES INVOLVING THE AUDIENCE IN THE PERFORMANCE – SOMETIMES THROUGH VERBAL OR PHYSICAL INTERACTION, SOMETIMES USING MOBILE CONSOLES PREPARED FOR THE WORKS. CONCEPTUALLY, IT IMPLEMENTS THE IDEA OF AN INTROVERTS’ COLLECTIVE („COMMUNITY OF LISTENERS”), INTRODUCED AS PART OF THE RESIDENCY AT CNMAT, UC BERKELEY AND AWARDED THE FULBRIGHT SENIOR AWARD 2021. THIS CD PRESENTS MUSIC WITHOUT INTERACTIVE LAYERS. EXPERIENCING THE FULL VERSIONS IS ONLY POSSIBLE DURING THE CONCERT, BUT INTERACTIVE EXTENSION OF THE COMPOSITION, FULL TEXTS AND GRAPHICS CAN BE FOLLOWED HERE.

No Meaning Detected (2018)
for violin and electronics

THE PIECE IS INSPIRED BY THE AESTHETICS OF DOUGLAS COUPLAND’S POSTERS. IT IS A SPECIFIC DIALOGUE WITH THE AUDIENCE, WHICH RESPONDS „YES” OR „NO” TO QUESTIONS ASKED FROM THE STAGE BY THE VIOLINIST AND SPEECH SYNTHESIZER. THE COMPOSITION PROBLEMATIZES THE ROLE OF THE PERFORMER AND THE SOCIAL SITUATION THAT IS CREATED DURING THE CONCERT.

INTERACTION: DURING CONCERT LISTENERS ANSWER THE PERFORMER’S QUESTIONS. Here, while listening, scroll through the slides with questions (use the arrows) and try to answer them.

Introverts’ Collective (2021)
for ensemble, electronics and mobile controllers

WHEN WE MEET TO LISTEN TO MUSIC WE ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY TOGETHER AND ALONE IN OUR INNER PERCEPTUAL APPARATUS.  WE BECOME A LOCAL & TEMPORAL „COMMUNITY OF LISTENERS” – AN “INTROVERTS’ COLLECTIVE”. YOU CAN BE ENGAGED IN IT BY ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS ON A MOBILE CONSOLE.

INTERACTION: DURING CONCERT AUDIENCE CHOOSE THE PATH OF THE RHISOMATIC STRUCTURE OF THE PIECE BY CHOOSING ASWERS.

when hear the switch use arrows to scroll and follow the slides

Judge Me Again (2018) for flute and live electronics

THE PIECE IS DEDICATED TO THE ISSUE OF CROSSING/VIOLATING PRIVACY (FROM
A SMALL, SEEMINGLY INNOCENT REMARK, THROUGH VERBAL ASSESSMENTS, TOUCHING COMMENTS, TO SEVERE PHYSICAL ABUSE). THE #METOO CAMPAIGN WAS A TRIGGER HERE, BUT THE CULTURE OF CROSSING BORDERS IS A BROADER, MORE UNIVERSAL TOPIC. THE COMPOSITION IS A SHORT STORY ABOUT GROWING STRONGER, GAINING POWER. IT IS A MUSICAL EVOLUTION OF THE CHARACTER, WHO GRADUALLY LEAVES THE “ROLE OF THE VICTIM”.

THE INTERACTION IN THE CONCERT IS VERY SIMPLE AND VERY SYMBOLIC – IT’S JUST TOUCHING THE PERFORMER, BUT YET ALWAYS FORMING A MOMENT OF RISK FOR BOTH SIDES. THIS GESTURE (REPRESENTED IN THE RECORDING BY THE SOUND OF THE WOODBLOCK) IS A CROSSING OF THE PHYSICAL BARRIER OF PRIVACY, BUT ALSO SYMBOLIZES JUDGMENT, AN EVALUATIVE OPINION THAT IS ALWAYS HARSH, ALWAYS “TOUCHES”.

Futility (2020)
for ensemble, electronics and mobile controllers

THIS WORK IS INSPIRED BY THE WRITINGS OF EUGENE THACKER, WHO CLAIMS THAT WE ARE SLOWLY APPROACHING THE LIMIT OF OUR CAPACITY TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD: A WORLD OF PLANETARY CATASTROPHES, PANDEMICS, TECTONIC CHANGES, ERRATIC WEATHER, OIL-SPILLED MARITIME LANDSCAPES, AND A CONTINUOUSLY LOOMING RAMPANT EXTINCTION. THACKER TREATS ALL THESE SITUATIONS AS AN “UNTHINKABLE” PHENOMENON: WE CANNOT PREDICT THEM OR STOP THEIR EFFECTS. PESSIMISM IS THE UNEASY THOUGHT OF A WORLD-WITHOUT-US. THANK YOU, EUGENE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS!

INTERACTION: THE PIECE IS BUILT ON THE OPPOSITION OF TWO LAYERS. THE INSTRUMENTAL PARTS REPRESENT ACTIVITY, AN ATTEMPT AT ACTION, ACTIVISM, OR BETTER – „ARTIVISM”. HOWEVER, THEY ARE OVERWHELMED AND DROWNED OUT BY A MASSIVE LAYER OF ELECTRONICS THAT WE CANNOT COPE WITH. THE AUDIENCE IS INVOLVED IN THIS STRUGGLE THROUGH THE ILLUSION OF BEING ABLE TO SUPPRESS ELECTRONICS. WE HAVE A CONSOLE ON OUR PHONES, WHICH, PROVIDED THAT ALL LISTENERS WORK IN UNISON AND CONSISTENCY, GIVES CERTAIN, SMALL CHANCES TO INSTRUMENTAL PARTS. THE APPLICATION ACCOMPANYING THE PIECE IS A METAPHOR FOR THE STATE OF OUR SITUATION CONCERNING CLIMATE, POLITICS, ECONOMY, AND GENERALLY OUR SOCIAL PROBLEMS. THIS TOOL OF INTERACTIVITY, OR RATHER INTERPASSIVITY, IS AN IMPORTANT/SEPARATE LAYER OF THE COMPOSITION. THE APPLICATION IS AN INTERFACE THAT WORKS DURING THE CONCERT, WHICH ACTUALLY AFFECTS THE ELECTRONIC LAYER OF THE COMPOSITION. HOWEVER, THIS ACTIVITY IS BARELY NOTICEABLE. THE PERSISTENT/HOPELESS REPETITION OF THIS GESTURE INDEFINITELY RESEMBLES A RITUAL, A FORM OF HOPELESS PRAYER.

Scrolling to zero (2018) for keyboards and electronics

„IT’S OVER. JUST SIT STILL, RELAX AND BREATHE…”

THE COMPOSITION IS A SOUND MEDITATION OF THE WORD END (#endChanting)    FOR KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS (PHILIPS PHILICORDA), ELECTRONICS AND AUDIENCE VOICES. THE SOUNDING RITUAL IS LED BY THE DIGITAL AVATAR WHO INVITES YOU TO COLLECTIVE CHANTING – SIMILAR TO THE BUDDHIST OHM PRACTICE.  ❯❯(0)

MONIKA PASIECZNIK – TEKST WPROWADZAJĄCY (pl)

MONIKA PASIECZNIK – INTRODUCTORY TEXT (eng)

MONIKA PASIECZNIK – EINFÜHRUNGSTEXT (de)