Eight Variations was created towards the beginning of the UK’s lockdown period. Despite the circumstances I was feeling strangely lucky to suddenly have this surplus of time to dedicate to music, and was glad to be able to use creativity as a way to help cope with the situation.
My way of working is playful and escapist – I try to focus only on the sounds I’m making and the relationships that might be emerging between them, and tend not to be influenced by the ‘real world’ or pre-conceived concepts. The decision to use an iterative structure with a limited set of patterns and sounds was not deliberate, but on reflection this approach probably came about as a reaction to my experience of the changes to my day to day life.
From a technical perspective Eight Variations is a continuation of my ongoing experiments using max/msp alongside hardware electronic instruments. I see my use of algorithmic sequences as a way to extend the capabilities of my machines, while still allowing the built-in logic of these devices to influence my workflow and the sounds I’m making.
