Distant Front

Instrumentation: String Quartet and Interactive Electronics Performers of Premiere: Australian String Quartet & Luke Harrald Over the past decade there has been a rapid increase in interest in interactive computer music performance, particularly in the area of interactive systems that are able to make active contributions to music performances with live instrumentalists. This area of research has been typified by groups such as the Live Algorithms for Music (LAM) research network (UK), and Musical Metacreation (MUME) research group (Canada). “Distant Front” continues Harrald’s research in interactive computer music performance, exploring technology relevant to this area including pitch tracking and real-time generative composition. Aesthetically, the work responds to that of painter Fred Williams, and aims to depict the flat expanse of the Adelaide Plains. The interactive and generative elements of the work are used to explore the idea that although a landscape may appear the same, over time the details of the landscape are infinitely different. To this end, the string quartet part of the work remains static each time it is played, but the computer generates new electronic parts in response to the string quartet each time the work is played