Sanding
I’m currently experimenting with some guitar recordings I made with an EBow. The music is produced with two long drones that are fed through a variety of signal processes. Of these, the most important is the NeuroGranular Sampler designed by John Matthias and Nick Ryan for use in their larger piece The Fragmented Orchestra created with Jane Grant.
The NeuroGranular Sampler simulates the process of neuronal spiking and, “…reproduces the spiking and bursting behavior of known types of cortical neurons. The neurogranular sampler works by taking short segments (or sound grains) from sound files and triggering them when any of the neurons fire” (MUSE).
I find that the sound grains “fly off of” the drone recordings like sawdust stripped from a piece of wood by sandpaper. The sonic sawdust can be routed to filters, delays, and a battery of other effects to produce incredibly interesting and varied textures and melodies. There are currently no specific directions for the project, but stay tuned.