Anthony Hood: Kite

Abstract

Kite is a quiet piece that explores sustained textures and a wide sense of space. It contrasts with earlier, busier works by the composer. Much of the sound material in Kite was developed from a short shakuhachi sample. The remainder was synthesised with the TAO physical modelling system developed by Mark Pearson. A TAO instrument heard early in the work was constructed by linking simulated metal plates of different size. Virtual 'microphones' were positioned on one plate, while a conjoined plate was bowed, generating a complex and evolving harmonic spectrum. Sound material was also developed using processing techniques such as folding a spectrum around a pivot frequency, and imposing the spectral envelope of a pitched sound onto a noise signal. Both sampled and synthesised sounds were further subject to brassage and granulation. The piece begins with a sustained 'windy' texture, punctuated by silences. Sounds begin to break apart, until a long descending pattern resolves into a hint of the opening. Kite was composed on a Silicon Graphics Indy computer at the studios of the University of York, England.