It's ALIVE!
Philip Mantione in Santa Fe

A collection of music created in Santa Fe including work for experimental video and live rercordings of multimedia performances, a kinetic sound installation and experiments with improvisation-based ensembles.

1. ImXCocteau (12:50)
© 2008 Philip Mantione
Soundtrack for the video by Alysse Stepanian. Material includes soprano sax samples taken from recordings of Eric Roberts and field recordings made in Santa Fe (Eldorado area).

2. T=2.7k - Beginning - Excerpt 1 (3:00)
3. T=2.7k - Ending - Excerpt 2 (2:58)
© 2008 Philip Mantione
Two excerpts from T = 2.7k, a multimedia performance that featured improvisations by trumpeter Ron Helman, video by Alysse Stepanian and computer interactive devices invented by Philip Mantione. These excerpts are from a 45 minute piece that includes interactive performance, computer controlled kinetic devices, and improvisation using triggered samples of field recordings made in Beijing, Barcelona, Berlin and upstate NY. October 2008 - Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

4. Larghetto - Excerpt 1 (4:25)
5. Larghetto - Excerpt 2 (2:21)
Two excerpts from Larghetto, a live improvisation by Philip Mantione and Martin Back using hacked electronic devices, amplified metronome and suspended cymbal. General types of actions were predetermined and a chronomter was used to begin or end processes at specific times. Mantione performed on The Human Resistor, an electronic instrument he created from an answering machine, two intercoms, and two electronic toys. Towards the end of the performance, a copper pipe was attached to the device via jumper cables, and audience members were invited to participate in the piece through physical contact with the pipe. Ultimately, by holding hands, a chain of people formed, creating a multi-person human resistor. November 2008 - Santa Fe Complex, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

6. Random Textures (15:02)
© 2008 Philip Mantione
Superimposition of four separate recordings of Random Textures, a structured improvisation-based piece performed by the Ancestral Groan Liberation Orchestra (AGLO), directed by Martin Back. Players include: Martin Back, Samuel Cobean, David Hevener, Philip Mantione, Lisa McKenna, Walter Menetrey, Christian Pincock, Frank Rolla, and Julie West. Scored for eight parts, each player is given verbal indications related to duration, density, and dynamics. A chronometer is used to regulate the 15 minute total duration and each performer plays a different number of sections of equal length within that time. Since the piece is exactly 15 minutes long, it was possible to superimpose multiple recordings and create serendipitous sonorities that would not have normally occurred. December 2008 - Santa Fe, New Mexico.

7. FrankenCircuit - Excerpt (2:02)
Audio documentation excerpt from a collaborative multimedia installation called FrankenCircuit, organized and curated by Philip Mantione. Kinetic sound sculptures created by Martin Back, Tristan Chambers, Tory Hughes, Philip Mantione, David McPherson, Zevin Polzin, and Frank Rolla were all activated simultaneously by a large FrankenSwitch. Audio documentation by Jason Goodyear. Video by Dr. Woohoo, Alysse Stepanian, and Woody and Steina Vasulka. June 2009 - Santa Fe Complex, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

8. UUUUT Experiment - Excerpt 1 (5:05)
9. UUUUT Experiment - Excerpt 2 (6:33)
Two excerpts from the superimposition of three separate performances of The UUUUT Experiment (<65dB), a bi-monthly experiment in free improvisation organized by Mantione. The only rule in these sessions is that the overall sound pressure level should not exceed 65dB for any extended period of time. This is monitored by a projected decibel meter created in MAX/Msp. Players include: Aku, Martin Back, James Brody, Daniel Drell, David Forlano, Ross Hamlin, Victoria Hughes, Courtney Kerr, Orlando Leibovitz, Philip Mantione, David McPherson, Nick Najdowski, Paul Paryski, Anne Rocheleau, Frank Rolla, Mike Root, Patricia Sauthoff, Alysse Stepanian, and Dave Wayne. Sound Engineers: Darryl Frank and Stephen Schmidtt. March to June 2009 - Santa Fe, New Mexico.

SCATTERED CD 110 (cover image: © 2009 Alysse Stepanian)

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Drainage Music

Music for Drainage: an interactive installation with gravity-driven mechanics, sound, sculpture and video created by Alysse Stepanian and Philip Mantione.

1. Melt (1:52)
Based on samples of snow melting off a roof and a kinetic sculpture called Ca Ching

2. AcGtr (6:34)
Based on acoustic guitar samples.

3. Dog (3:26)
Based on samples of Kayo the dog.

4. Random Gestures (4:31)
Based on random guitar, voice, and dog samples.

5. Dusk (8:58)
Manipulated field recording at dusk in Bloomingburg, NY

SCATTERED CD 109

cover and logo design: © 2004 Alysse Stepanian
cover image: “Desire” (sculpture with drain pipes, water, pump,
flashing on wood panels) © 2004 Philip Mantione
music: © 2004 Philip Mantione

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fourteen

A collection of work based on field recordings, filtered noise, and various other samples.

1. Track 1 (2:34)
2. Track 2 (3:37)
3. Track 3 (4:24)
4. Track 4 (2:21)
5. Track 5 (2:27)
6. Track 6 (4:21)
7. Track 7 (3:18)
8. Track 8 (4:30)
9. Track 9 (4:02)
10. Track 10 (2:36)
11. Track 11 (3:07)
12. Track 12 (3:46)
13. Track 13 (2:50)
14. Track 14 (3:00)

SCATTERED CD 108

cover and logo design: © 2003 Alysse Stepanian
music: © 2003 Philip Mantione

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Crowd

Music derived from field recordings of two peace demonstrations in NYC and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (2002)

1. Chant (7:39)

2. Sound (7:16)

3. Voice (8:09)

4. Rhythm (7:03)

5. Ambience (2:44)

SCATTERED CD 107

cover and logo design: © 2002 Alysse Stepanian
music: © 2002 Philip Mantione

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Motel

1. motel (15:12)

In July of 2001, One Night Stand, an art show, was curated by Tamara Fites and Michael Lewis Miller at the Farmer’s Daughter Motel in Los Angeles. In this show, I set up a 3-hour live telephone connection from New York City to one of the motel rooms, and recorded comments and/or sounds made by anyone who chose to pick up the receiver. Conversational fragments were later dissected, recontextualized and warped into droning and rhythmic sonic backdrops to create motel.

SCATTERED CD 106

cover and logo design: © 2004 Alysse Stepanian
music: © 2001 Philip Mantione

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Equal Form

A collections of pieces that are part of an ongoing series in which I randomly juxtapose discrete sections of equal duration in time... a sort of equal form. Each section is drone-like or homogeneous in timbre or rhythmic content, and is abruptly interrupted by the next. Paradoxically, it is within this seemingly rigid architecture that I believe the listener is free to experience time on their own terms.

1. Five (7:35)
Five drones.

2. Dorr (4:00)
Based on the sound of the creaking men’s room door at the ICMC in Berlin. The sample used was recorded by John FFitch.

3. Elizabeth (4:12)
The source material for the piece is comprised of recorded samples of the bagpipes as performed by Elizabeth Nixon. The music was also used in the soundtrack for an experimental video called Buffalo, in collaboration with visual artist, Alysse Stepanian.

4. White, pink, regular and unknown (14:39)
Various types of noise.

SCATTERED CD 105

cover and logo design: © 2001 Alysse Stepanian
music: © 2001 Philip Mantione

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Containers

John Cage treated musical form as an “empty container” and in many of his pieces used a structure based on a series of proportionally related sections. The work found here also focuses on the idea of temporal “containers” but instead of enforcing a proportional scheme or macro-rhythm, they allow for a listener-derived form. Sections of equal length but usually varied textures are juxtaposed in time. The reality of temporal space becomes a function of the perceived interestingness of the material at any given moment. Translation: Time flies when you’re having fun...or not.

1. Sinusoidal Tendencies (9:54)
In this piece I randomly juxtaposed discrete sections of equal duration in time. Each section is a mini-drone that evolves slowly until it is abruptly interrupted by the next. I wrote a program using MAX/MSP to generate and manipulate sixty sine waves. Within each section, the frequency of individual waves is fixed, however, each is subjected to continually shifting amplitude curves. Frequency distributions were configured within a constrained randomness or loosely centered around harmonic, logarithmic, or exponential continuums. Intentional clipping was used to create indeterminant harmonic effects.

2. Reunion (9:59)
Reunion was originally written as the sound track for Alysse Stepanian’s video of the same name. The source material consists largely of samples of an old brass film spool being struck, claves, and guitar harmonics. The architecture of the piece involves three consecutive 3:20 drones, upon which eleven shorter sections (:54) are layered.

3. Two Minutes (2:00)
The source for the piece is a recording of the phrase, “Two minutes can be a long time.” The material was manipulated utilizing a patch I wrote in MAX/MSP, and the phase vocoder found in Tom Erbe’s, Sound Hack program.

4. Country Inn (6:06)
Country Inn was originally written as the sound track for Alysse Stepanian’s video of the same name. Atypically, I chose to use stock samples from the Roland JV-1010 in this piece. Rather than focusing on sample manipulation, this work utilizes a patch written in MAX that harmonically morphs between two mutually exclusive hexachords while applying random parameters to chord size, rhythm and dynamics.

SCATTERED CD 104

cover and logo design: © 2000 Alysse Stepanian
music: © 2000 Philip Mantione

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Radiator

Radiator (26:30) is music based on the sound that a radiator makes as it begins to heat up. Trapped moisture produces a random banging sound, accompanied by the hissing of steam. The first part of the work is comprised of computer manipulated samples of this sound, presented as discrete cells of identical length (20 seconds), and placed adjacent to each other in time. This creates a macro-rhythm dictated by a sequence of mini-drones, in which perceived duration becomes a function of sonic density and rhythmic complexity. Later in the work, drone sounds from previous works (both acoustic and electronic) are layered over the ongoing radiator samples, further complicating the perception of time.

SCATTERED CD 103

cover and logo design: © 1999 Alysse Stepanian
music: © 1999 Philip Mantione

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Random 26

Since music is manifested in temporal space,it is undeniably an art of process, but it also has the ability to create objects in the memory of the listener. Given an awareness of current thoughts on chaotic processes and a fascination with the human mind’s capacity for memory, perception and projection, writing music that explores these areas has been irresistible. My compositional process has involved using the computer as both a tool and an instrument in the discovery of an underlying musical cohesiveness and the subsequent accentuation of unifying elements, within the celebration of the multiplicity of random events.

1. Frame of Reference (6:02)

2. Sawfly (6:03)

3. Antidepressant (6:02)

4. Samovar (6:03)

5. Climatology (6:01)

6. Paralyse (30:01)

SCATTERED CD 102

cover and logo design by Alysse Stepanian © 2000 Alysse Stepanian
music: © 1999 Philip Mantione

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Traffic for strings

Traffic for strings (10:00) is based on a time expanded version of the original structure used in Traffic for brass quintet. Timbral and dynamic choices, pitch distributions, and the way in which time is perceived in the work reflect an aesthetic borne from my experience in the manipulation of sound and time and the use of random processes in computer music.

Recorded live at Merkin Hall in NYC and performed by the S.E.M. Ensemble, Petr Kotic conducting.

© 2005 Philip Mantione

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Traffic

... for brass quintet is based on pitches and rhythms derived from a transcription of a recording I made of traffic sounds in Astoria, Queens. The original durations from the transcription were expanded in time. I then expanded them again, and then again. I imposed some intuitive judgments relating to octave displacement, timbral manipulation and dynamic choices. The result is an eight minute soundscape where individuals emerge from and recede into a texture of largely sustained harmony, anarchic in its origins but fixed in its present form. I later used the same structure as the basis for Traffic for strings, a piece for string orchestra.

© 2003 Philip Mantione

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Brass Quartet

Brass Quartet is based on melodic fragments chosen at random. The sharp attack unique to brass instruments is exploited through the simultaneous use of repeated notes that accelerate in one line, slow down in another, and remain constant in another, creating rhythmic and timbral complexity. Throughout the piece, polarized ideas of meter, texture and dynamics stubbornly coexist.

music: © 1995 Philip Mantione

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E Pluribus, Pluribus

E Pluribus,Pluribus is for any five, pitched instruments and tape which includes randomly placed and panned fragments from recorded live performances of previous works. Although players are given a specific number of notated pitches to perform within each time period, the actual sounding pitches and timbre will vary depending on the instruments used. The underlying structure is based on relative intervallic distances, specific sectional durations, and contrasting articulation and dynamic indications.

© 1997 Philip Mantione

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Ochlokratia

Ochlokratia for orchestra incorporates computer generated random events that provide the foundation for harmonic, melodic and rhythmic content. Aleatoric devices are used to create complex and chaotic rhythmic textures. Shifts from metered to non-metered music and their coexistence define states of flux or stasis. The title of the piece, Ochlokratia, was chosen at random from Webster's Dictionary. It is the Greek root of the word ochlocracy, defined as government by the mob or mob rule.

image: Ochlokratia, 1996, pencils, graphite, and nails on wood
© 1996 Philip Mantione

© 1996 Philip Mantione

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Random 25

In Random 25 for string quartet, constantly shifting timbres and microtonal colors evolve as the consensual timein the beginning of the piece, gives way to an independent or individual notion of temporal space.

Performed at Dixon Place in NYC by the Kaleidoscope String Quartet

© 1999 Philip Mantione

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Sonic Circuits VIII

A collection of work compiled by Sonic Circuits, sponsored by the Amercian Composers Forum and Innova Recordings. Included are works by John von Seggern, Katherine Gordon, Francis Dhomont, Preston Wright, Malte Steiner, Philip Mantione, Michael Hosch, David Jaggard, and Antun Toni Blazinovic.

Executive Producer:  Philip Blackburn

© 2000 Amercian Composers Forum

Available at Innova Recordings(Innova 117)

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The Door Project

The Door Project collection of work compiled by John ffitch. Music created from the sound of the door of the Gentlemen's toilet opening and closing at the ICMC 2000 meeting in Berlin. Included are works by Giannoulakis, Woodman, Castine, DiBenedetto, Anon, Devaney, ffitch, Solare, Barass, Penttinen, Beatsystem, Covell, Lopez, Mantaloni, Rhoades, Tao, Steiner, Smallwood, Akkan, Rutz, Fogar, Mantione, Herrera, and Rajchenberg.

Produced by John ffitch
© 2001 The Composers
All rights reserved

Published by Alta Sound Codemist Ltd - Alto 02 CD

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