In the Plains Of
Music Composition with Video
Remediation of Participatory City Recordings
Performative environment for heavily amplified chamber ensemble
(bass flute, viola, cello, Casio keyboard, voices and electronics)
60 min
2020
“In the Plains Of” explores how societies document the worlds around them to shape their perception of the "world." It views journaling as a tool for world-building, both a product of colonial expansion and a means for personal expression, creating imaginary worlds lies at the core of interest. In the original version, the ensemble ö! musicians were prompted to document their everyday commutes to work using ubiquitous everyday technology like phones. This archive of sounds and images informed the media-driven concert. Zaes expanded chamber music by combining ensemble ö! with a media collage. The composition merges field recordings and transcriptions thereof with live instrumental performances, inspired by Western transcriptions of colonialist Pacific scales, addressing imperialist musical exoticism. A technological system rhythmically manipulates the sounds, highlighting the fragmentary nature of the materials. Visually, the work occurs within an installation, with musicians distanced and illuminated by local spotlights, conveying disconnection. Old TV monitors and wall projections display participant imagery, emphasizing the ephemeral and uniform appearance of the materials. The aesthetic suggests “vintage” nostalgia, with contemporary recordings feeling dated upon playback. Projected text lines from journals add layers of meaning, momentarily recontextualizing the experience. “In the Plains Of” questions foreignness, exotism, and abvoe all, mediation, blending everyday technologies with image and sound processing. It contrasts the immediate with the imagined, creating a sensory realm that blurs memory and reality.
Premiered by Ensemble ö! in Chur + Basel, 2020
under the German title“(…) Ebene eines fremden Landes”
Further showcases:
Exhibition 想象/图像/幻象Imag(in)e Fantasy at the Shanghai Chun Art Museum, hosted by the Shanghai Jiaotong University's Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry, 2022
Under the version title “Mirrors of Otherlands” shown at Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall, within the series “Digi Muse,” 2024