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LAN – Party

for string quartet, live-electronics, fixed media and video
“LAN-Party” is a homage to the sound aesthetics of the 8-bit computer game music era. The piece refers to the unique 8 bit gaming sound which became iconic through the time, but was once created due to technological limitations.
The musicians are encouranged to choose mostly sound-reducing playing techniques, e.g. with a variety of overpressure techniques that give the sound of a string instrument a rather scratchy appearance by increasing the noise component. Depending on the length of the bow played, long sustained notes are interrupted irregularly, creating rhythms of short clicks reminiscent of the percussive clacking of buttons on game controllers. Additionally the four string instruments are modulated individually by live electronics (bit crushing) to support an 8 bit like sound character reminding of the 8-bit sounds of early PSG chips. Those real time sound modulations are controlled by using a gaming controller. The sound of the string quartet is also enriched by a fixed media tape consitsing of electromagnetic vibrations pre-recorded from old gaming consoles.
2019, Premiere @ urban string by Ensemble Resonanz, resonanzraum Hamburg. Further performance 2023 by Grow Quartet at Netzwerk Seilerei, Frankfurt am Main.
