Pichuco

2018

bandoneón + fixed medium (stereo)

12’30”

Pichuco examines approaches to improvisation - as a method of generating musical material as well as in performance. Composers working with sound and technology often spend large amounts of time improvising in the studio with their source material in a “plastic” manner - transforming, reshaping, generating new material before laying it one side for future consideration and possible inclusion in a piece. Composer/researcher Guy Reibel referred to this as sequence/jeu and the notion of “play” is an important aspect of this piece.

In 2015, I recorded the bandoneón (the “accordion” used in Tango music) of Eliseo Tapía, a renowned bandoneónist from Buenos Aires with a strong interest in new forms of tango as well as the traditional. The session was a combination of me asking him to do make certain sounds and of him performing short improvisations. The mix of Eliseo as “resident expert” and me as “curious tourist” yielded a varied palette of sonic possibilities.

The piece explores sounds ranging from the creaking of the fuelle (bellows) to extended techniques (yeites) from tango such as arrestre, a strong accented upbeat and the even stronger vómito, using material derived from improvisations by Eliseo and material written in an improvisatory style.

Pichuco was created for Eliseo Tapía and is dedicated to him.