Cyclonic

Listen to a binaural mix of Cyclonic (9:30)

Taking its name from the rotational motion associated with powerful meteorological events, Cyclonic was inspired by the awesome power of the weather in east central Illinois and plays at the edges between events as recorded, events as experienced, events as remembered, and events as imagined.

Pitches were derived from the frequencies in the National Weather Service alert signal, and the concept of a Cycle is abstracted in various ways ranging from an endlessly accelerating pan to endless (cyclic) increases in the pitches of synthetically generated sirens and filterbanks processing synthetic wind.

Apart from rain, thunder, and wind sounds recorded in downtown Champaign, the entire piece was synthesized in Kyma.

NB: This is a binaural mix of a multichannel version available from the composer.

This work was commissioned by the University of Illinois Experimental Music Studios in commemoration of its 50th anniversary celebration.