Contemporary trends in the use of space in electroacoustic music

(ABSTRACT) This paper describes a survey of contemporary approaches
towards the use of spatial design in electroacoustic music,
focusing on the type of spatial systems used by a sample of
composers and the way they conceive the use of space in their
music. Comparing the results with information gathered from
seventeen articles by composers written on the topic in 1997,
it is shown that composers nowadays are more used to
working with different types of spatialisation systems than
before. There is also a considerable increase in the use of
surround 5.1 as well as four- and eight-channel systems and a
decrease in the use of stereo. The compared results also show
that, in general, composers nowadays seem to be less
concerned with performance and interpretation issues as well
as technical aspects of spatialisation. Further studies could
consider a more detailed investigation of how the new
spatialisation tools have shaped the aesthetical character of
the music composed in recent years.

This paper is written by FELIPE OTONDO
Department of Music, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
E-mail: fo500@york.ac.uk

link http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/28291/1/otondo_organised_sound.pdf

Some interesting quotes include;



The details of many responses to the survey seem to
indicate that composers in recent years have been using
the spatialisation as a way to develop a more coherent
internal space in the studio that can help to render the
sound materials in the composition clearer. (Ontondo 2008 pg.79)


The responses of many composers to the survey point to the fact that
performance through live-diffusion does not seem to be
as interesting as it used to be.Many respondents seem to
be more interested in reproducing convincingly a spatial
design developed in the studio and some feel, like
Natasha Barrett, that live-diffusion can be restrictive for
more detailed and complex spatial developments. (Ontondo 2008 pg.80)


Damian Murphy,in a recent event devoted exclusively to
spatial design where commissioned pieces focusing on
spatial design were premiered, said that he had been
disappointed by most of the proposals received for the
open call (SpaceNet 2007). In a discussion panel about
spatial designclosing the event he said thatheidentified a
very conservative approach in the use of space, arguing
that ‘the technology is there but there has not been a
development in terms of artists pushing the boundaries’. (Ontondo 2008 pg.80)