Hyphae

Electro-acoustic explorations of key synchronistic concepts from Indian Classical Music and electronic music. Live instruments include tabla, santoor, guitar, and vocals; Electronic instruments include two small Eurorack systems (mostly for live sound processing), hard synths, a Handsonic, and a looper. This project seeks to find, highlight, and probe commonalities in divergent traditional approaches to rhythm, sound, and harmonics, building from simple waveforms into a specific raag and rhythm. After the melody and puts are established, we set course for the final destination: a booty-shaking groove.

Based initially on a live-synthesized representation of the Indian "tanpura" drone, the set will introduce melodic structure via an acoustic Hindustani Classical "alap," performed live by project member Piu and manipulated/processed in real time by a sympathetic modular synth patch. As the raag continues to echo in play with the evolving electro-acoustic tanpura drone, the next movement will introduce a pulse via the introductory movement of a traditional Benares-style tabla solo, also performed live. After both rhythmic and melodic rules are well established, the final movement will consist of improvised, danceable grooves.

The sound created will drive generative visual patterns performed as live accompaniment by the project's third member. Each of the three sonic movements will have its own visual set to explore within, performed live with MIDI controllers. Organic vistas of primitive 3d shapes pulse and dance to the beat. A kaleidoscopic mirror brings order to the chaos. Clouds of particles move and shimmer.