Time alters memories. Remembering previous events with precision requires an effort of concentration and, despite everything, these crumble over the days, months and years that pass.
Posted at 1:30 p.m.
Let’s close our eyes.
Think of our last evening with friends on a terrace, as the sun goes down. Can we accurately recreate this moment without missing details? The laughter, the noise from the street, the people talking, the birds in the distance. And if we repeat the exercise in an hour, will the reconstitution be the same? No, of course.
Temporal processing, storing memories, fluctuations and oscillations in musical scores are at the heart of “… on reflection”a new looped and airy work signed by the specialist of the genre William Basinski, in collaboration with Janek Schaefer, composer, musician and DJ, also known for his love of visual and digital arts.
Over a period of eight years, from 2014 to 2022, and always at a distance – one lives in London, the other in Los Angeles – the two men shared files from their personal archives: piano scores, notes synthetics and audio recordings of all kinds (birds chirping, rain, wind, motorcycle exhaust system, car horns, laughter, distant discussions, etc.).
Once this imposing bank was created, the two followers of minimalism evaded the sounds of all turbulence and explosions, seeking to harmonize and smooth them until they became banal, but not without interest.
Woven in this way, five versions of this musical quilt are offered by Basinski and Schaefer on “… on reflection”.
If he is attentive, the listener will detect the discrepancies and note the fluctuations between them. If he lets himself be carried away by the beauty and the lightness of the harmonies heard, he will relive the happy memory of his most recent evening on a terrace, with friends, as the sun goes down. We prefer to be that listener.
To see and hear, another striking work by William Basinski is currently on display at the Habitat sonore space at the Phi Center in Montreal.
Vibe
“… on reflection”
William Basinski and Janek Schaefer
temporary residence