Program Note
Away (2024) explores two parallel streams of meaning. First, the idea of being present in different places is presented by relying on sound sources that are relate to my own experience in Northern Sweden (e.g., breathing sounds – which carry social meanings, soundscape/urban recordings) with recorded sources that point to my daily life in Canada. Secondly a continuum of ambient noise is developed by continuously juxtaposing, hybridizing and reconstructing human and computer-generated breathing sounds alongside material from electronic oscillators, synthesizer noise modules and outdoor recordings of heavy machinery. This creates a liminal space where bodily sounds inhabit machine processes, and builds on previous explorations of how living presence can be inferred in acousmatic music.
About the Composer
Michael Lukaszuk is an electronic music composer and researcher living in Northern Sweden. His interests include acousmatic music, generative music and improvisation with both sound and visual artists. His work often explores themes such as digital liveness and algorithmic media in culture. His music and research have been presented at events such as The International Computer Music Conference, International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, with awards from organizations such as the Canadian Electroacoustic Community (Jeu de Temps awards) and the SOCAN Foundation (Hugh Le Caine awards). He is currently the Postdoctoral Fellow in New Media Art at Umeå University.