Loops and Gongs is a twofold sound art piece designed to be presented into two different and yet interconnected ‘environments’ – through performance and sound installation. Intended to be performed in a live set-up and works with a simple time-based instructional score for 8 portable cassette tape players and reel-to-reel tape player, using pre-recorded modified cassette tapes and open reel tape that contains of sound samples from variety of gong instruments; and on the other hand, a work in progress sound art installation for 20 portable cassette tape players and 80 prepared-tape. The basic structure of this project is based on the primeval nature of tape loop sampling, which is the manual process of cutting and splicing pre-recorded magnetic tape to create a ‘sound loop’, a technique that is highly recognizable with the early tradition of sampling, sound collage and electroacoustic music.

There are two stages within the process of creating this work. First is the process of modifying tapes by means of loop technique, and secondly is the process of getting sound samples from variety of gong instruments and by selecting fragments of sound samples from Jose Maceda’s ethnomusicological works (applies only for the installation). These sound samples were recorded as a digital file through portable digital recorder and transferred manually to modified cassette tapes (using tape deck recorder) and to open reel tapes (using portable open reel recorder).

In addition, a simple time-based instructional score was written to be part of the ‘performance piece’, a practical tool to arrange and distribute sounds (drone, repetition, resulting melody, and interlocking rhythm). Also, a recording session was done in the studio just to record the ‘compositional output’ of the score, and then was submitted as an ‘mp3 output’ and exhibited at Vargas Museum in University of the Philippines as part of Maceda Project 2013 entitled ‘Listen to my Music’ [25 June to 26 July 2013].

However, for the installation part, it is still a work in progress in terms of the totality of its conceptual elements, e.g. visual projection interacting with sounds in real-time, sensors controlling the machine or sounds, etc.

The piece is a reaction to the unconventional approach on Maceda’s early musical idea of using, exploring and incorporating existing electronic devices/technology through composition, which became a central structure for his two remarkable musical works – the Cassettes 100 (1971), that uses cassette tape recorders and taped natural sounds; and Ugnayan (1973), a multi-channel composition for indigenous instruments that were transmitted simultaneously for 20 radio stations. Both works have the same principle of exploring new territory within the presence of a large community participating together into a ritual-like experience that involves the use of electronic machine technology, however, each piece was relatively different in terms of sonic structure and principle -- an early phase on Maceda’s musical philosophy and a conscious departure from classical idiom heading to a more experimental approach of exploring and presenting new music and performance ritual.

Moreover, it was an attempt “to create a music that would reconcile machine technology and the participation of a large human community in symbiotic collaboration”. (Santos, 2007: 138)

Loops and Gongs was composed by Erick Calilan, a sound artist and experimental musician who focuses and explores on the creative and illogical use of electronic hardware machines such as mixers, effects, musical toy instruments and consumer electronic devices.

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Ramon P. Santos, Ph.D. - Executive Diretor for Maceda Project 2013
Dayang Yraola - Curator [Listen to my Music: The Jose Maceda Exhibit]
Tad Ermitaño - Curator [Confluence section]

Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/190823527742636/

Catalog: www.upethnom.com/pdf/Listen_to_My_Music_Catalog.pdf

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The artist would like to thank the following:

People from U.P. Center for Ethnomusicology (Dayang Yraola, Dr. Ramon Santos, Roan Opiso, Grace Ann Fernando Buenaventura, Sol Maris Torrefranca Trinidad and Dino Guadalupe).

Participating artists from the 'Confluence' section (Tad Ermitaño, Malek Lopez, Caliph8, Paolo Garcia, Tengal, Jing Garcia, Cris Garcimo, Armi Millare & Jon Romero)

And also to Ryan Diolola, Jonjie Ayson, Shey Guemo-Garcimo, Ivan Sico Reyes, Valerie Faye Bautista and Joee Mejias for technical help.


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