recording for siblings

within a short and rich period of 3 weeks from May until June 2024, i have had the great joy of recording my piece for siblings (tempered) with Clara de Asís, Reinier Van Houdt, and Edgars Rubenis. the recording process resulted in recording 4 different versions of the piece — piano solo, guitar solo, piano/guitar, and 2 guitars — in three different locations: the Hague (NL), Le Crotoy (France), and Rīga (LV). the recording should be released on Discreet Editions by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

over these 3 weeks, i have had a chance to rediscover the piece in many ways, specifically how its algorithmic and semi-improvisatory aspects enhance each other. first, the unmeasured notation in the piece requires the performer(s) to stay in the 'now' to a point i had not yet understood. for instance, the recordings had to be done in one shot, embracing their share of surprises and 'imperfections'. for the duo and trio versions, the unmeasured notation makes the experience of performing the piece truly relational. the performers have no other choice but to share a collective listening space, without which the piece falls apart. because of its algorithmic and unmeasured aspects, i believe that the score/piece may be rescaled, i.e. stretched or shrunk anywhere between 10'00" to 120'00". in the same vein, the piece may also be reduced/condensed to a few of its slurs (for instance: one slur per staff), without losing its essence. it was fun to see how far we could go to create heterophonic textures and/or canons, out of one single score.

organizing this dislocated recording process was intimately connected to my compositional process and experience of rootlessness — a painful yet freeing way of existing where one may actively blur the too often damaging notion of territory/territoriality in their life. we are and should be/feel all at home, wherever we are. it is my hope that the upcoming recording of for siblings (tempered) may indirectly transmit such ideas.

i am immensely grateful for Clara, Reinier and Edgars' dedication, and all these new/old friendships which at the core of this project. we had so, so much fun. i also want to thank the partners who supported this project, starting with Discreet Editions, Studio LOOS, ĢIT, and all those who we met during this endeavor and kindly supported/listened to us: my family, Hélène & Pierre, Artūrs & Lūize, Andrejs, Anda & Beate.