Program Notes

Tran(slate), my second string quartet, delves into the art of translation. In its original version, featuring live electronics, the piece explores the interplay between the instrumental and electronic mediums. The version without electronics takes on an allegorical interpretation of electroacoustic techniques, with each section symbolizing a metaphorical representation of electronic treatments: chorus/phasing, ring modulation, spatialization, filters, pitch-shifting, delays, loops, and time-stretching.

The very foundation of the piece is built upon spectrogram analysis of my voice, incorporating throat singing and simultaneous singing/whistling, along with inharmonic guitar multiphonics. The sections involving vocal sounds are treated with a legato or sustained approach, while those featuring guitar sounds are predominantly presented as pizzicato passages or inspired by distorted electric guitar sonorities. Each imagined section is further subdivided by all other sections in a proportional and fractal (or self-similar) manner, resulting in a fragmented and non-linear interplay that gradually crystallizes into recognizable motives, harmonies, and timbres.

The title, Tran(slate), embodies the artist's unattainable yearning to start from a blank slate, instead embracing a situation where the work weaves unique contexts through transitions across more general states. The piece artfully captures the essence of translation, not just between musical mediums but also between the various expressive possibilities inherent in each, creating a multi-layered and enthralling musical experience.

— Felipe Lara