This acousmatic piece is composed for six channels. Its structure is informed by a simple plot: a boat approaches (a harbour or a beach), the anchor is thrown into the sea and the listener’s attention shifts between different scenes.
he piece concentrates initially on the waves splattering on to the boat’s sides; the listener/passenger stays inside the cabin while the waves hit the exterior of the boat; imagination plays some tricks on the mind and transforms certain sounds. Then, the attention is drawn to the waves on the shore and briefly back to the inside of the boat, before a momentary turmoil gives way to tranquillity, which slows down the pace of the composition considerably, culminating in the long sustained textures that end the piece.
In Vessel@Anchor, there are temporal qualities referring to the sonic image of the sea and its timelessness. Structures play a primary role in emphasising long durations and suggested permanence. The piece attempts to play with the listener’s perception of duration by extending sections psychologically, which is conducted by exposing static textures and repeated gestures.
The initial environmental recording was made in and around the harbour of Marseilles in France, before being processed in the studios of City University, London, where the composition was realised.
A five minute extract is published in the Organised Sound journal, Vol. 16.
back to Compositions from 2000 onwards
Aki Pasoulas 