Allan Gilbert Balon: High latency communication
In the current era of ubiquitous communication, the verbal expression of the self has become commonplace. Nevertheless, the transparency and intelligibility of speech do not unequivocally ensure a genuine interpersonal connection. The complete disappearance of secrecy could potentially compromise the potential for authentic communication. Under certain circumstances, the ineffable can transcend the limits of language, giving rise to discourse that goes beyond the strict limits of the message. Thus, maintaining a certain degree of obscurity in exchanges can potentially improve and enrich the quality of communication. It is interesting to note that the term "communication" derives from the Latin term "communis," which evokes the notion of sharing and communion.
"High Latency Communication" is a performance for three musicians (piano, tuba, and voice) who explore the idea that communion may be predicated on the obscurity of a message and its natural envelope - sound. The double obstacle that water imposes on the discourse (temporal and physiological limits) is intended to shed light on the Word itself, which paradoxically finds its naked vibratory nature freed from the communicative function ordinarily imposed by the code, the very object of language. By merging musical time with lived time, the composer engages in a free reflection on ecology and the qualia of presence.
The articulated sound of the voice mixed with the sound of the instrument evokes the destiny of the human being and their biotope. The musician will use this one as a signal of his own psychogeography, of his own light seeking despite the arid constraints of the exercise a viable mode of expression for this ephemeral community that they embody. The lifespan of this work depending on their innovation and their resilience.
This first release for House of Saturn is published in partnership with xyä © . The cassette records two performances of High Latency Communication, captured live in the basement of the Marquette Park Fieldhouse, Chicago, and features Matthew Riggen, Andy Klingensmith and Janna Lee respectively. This release is accompanied by a compositional score of the performance for tuba, piano and voice. Printed on A2, hand-cut recycled paper.
© XYÄ edition 002, 2023
