Long time scales, gradual change and a keen sense of organic development are important elements in the music of both Michael Northam and Jonathan Coleclough.
In 'Sea-change' they use geologic data (Haq et al. 1988; Hardenbol et al. 1998) describing ocean volume changes and geomagnetic shifts over the past 248 million years to create a sound interpretation lasting four hours. The music's structure is based on a idea by Achim Reisdorf of the University of Basel Geologic-Paelontolgic Institute and the programming work of Klaus Filip.
Based around this structure, Coleclough and Northam's composition combines field recordings of sounds that could have occurred during this period, tonal structures based on direct interpretation of chart data and an intuitive evocation of the massive changes occurring over the past quarter of a billion years. The installation will be presented in near total darkness with a octophonic diffusion system.
Literatur:
Haq, B.U., Hardenbol, J. & Vail, P.R. (1988): Mesozoic and Cenozoic Chronostratigraphy and cycles of Sea-Level Change. - In: Wilgus, C.K., Hastings, B.S., Kendall, C.G.S.G., W., P.H., Ross, C.A. & Wagoner, V. (eds): Sea-Level Changes: an integrated Approach. - 42. Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication, 71-108.
Hardenbol, Jan; Thierry, Jacques; Farley, Martin B.; Jacquin, Thierry; de Graciansky, P.C. & Vail, Peter R. (1998): Mesocoic and Cenozoic Sequence Chronostratigraphic chart. - In: Hardenbol, Jan; Thierry, Jacques; Farley, Martin B.; Jacquin, Thierry; de Graciansky, P.C. & Vail, Peter R. (eds): Mesozoic and Cenozoic Sequence Chronostratigraphic Framework of European Basins. - SEPM Spec. Publ. 60.
