Infinite Self (2018)
I. Origins
II. Growing Destruction
III. Electric Lungs
IV. Urban Body
V. Disharmony
string quartet, synthesizer, and recorded audio tracks
13 minutes
II. Growing Destruction
III. Electric Lungs
IV. Urban Body
V. Disharmony
string quartet, synthesizer, and recorded audio tracks
13 minutes
Infinite Self is based on a collection of Polaroid pictures I took during March of 2018 around northside and downtown San Antonio, and includes audio from the location of each image. The phrase “Infinite Self” describes the concept of humans and the world being one connected and unbounded self, functioning, or dysfunctioning, as a whole. Each movement exists within its own sound world, restricted to a few specific intervals and similar harmonic language. The nature motive however makes an appearance in almost every movement, representing the presence of nature in the ever changing landscape of the planet.
“Origins” first presents the theme of nature as humans are slowly introduced into the environment. The second movement, “Growing Destruction”, displays construction as both the development of mankind and civilization, and yet is the obliteration of nature. “Electric Lungs” further connects to the idea of the ‘self’: power plants, deforestation, pollution, etc., all go on in the background of civilization without thought from most people, yet they are absolutely necessary to support the exterior and visible "Urban Body". The last movement, "Disharmony", presents the clash between nature, represented by the squirrel in the image below, and man. Lost and exploited, animals and nature are no
longer able to live in harmony with man.
“Origins” first presents the theme of nature as humans are slowly introduced into the environment. The second movement, “Growing Destruction”, displays construction as both the development of mankind and civilization, and yet is the obliteration of nature. “Electric Lungs” further connects to the idea of the ‘self’: power plants, deforestation, pollution, etc., all go on in the background of civilization without thought from most people, yet they are absolutely necessary to support the exterior and visible "Urban Body". The last movement, "Disharmony", presents the clash between nature, represented by the squirrel in the image below, and man. Lost and exploited, animals and nature are no
longer able to live in harmony with man.
