Mythical Spaces — Steven Kemper

Ari Hajek performs "Mythical Spaces" for amplified percussion and computer by Steven Kemper. (www.stevenkemper.com) Performed at the 2014 New York Electroacoustic Music Festival at the Abrons Arts Center. i. Underground 0:05 ii. Water 2:04 iii. Forest 4:04 iv. Mountain 6:43 v. Temple 8:59 From the composer: Mythical Spaces explores the intersection of myth and place. Mythical spaces are imaginary, real, natural and human-made. They are the sites of mythical events and bridges to the spiritual world. Sonically, Mythical Spaces captures the essence of each space as well as its mythical significance by reproducing material physicality through the use of a different amplified “vessel” in each movement. i) Underground People and gods used to live underground until they emerged from the depths and into our world. These myths are prevalent in the American southwest as well as the Trobriand Islands. This movement explores the idea of the subterranean world as primordial, where the emergence into our world represents a journey from darkness to light. ii) Water The “earth-diver” myth, where a being dives to the bottom of the ocean to grab a particle of sand that will be used to create the Earth is one of the most diffuse and common origin myths in the world. This movement sonically retells the narrative of the creation of the Earth—from a single particle to shimmering harmonic landscape. iii) Forest From Sub-Saharan Africa to Japan, forests are viewed as sacred by cultures worldwide. Animist beliefs imbue the individual elements of the forest with living spirits. These forests may be viewed as natural temples, places where humans can enter the supernatural world. Wind rustling through the trees and an environment rich with the energy of spirits pervade this movement. iv) Mountain Valhalla, Mt. Everest, Mt. Olympus, Mt. Denali, and Mt. Fuji are examples of mythical and real mountains that are considered sacred. Mountains are home to the gods. Evoking a sense of heroism, this movement contains the sounds of dramatic rumbling gestures broadcast over great distances. v) Temple Earthly temples have their duplicates in the transcendental sphere—the heavens. The temple represents the efforts of more centralized societies to build a bridge to a mythical place. This movement employs sounds of sacred instruments and a strong element of ritual that constructs a ceremony of transcendence. Mythical Spaces was written in 2010 for percussionist Shawn Savageau.